The world’s first Autism in Entertainment Conference takes place at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on Friday, April 5. Toy and game industry power players plan to talk about career tracks in merchandise-driven fields.

Inaugural Autism in Entertainment Conference provides a pleasant breeze into Autism Acceptance Month

Marlene Sharp
6 min readMar 23, 2024

Come April 5, there is a baby breeze blowing through Bel Air, California, home of movie stars, palatial estates, and iconic museums. One of the latter — Skirball Culture Center — provides the setting for the first, small(ish) but mighty Autism in Entertainment Conference and its superstar celebrants. Bucolic atmosphere aside, toy and game industry power players plan a formidable presence at the brand new confab, which promises surprises for the neurotypical, as well as the neurodiverse.

The world’s first Autism in Entertainment Conference is a one-day, in-person, groundbreaking event that takes place on Friday, April 5, 2024. The gathering features a roster of high-profile media industry names, such as Nickelodeon, Ubisoft, animation director Jorge Gutierrez (BOOK OF LIFE), animator/reality star/educator Dani Bowman (Netflix’s LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM), and writer/producer/director Scott Steindorff (UNDERSTANDING AUTISM, STATION ELEVEN, THE LINCOLN LAWYER). In addition, twelve neurodivergent entertainment academies/mini studios — Brainstorm Productions, DaniMation Entertainment, Ed Asner Family Centers, Exceptional Minds, Jazz Hands for Autism, Game Gen, Inclusion Films, JDS Creative Academy, The Miracle Project, Silver Drawing Academy, Spectrum Laboratory, and Visual Arts

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Marlene Sharp

Marlene Sharp is a creative and business-savvy entertainment multi-hyphenate who originally hails from New Orleans but is now a (San Fernando) Valley girl.