The City of Houston has the honor of hosting World Autism Organisation’s Autism Congress on November 12–15, 2018 at the Marriott Marquis Houston Hotel. In 1998, World Autism Organisation (WAO) was established by a collective global group of parents dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with autism and their families. This year’s WAO Congress is a once-in-a-life time, first-ever congress in the United States.
“The purpose of these large international congresses is to provide a platform for people with autism, their families and related professionals, so that they can have personal access to significant role players in the ASD field,” said Jill Stacey, president of the WAO. “The delegates benefit from meaningful information imparted by the presenters, as well as valuable time to network with others.”
“We are very excited to be the first U.S. city to host the World Autism Organisation Congress,” said Mike Waterman, president and CEO of Visit Houston. “Thanks to the overwhelming support of the Texas Medical Center and relationship with WAO, we have a great opportunity to share a taste of Houston with life sciences attendees, representing more than 30 countries, who will join us this fall.”
The role of the WAO is to foster the development of an environment supportive of improving the quality of life of those affected by autism in all parts of the world.
Stacey stated, “Access to information on the internet may have increased over the years, but this congress provides the significant benefit of being able to form new friendships and working partnerships through face-to-face interactions. The programme offers a wonderful, diverse selection of speakers and topics. It is very difficult to short-list the speakers because of their high quality and commitment to the congress. However, to whet your appetite, Stephen Shore, Grant Manier, Carol Gray, Manuel Casanova and Michael Fitzgerald will be presenting.”
Previously, the WAO hosted four very successful congresses in Melbourne, Cape Town, Kuwait and Monterrey, Mexico. Regardless of the venue, each congress attracted audiences of up to 1,000 delegates that have been able to glean information from over 100 speakers from all over the world, as well as many poster presentations from an informative selection of exhibitors. Attendees can expect to gain access to a broad array of information, taking away the most current research and meaningful information to support their specific needs. The impact has proven to enhance the lives of many and contribute to improved understanding and opportunities for individuals with autism.
To facilitate affordable access to this congress, special registration offers have been put in place. Please visit http://worldautismorganisation.com/category/wao-2018-16/.