A Note From OUL Founder

Hello everyone,

I would like to take this opportunity to share my thoughts and reflections about the presentations that took place last month. On September 19, 2025, I had the privilege of joining a Zoom meeting that was focused on the important topic of "Autism in Deaf Education." The presentations were absolutely wonderful, and I found that I learned something valuable and meaningful from each and every one of them.

Scarlett's Park in the Silent Garden at Fresno State is an annual conference that has been specifically designed for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and adults with special needs. Each year, the organizers make it a priority to invite speakers from across the United States to come and share their knowledge, expertise, and experience with our community.

The presentations that were delivered covered a wide variety of important topics, including:

• How ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) can be effectively utilized to help educate deaf autistic individuals

  
  

• Deaf and Disabled Affirming Approaches in Deaf Education

  
  

• All Behavior is Communication

  
  

• How Classroom Teachers Can Works Successfully with the Parents of a Deaf Autistic Child

  
  

• Teaching Reading to Deaf Students with Autism

  
  

• Managing REAL Behavior in Deaf Students with Autism

  
  

• Deaf Autistic Adults Panel

• Breaking Down the Math Process for Deaf Students with Autism

  
  

• Bridging Collaboration and Advocacy Between ABA and Education

Out of all the presentations that were offered during this conference, the one that I found to be the most educational, enlightening, and impactful was undoubtedly the Deaf Autistic Adults Panel. It was truly inspiring and deeply moving to have the opportunity to hear directly from deaf autistic adults as they generously shared their personal stories, experiences, and journeys related to their education—including the various challenges, obstacles, and barriers they faced throughout their academic careers, as well as the specific changes, improvements, and reforms they hope to see implemented in the future to benefit the next generation of deaf autistic students.

The Zoom meeting was made accessible and inclusive for all participants by providing both ASL (American Sign Language) and English translations throughout the entire duration of the event, ensuring that everyone in attendance could fully participate, engage with the content, and benefit from the presentations regardless of their preferred mode of communication.

If you missed this conference or were unable to attend, I would strongly encourage you to subscribe to OUL so that you can receive information, updates, and announcements about future conferences, workshops, and lectures on related topics. I am confident that you'll enjoy the experience and learn something valuable, meaningful, and applicable to your work or personal life!

You'll also receive regular OUL posts sharing resources about learning disabilities and Deaf culture, plus the OUL News once a month. You won't miss anything from us—sign up and subscribe right away!

We look forward to sharing the news with you soon.

Patrick Peters

OUL Founder