National Autism Conference 2024

Due to an unprecedent amount of interest and applications, we are unable to accept further applications. We thank you so much for your interest and hope to see you at the conference!

Parent/Caregiver Scholarships:

The Parent/Caregiver Scholarship is available to parent(s) and/or caregiver(s) of a child with an IEP or who receives Early Intervention (EI) services and meets certain qualifications.

These funds will be provided through the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education.

Scholarships will be granted on a first come first served basis, but with priority given to parent/caregiver scholarship recipients for the Children’s Institute. Eligible recipients are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
Notifications will be sent out by June 20th, 2024.

Scholarship Details and Eligibility

WHO QUALIFIES FOR A SCHOLARSHIP:

Pennsylvania residents whose children would benefit from conference content who have:
1. A school-age child with a current IEP.
OR
2. A child who receives Early Intervention (EI)

• Parents/Caregivers who have never previously received this scholarship or who have received it previously but not more than 2 years in a row.
• Parents/caregivers of children who receive Early Intervention services are eligible, regardless of whether they have attended in the past.
• Parents who are employed in a professional capacity as educators by any of the following: school, school district, charter school, or Intermediate Unit, (and eligible for professional development funds) and those employed by a Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC), Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC), or other federally- funded educational or advocacy organization are not eligible for a scholarship and should seek funding through their employer/organization.
• *"School-age" refers to children old enough to attend kindergarten, to students enrolled in high school until they turn 22 years old.

To receive professional credits, you must register as a “Pennsylvania Parent/Caregiver requesting professional credits.” If you are awarded a scholarship, you may receive travel reimbursement expenses for recipients traveling 50+ miles one way.

TYPES OF SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED (In-Person):

• Full scholarship - covers conference registration, lodging and travel expenses for qualified applicants.
• Lodging for full scholarship applicants traveling 50+ miles, one way
• Partial scholarship* - covers conference registration; does not include lodging.

Applicants who qualify for a full scholarship with lodging and travel expenses are encouraged to make their hotel arrangements immediately, as lodging accommodations become more limited as the conference date approaches. If you are notified that you have been granted a scholarship, a list of hotels with reserved blocks will be provided.  Daily continental breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided as part of the National Autism Conference. Receipts must be submitted for reimbursement.
Additionally, you must submit the session verification codes for a minimum of 75% of conference sessions to be eligible for reimbursement.
Travel expenses must be paid up-front by the parent scholarship recipient(s). Reimbursement is typically made 4-6 weeks after the conference.

Allowable expenses for reimbursement up to $1,200.00 per family (PA residents only):

• Complimentary conference registration for up to 2 parent(s)/caregivers(s).
• Lodging reimbursement during the conference if you live at least 50 miles from the conference location. A lodging receipt that shows your name and the amount you paid is required. Reimbursement up to $150 per night, for a maximum amount of $600.
• Mileage reimbursement if you live more than 50 miles away to be reimbursed at 67 cents per mile (or the current federal standard mileage rates at the time of the conference) and tolls. Maximum mileage reimbursement of $300.
• Meal reimbursement up to per diem expense that are NOT provided as part of the National Autism Conference. Per diem rate for each parent or caregiver is $59 per day. Alcohol is not reimbursed. (Continental breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided at the conference.)
•  Priority for Children’s Institute spots will be given to parent scholarship recipients.
• If you are planning for your child(ren) to attend, you MUST register them during this enrollment window.
• The conference opens Monday, August 5th at 9:00 and ends Thursday, August 9th at 12:30. The Children's Institute timeframes are 8:30 am and 5:00 Monday-Wednesday and Thursday 8:30 to 1:00.
• This year the Children's Institute will be offered off campus (for children ages 5 to 22) at Sara Lindemuth/ Anna Carter Primary school located at 1201 North Progress avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17109. The campus is approximately 10 minutes away from the PaTTAN Central Conference Center. A shuttle will be provided for caregivers attending the conference from the school to the conference center
• We are also providing reimbursement for childcare for children younger than 5 in collaboration with the Early Intervention and Technical Assistance (EITA) team from PaTTAN. EITA will reimburse families for childcare (ex. babysitters and or childcare services). More information for reimbursement will be provided after an initial application is completed and applicable. We know this is a big change and will work with families to ensure a positive conference experience.

About the Camp

Code Carnival! Where computer science takes a ride! This three-and-a-half day camp will take place at PaTTAN Central (Harrisburg) alongside the National Autism Conference and is designed for college-bound high school students on the autism spectrum. The CSinPA Code Carnival Summer Camp is an exciting, hands-on computer science (CS) experience. Campers will explore how CS is used to make amusement parks work, tour Hershey Park, and engage in fun computer science activities!

CSinPA Code Carnival! Is brought to you in partnership with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), a project of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education. In addition to the intentional planning and design of camp activities, camp staff are specially trained by PaTTAN education consultants on the unique needs of students with autism. There is no cost to participate.

Please reach out to us at NACSTEMcamp@pattan.net for more information!

Details:

Dates:
Monday, August 5th - Thursday, August 8th, 2024
Time: Monday - Wednesday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM; Thursday 8:30 - 12:30
Location: PaTTAN Central (Harrisburg) and a day at Hershey Park
Grades: Students entering grade 9 - 12 in fall 2024 Camp fees and registration: There is no cost to attend this camp.

Please click the link below to register.  Due to limited space available registration will be filled on a first come first serve basis. Contact us at NACSTEMcamp@pattan.net with any questions or concerns.

Lunch and snacks will be provided. More details to follow.

Registration will open on April 5^th, 2024

Questions? Contact us via email NACSTEMcamp@pattan.net