5th Annual Autism Conference 2010

5th Annual Autism Conference
April 26th 2010
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Chester County Intermediate Unit
455 Boot Road
Downingtown,Pa 19335
Directions at:www.cciu.org

ASD Resource Fair on the 3rd Floor!
Registration:5th Annual AACC

About CAR:The Center for Autism Research (CAR) seeks to identify the causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and develop effective treatments. CAR conducts research studies for infants,toddlers,and school-aged children who have or are at-risk for developing ASD. Families receive comprehensive assessment reports and are paid for their time and travel costs.

The Autism Alliance of Chester County’s 5th Annual Conference will feature researchers from the Center for Autism Research (CAR) at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania and from Drexel University. CAR and Drexel are investigating the causes of autism spectrum disorders,and CAR is currently conducting the largest autism treatment study anywhere in the world.

CONFERENCE TOPICS AND PRESENTERS INCLUDE:

Breakthrough Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Hope for the Future
Bob Schultz,Ph.D.
Director of the Center for Autism Research,The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia This presentation provides an overview of the latest research in the neurobiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs),focusing on recent finding in the fields of genetics and neuroimaging. It concludes with how these findings impact the development of effective treatments for individuals with ASD.

Autism and the Environment
Craig Newschaffer,Ph.D.
Chairman of the Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel University What do we know about the non-genetic risk for autism? How are researchers approaching the important and complex challenge of determining whether substances in the environment increase autism risk?

The Philadelphia Autism Instructional Methods Study:What we planned,what happened,and why we were wrong.
David Mandell,Ph.D.
Associate Director of the Center for Autism Research This presentation will discuss outcomes from the largest randomized trial of a behavioral intervention for children with autism to date and the first conducted in partnership with a public school district. Student outcomes will be discussed,as well as changes to the research design and the infrastructure of the district required to effectively sustain evidence-based practice for children with autism.

An Overview of the Latest in Evidence-Based Practice and Regional Models of Training and Service Delivery
Peter Doehring,Ph.D.
Director of Regional Programs at the Center for Autism Research
This presentation will provide an update on latest reviews of evidence-based practice (e.g.,summary of the National Standards Report and others). Also,a summary of regional models of training and services delivery from statewide or federal programs designed to improve training and services.

Promoting Sleep in Children with ASD
Margaret Souders,Ph.D.,CRNP
Research Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Autism Research and Former Nurse Practitioner at the Regional Autism Center at Children’s Hospital The objectives of this discussion are the importance and function of sleep,describe the predominant sleep disorders in children with ASD,identify screening measures,describe sleep hygiene and behavioral strategies to promote sleep and to discuss alternative and pharmacological interventions.

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