WTAF??!!! The Five Fs Schools Need to Rethink About Autistic Students
Flexibility · Functionality · Freedom · Fairness · Facts
Your Co-Presenters
MEET OTTO
LANA
POET OF POSSIBILITY
COMMUNICATION RIGHTS CHAMPION
MOONSHOT CHANGE MAKER
Otto Lana is an award-winning poet, filmmaker, speaker, and communication rights advocate who is reshaping how people think about disability, belonging, and the power of communication. As a multimodality communicator who uses AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), Otto combines storytelling, poetry, humor, and advocacy to challenge assumptions and inspire possibility. Through his presentations, creative work, and leadership, he has become a powerful voice for communication access, disability pride, and a more inclusive world.
MEET DR. JULIE CAUSTON
MAGICAL INCLUSION EXPERT
PROLIFIC AUTHOR
KEYNOTE STORYTELLER
A best-selling author, inspiring speaker, and passionate inclusion advocate, Dr. Julie Causton began her career as an educator and went on to spend 14 years as a tenured professor at Syracuse University. In 2012, she founded Inclusive Schooling, a premier company devoted exclusively to delivering professional development that transforms schools and lives. For more than 25 years, Julie has been joyfully obsessed with discovering innovative practices and teaching others how to create truly inclusive schools through her wildly engaging presentations.
MEET DR. Kristie
PRETTI-FRONTCZAK
INCLUSION THOUGHT LEADER
EDUCATORS’ EDUCATOR
FIERCE PLAY ADVOCATE
Solutions
June 6, 2026 Resources (Click to Access)
Session: WTAF??!!! The Five Fs Schools Need to Rethink About Autistic Students
Flexibility · Functionality · Freedom · Fairness · Facts
WTAF??!!! is a bold, joyful, and myth-busting session that invites educators to rethink what they’ve been taught about autistic students through the lens of the Five Fs: Flexibility, Functionality, Freedom, Fairness, and Facts. With humor, heart, lived experience, and research-backed insight, Otto Lana, Dr. Julie Causton, and Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak unpack the biggest myths, misunderstandings, and missed opportunities shaping schools today—and why inclusion isn’t just better practice, it’s basic humanity. Expect laughter, truth-telling, and powerful “aha” moments that will leave you inspired to build schools where education isn’t endured, but truly celebrated.
Resources
Key PPT [pdf]
Definition of Inclusive Education [pdf]
What is the Learning Goal [pdf]
Language that Lifts [pdf]
20 Things About Access [pdf]
101 Ways To Offer Choice [pdf]
When Doing Nothing is Something [pdf]
Unpacking Student Engagement [pdf]
Fair Activity [pdf]
Closing Life Skills Classrooms [pdf]
Research Fast Facts [Google DRIVE doc]
Article by Otto Lana – “Freedom to Imagine and the Right to Read” [pdf]
Your go-to source for making inclusion a reality.
Whether you’re a school leader, educator, advocate, paraprofessional, parent, or simply passionate about creating inclusive schools, this podcast is for you.
Topics You Do Not Want to MISS:
- Meaningful IEPs: Quality Over Quantity
- Fading Paraprofessional Support
- Why Behavior Charts Fail Our Students
- The Recipe for Real Inclusion
- Understanding LRE (mistakes made by most)
Connect with Otto:
Follow @otto_types on Instagram, explore his work at OttosMottos.com, and learn more about his advocacy through Mod Squad 4 Access.
That Actually Work