UW Sets Conference on Autism

Aug. 5, 2008 -- Parents and professionals can obtain the latest information to better serve children with autism during a conference Friday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the University of Wyoming Conference Center.

The conference, "New Horizons in Autism," will link developmental theories of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to implications for best practice, says conference coordinator Terry Longhurst with the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) in the UW College of Health Sciences. She says participants will learn how symptoms of autism change with development. They will also learn to identify skill areas for early intervention, including various approaches to building social, communication and adaptive skills in early childhood.

"Participants also will become more familiar with developmentally appropriate intervention targets for school-aged children with autism and be able to identify several educational modifications and social interventions that have empirical support," she says.

Cost of the conference is $60 for parents and $120 for professionals in advance, or $75 for parents and $150 for professionals on-site. To register or for more information visit www.uwyo.edu/wind/attain or call (307) 766-3004.

Keynote speaker is Susan Hepburn, a licensed clinical psychologist and the director of research for JFK Partners at the University of Colorado at Denver. She will discuss and lead sessions on understanding autism from infancy through the school years, and implications on intervention with both young children and school-aged children.

Another speaker is Athena Hayes Lickel, a UW doctoral student in clinical psychology who for 10 years has worked with children with various developmental disabilities, including ASD. She will discuss ways to address common challenging behaviors observed in children with ASD.

Doug Scambler, a WIND licensed psychologist, will lead a parent panel on accessing services for children with ASD. He has worked extensively with children with attention and behavior disorders as well as developmental disorders including ASD and intellectual impairments.
 

Posted on Tuesday, August 05, 2008

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