2026 Summer Institute on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
About the Conference
Join us for the 2026 Summer Institute on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, hosted by the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and the UC Davis MIND Institute, for an engaging and timely exploration of The Age of Technology: Research, Risks and Strategies to Support Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.
Whether you are a professional, researcher, family member, advocate, student, or community member, this event offers practical tools and meaningful perspectives you can apply right away.
Key Highlights
Save-the-Date
Pacific Daylight Time
- Date: Friday, July 24, 2026
- Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Virtual
The Summer Institute will be offered exclusively online via Zoom Webinar, with no in-person attendance, making it easy to participate from wherever you are.
Research on Technology and the Digital World
Learn about the latest research on how technology is improving support for individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Expert Panel
Hear practical strategies and perspectives from autistic self-advocates, a clinical psychologist, and a police detective as they discuss technology’s role in inclusion, online dating, internet safety, and independence.
Keynote
People First, Then Tech: Frameworks for Meaningful Technology Integration
Lauren Tucker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University
Objective: Participants will identify the specific components of the SETT framework to implement person-centered technology selection.
Panel
Balancing Opportunity and Risk in the Digital Age: Safety Strategies, Benefits, and Voices
of Experience
Objective: Identify 2 strategies that can be used to successfully include and empower autistic individuals as active members of
the team.
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Summer Institute Registration-Click HereRegistration is now open!
Registration Fees
- Professionals: $35.00
- Family Members/Individuals with Disabilities/Students: $25.00
- 3 CEs: $30.00
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California Psychological AssociationThis event is approved for 3 professional CPA credit hours.
The UC Davis MIND Institute is approved by the California Psychological Association to provide continuing professional education for psychologists. The UC Davis MIND Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) recognizes CPA continuing education credits for license renewal for LCSWs and MFTs.
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ACE ProviderThis event is approved for 3 professional BACB credit hours.
The UC Davis MIND Institute is an approved ACE provider for Learning Credits for Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Board Certified Associate Behavior Analysts.
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California Board of Registered NursingThis event is also approved for by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # 17663, for 3 contact hours.
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Conference Schedule
8:30-9:30 a.m.
Welcome: Aubyn Stahmer, Ph.D., Executive Director, UC Davis MIND Institute, Director of Community-based Treatment Research, Director, University Center on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Keynote Presentation: People First, Then Tech: Frameworks for Meaningful Technology Integration
Lauren Tuchker, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University9:45-11:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion Title: Balancing Opportunity and Risk in the Digital Age: Safety Strategies, Benefits, and Voices of Experience
- Jackie Armstrong, Autistic self-advocate
- Edison Jun, Autistic college student
- Mary Wong, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Psychologist
- Nicole Monroe, FSU/ICAC Detective, Elk Grove Police Department
11:15-11:30 a.m. Break / Transition to Breakout Groups (facilitated small group conversations) 11:30-12 p.m. Breakout Groups:
- Lauren Tucker
- Mary Wong
- Nicole Monroe
- Jackie Armstrong
- Edison Jun