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Registration is open for the 19th Annual AutismOne Conference on Labor Day weekend from Thursday, Sept. 2 – Saturday, Sept. 4. The conference will be in-person (at Godspeak Calvary Chapel, 320 Via Las Brisas, Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks, CA) and live streamed on Thursday, and on Friday and Saturday the conference will be virtual only. Readers of The Defender can obtain a 25% discount by applying coupon code CHD25 when registering.

The event — “Autism Recovery in the Age of COVID-19” — will feature more than 40 experts in the fields of science, medicine, law, education and health freedom.

Register now for an opportunity to submit your questions to an extensive panel of experts.

As parents of an autistic child themselves, Ed and Terri Arranga founded AutismOne as a parent-driven nonprofit organization to help families, educators, first responders and others support, protect and heal children with autism.

Since 2003, the AutismOne conference has provided validation, education, hope and solutions to the autism community by giving a voice to the voiceless, acknowledging the real roots of their struggles and exploring a vast realm of healing possibilities and skill-building tools.

Each year, new families come to share their own stories of hope and recovery as a testament to the success of their efforts.

For Kassie McCarthy, attending the conference opened up a “new world of possibility” that started with connection.

“It’s a very dynamic conference,” McCarthy said. “The parents are the best part of the whole thing. You meet people who are experiencing the same things and have felt the same grief that comes with an autism diagnosis.”

But parents don’t come from all over the world just to make friends. “The parents who come to AutismOne are the ones who want to heal their children,” McCarthy said. “You go there for answers and the possibility that you might be able to reclaim your child and your family.”

McCarthy did just that. As a self-proclaimed “fighter,” she went to her first conference in 2006 prepared to do the work. She left armed with a new understanding of MTHFR mutation, a “vestibular input” swing, a plan to pursue Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy and an arsenal of new tools.

McCarthy’s son is now a young adult, who continues to cultivate his own set of skills.

This year’s weekend of empowerment and learning begins on Sept. 2 with a full day of in-person presentations at the Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks, California, a venue that has already demonstrated its commitment to personal empowerment.

The venue, now an icon of freedom and our First Amendment rights, is a fitting location for a line-up that features many of this country’s most outspoken advocates for medical freedom and informed consent.

This year’s speakers include: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Children’s Health Defense (CHD) chairman who will keynote the event, Dr. Judy Mikovits, Del Bigtree and CHD President Mary Holland, along with some of the world’s brightest and most compassionate critical thinkers and problem solvers.

Participants are invited to bring their questions and will have opportunities to communicate one-on-one or engage in group discussions with presenters.

Whether you want to learn about the latest biomedical research, explore mitochondrial issues, or the healing potential of microbiome restoration or detoxification — or if you just need a glimpse of hope and a chance to interact with a like-minded community — the AutismOne conference has something to offer.

Register here or for more information, please email info@autismone.org or call 800-908-5803.