Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association (AHA) Inc.
Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association (AHA) – one of the nation's premier Asperger Syndrome and high functioning autism organizations – provides support, education and resources for families, professionals and individuals on the spectrum.
AHA's eighteenth annual fall conference: Issues in Education for School-Age Children on the Autism Spectrum features internationally renowned speakers and researchers (full bios below) including:
• Keynote speaker Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D.: , "What's Hot and What's Not in the Science of Autism."
• Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., and Barry Grossman, Ph.D.: "Assessment and Intervention for Students with ASD."
• Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC: "How Social Processing Deficits Impact Academics."
• A teen panel will discuss the impact of their diagnosis and share strategies with the attendees.
WHEN and WHERE: Monday and Tuesday, October 27th and 28th, 8 am – 3 pm at Eastern Suffolk BOCES, 15 Andrea Road, Holbrook NY.
The conference will provide educators, professionals, related service providers and parents with the most effective and current evidenced-based educational strategies. The search for effective treatment and interventions for ASDs is in its infancy and is made more challenging because each individual on the spectrum is unique and myriad interventions are being offered – some of which reflect sound practice, and others that are not evidence-based. At AHA’s Fall Conference, world recognized speakers, professionals, and leaders in research and clinical work will help registrants sort through this confusing web, covering topics from how to assess students’ individual needs and strengths to new school-based interventions and strategies for children on the spectrum.
For more information, please contact Pat Schissel at 516-470-0360 or conference@ahaNY.org, or visit AHA’s website at www.ahaNY.org to download the brochure and register.
Speaker bios:
Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D., will deliver the keynote address, "What's Hot and What's Not in the Science of Autism." An eminent professor, author and consultant, Dr. Myles is a pioneer in training graduate students to educate people with autism. She has traveled worldwide developing school programs and consulting. Dr. Myles serves on the National Institute of Mental Health's Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee's Strategic Planning Consortium. Notable among her many books is "Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage, and Meltdowns."
Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., and Barry Grossman, Ph.D., will be speaking on Assessment and Intervention for Students with ASD, focusing on proactive interventions and supports to address the whole student, including social, emotional and behavioral needs, areas that often seem to lie outside the scope of the IEP team. They have created a comprehensive model of intervention for students with Asperger Syndrome and high-functioning autism known as the Ziggurat Model that has been adopted at district and state-wide levels, and have presented internationally on this model. Their book on the subject, The Ziggurat Model, earned them the 2008 Autism Society of America award for literary book of the year.
Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC, a prominent speech and language therapist, is returning by popular demand. She has presented internationally, written seven books, and produced numerous training DVDs. She examines the language aspects of autism, which is in large part a communication disorder. Her talk, "How Social Processing Deficits Impact Academics," will take the practical form of addressing communication issues as they appear in the classroom.
AHA was formed 20 years ago out of Stony Brook University by Dr. John Pomeroy and a small group of parents seeking more support and information. AHA has grown to 10 support groups from Montauk to Manhattan serving families, professionals and individuals on the spectrum with groups for: school-age issues; families with older teens and adults; and separate groups for teens and for adults. AHA presents two major conferences yearly. Their website – www.ahaNY.com – and electronic list serves families, individuals and professionals in New York and across the country and world. Answering over 2500 hotline calls yearly, they are a continual source of information, support and referral.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
