SEOUL, South Korea, July 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The 3rd AUTISM EXPO 2024 concluded on a high note, featuring a wide range of exhibits and diverse events that attracted enthusiastic participation from individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and related organizations.

Co-hosted by SurplusGLOBAL and the Smile Together Foundation, and co-organized by the Smile Together Foundation, the Autism Society of Korea, and the AUTISM EXPO Organizing Committee, this year’s event saw significant support from public institutions such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities. A total of 103 organizations participated with 138 booths, and over 21,000 attendees, including individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and professionals, visited the expo to gather valuable information on developmental disabilities.

Key highlights of the expo included the Autism Art Festival and Autism School, both of which were also streamed online. The Autism Art Festival featured the Autism Superstar K event, hosted by actor Lee Kwang-gi, with a special performance by the Orchestra SOOP, a Korean orchestra of individuals with developmental disabilities from Atlanta, Georgia. Thirteen teams, selected through rigorous competition, showcased their talents. The Autism Gala Show, hosted by broadcaster Kim Mi-hwa, featured performances by six specialized developmental disability performance groups, including Dream with Ensemble, and a special performance by UANGEL VOICE.

Autism School offered 16 sessions with lectures from three international speakers, including MD, PhD. Lawrence Fung, Director of Stanford Neurodiversity Clinic, Stanford University, and domestic experts. Additionally, Autism Talks provided a platform for individuals living with developmental disabilities to share their experiences.

Other notable events included the Autism Art Gallery, an exhibition space for artworks by artists with developmental disabilities; Autism Sports, a sports experience area in collaboration with Special Olympics Korea; and Autism Books, which featured a developmental disability book exhibition and book talks.

A parent of an autistic child and an inclusive classroom teacher who attended the expo shared, “I gained valuable information and met supportive allies. I’m grateful to the expo for showing me that I’m not alone.”

Bruce Kim, CEO of the Smile Together Foundation and SurplusGLOBAL, expressed his satisfaction with the growing ecosystem for developmental disabilities, saying, “I was delighted to see the developmental disability community becoming more vibrant. I hope this 3rd AUTISM EXPO 2024 has laid the groundwork for further solidarity and cooperation in the developmental disability field. We will continue to work diligently to present an even more advanced and developed expo at the 4th AUTISM EXPO.”