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webinar
5.0 (1 Review)
July 15, 2025 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM EDT

Vital Lessons: A Town Hall on Autism, Education and Public Trust

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Vital Lessons: A Town Hall on Autism, Education and Public Trust

Date

July 15, 2025 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM EDT

Location

Online

Cost

Free

Credit

No credit

Attributes

Good for Parents, Students with Disabilities

About This Webinar

Autism continues to be one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented conditions—both in public discourse and in the systems meant to support families. Educators, healthcare workers and parents are often left to navigate stigma, misinformation and underfunded services without clear, trusted guidance.

Join Dr. Peter Hotez—physician-scientist, global health expert, and parent of an autistic daughter—and Danielle Hall—Director of  Health Equity Initiatives at the Autism Society of America—for a timely Vital Lessons town hall. We’ll explore what science really says about autism, how to respond to misinformation, and what educators, families and public employees can do to build more inclusive and supportive environments.

In a time when public trust in science and education is under attack, this conversation is about getting back to facts—and putting people first.

We’ll cover:

  • what science actually says about autism and diagnosis;
  • the rise of disinformation—and how to push back with clarity and compassion;
  • how educators and school staff can support autistic students with dignity; and
  • what families and public employees need to foster trust, inclusion, and access to care.

This town hall is part of “Vital Lessons: Health Chats with Dr. Vin Gupta,” a yearlong series providing timely, science-based health insights for AFT members and our communities.

This town hall is part of “Vital Lessons: Health Chats with Dr. Vin Gupta,” a yearlong series providing timely, science-based health insights for our communities.

Speakers

Peter Jay Hotez, M.D., Ph.D.

Founding Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine

Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. is Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine where he is also the Co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) and Texas Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair of Tropical PediatricsHe is also University Professor at Baylor University, Fellow in Disease and Poverty at the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy,  Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at Texas A&M University, Faculty Fellow with the Hagler Institute for Advanced Studies at Texas A&M University, and Health Policy Scholar in the Baylor Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. He also holds honorary DSc doctoral degrees from the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine (Northwell Health), Roanoke College, honorary doctoral degrees in both science and humanities by The National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), and City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. More

danielle hallDanielle Hall, MSW

Director of Health Equity Initiatives at the Autism Society of America 

Danielle Hall is the Director of Health Equity Initiatives at the Autism Society of America. She has a master's degree in Social Work with an emphasis on Public Health. She brings more than 20 years of experience in planning, designing, evaluating, and managing programs to promote health, equity, and access. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two girls and Cocker Spaniel. More

Profile picture for user vinnie.gup
Public Health Physician, Professor, and Health Policy Expert

Dr. Vin Gupta, MD, MPA, is a public health physician, professor, and health policy expert. As a Harvard-trained lung specialist, Vin has spent the past 15 years working worldwide to improve public health for organizations including the US Centers for Disease Control, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the Harvard Global Health Institute, the World Health Organization, and the Pentagon’s Center for Global Health Engagement. Given his diversity of experiences, he is now a trusted advisor and contributor to national and international media outlets on several of the most important health issues today, including serving as a regular health policy analyst for NBC News and contributor to the New York Times and CNN New Day. As you will see below, Vin is committed to voicing evidence-informed perspectives across a range of critical issues like domestic US healthcare reform, the vaping epidemic, the effects of climate change on human health, and gun control. In doing so, he speaks honestly and is driven by evidence, not opinion or dogma.

Profile picture for user Randi Weingarten
President, AFT

RANDI WEINGARTEN is president of the 1.8 million-member AFT, AFL-CIO, which represents teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other healthcare professionals; local, state and federal government employees; and early childhood educators. The AFT champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for students, their families and communities. The AFT and its members advance these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through members’ work.

5.0
1 Reviews
Edwin Dubon
Edwin Dubon July 15, 2025
Very informative…

Very informative presentation. As a retired teacher, and planning to come back to teaching, I find this topic extremely helpful. I like the Resources available too. Thank you. Good job!!!

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