Speaking
Influencing Hearts, Changing Minds
Whether in-person or virtual, Stephen Hinkle is available for speaking engagements all over the world. Current topics relate only to supporting special needs children.
Presentation topics are listed below. Click on the titles to view the session descriptions.
- K-12 Inclusion from a Student Perspective
- Growing Up with Autism
- Foster Care for Autistic Placements
- The Hidden Curriculum
- Life After High School Transition
- Ability Awareness for Youth
- Anxiety and Autism
- Trauma and Autism
- Paraprofessional Training
- Internet Safety
Past audiences have included:
- K-12 Schools
- Families
- School Districts
- Colleges and Universities
- Youth Groups
- Disability Organizations
Speaking Topics
K-12 Inclusion from a Student Perspective
In this presentation, Stephen helps students with disabilities and their teachers identify strategies for navigating and thriving in the academic side of school. The outlined strategies include the latest and best of curriculum accommodations and modifications, policies for implementing unrestrictive environments, and ways to foster an inclusive setting for students at all grade levels.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 45 minutes and 2 hours.
Suggested Audience:
Teachers, Educators, Parents
Interested in bringing this presentation to your organization?
Growing Up with Autism
Explore the milestones, challenges, triumphs, and accolades of Stephen’s life, tracing his steps from childhood to living life as an adult. Stephen highlights the difficulties of growing up as a child with autism, and how he learned to succeed, eventually becoming a PhD candidate.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 45 minutes and 2 hours.
Suggested Audience:
Teachers, Educators, Parents, Advocates, People with Disabilities
Interested in bringing this presentation to your organization?
Foster Care for Autistic Placements
Listen to Stephen spotlight some of the challenges young people with autism face inside the foster care system as he shares various ways Child Protective Services and social workers can better serve placements. Whether at school or at home, learn creative ways you can help meet their academic, social, emotional, and physical needs.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 90 minutes and 2 hours.
Suggested Audience:
Current & Prospective Foster or Adoptive Parents, Child Protective Services Workers, Social Workers, Family Court Staff
Interested in bringing this presentation to your organization?
The Hidden Curriculum
Stephen uses this topic to identify step-by-step strategies for supporting autistic students in the social and extracurricular aspects of education. Through scientific research and his own personal experience, he offers expert guidance for exploring inclusive sports, visual and performing arts, communication, manners, and even building friendships.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 1 and 3 hours.
Suggested Audience:
Teachers, Educators, BCBA Staff, Speech Therapists, Parents, Students
Interested in bringing this presentation to your organization?
The Life After High School Transition
Discover confident ways to navigate life with autism after high school as Stephen dives into subjects like career planning, finance management, secondary education, and so much more. Don’t take on the big transition unprepared. Instead, learn how you too can live life to the fullest.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 1 and 2 hours.
Suggested Audience:
Current & Prospective Foster or Adoptive Parents, Child Protective Services Workers, Social Workers, Family Court Staff
Interested in bringing this presentation to your organization?
Ability Awareness for Youth
In this talk, Stephen helps listeners learn about disability from the perspective of a child in school. Through inclusive language and examples, he brings attention to how children learn through accessibility, augmentative communication, assistive technology, and how autism affects all three.
*The content and vocabulary of this presentation can be customized to fit different ages and grade levels.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 10 minutes and 1 hour.
Suggested Audience:
Students, Teachers, Educators
Interested in bringing this presentation to your organization?
Anxiety and Autism
Learn from Stephen as he covers anxiety, behavioral responses, and how people with Autism process life differently starting at a very young age. He explains strategies for managing burnout and stress in the youth, along with similar issues from an inclusive perspective.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 45 and 90 minutes.
Suggested Audience:
Teachers, Educators, BCBAs, Support Staff
Interested in bringing this presentation to your organization?
Trauma and Autism
Stephen reflects on the difficulties and traumas he faced as a child living with autism and how those troubles followed him into adulthood. From his personal story of triumph, listeners will glean proactive steps they can take when approaching these same issues, whether as an individual or as a family, and figure out better ways to respond to the fight or flight response, make situations less traumatic, and how to release emotional pain.
*This presentation is recommended for mature audiences.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 45 and 90 minutes.
Suggested Audience:
Adults, Teachers, Parents
Interested in bringing this presentation to your organization?
Paraprofessional Training
Explore what defines a good paraprofessional relationship with students and discover how these professionals can be correctly or incorrectly used. Listeners will also learn several techniques that will help foster independence in the youth.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 45 and 90 minutes.
Suggested Audience:
Teachers, Paraprofessionals, IEP Team Staff, Parents
Interested in bringing this presentation to your organization?
Internet Safety
In this topic, Stephen covers the basics of how to stay safe on the internet. He highlights various ways to better secure your computer and protect yourself against viruses, hacking, spam, phishing, abuse, keeping security patches current, and reducing your risk of identity theft.
Length:
This presentation’s length can be adjusted to fit between 45 and 90 minutes.
Suggested Audience:
Anyone who uses a computer