Early Bird Discount Ends in ONE WEEK - 7th Annual GA Autism/Asperger Conference

[Guest guest]

Early Bird Discount Ends February 15th!

7th Annual

Autism Society - Greater Georgia Chapter

Autism/Asperger Conference

Please visit www.asaga.com for complete conference details

March 22-23, 2011

Gwinnett Convention Center

6400 Sugarloaf Parkway

Duluth, GA 30097

The Greater Georgia Chapter of The Autism Society of America will hold our

seventh annual conference, March 22-23, 2011, focused on providing current

resources and information on autism and related disorders. The conference will

feature presentations and workshops by top autism professionals, leading

researchers and experts on various subjects related to education, resources,

research and intervention across the lifespan. The format will include a keynote

speech, and three 75 minute breakout sessions each day. There will be eighteen

breakout sessions to choose from each day focusing on:

• Educational Strategies

• Families and Children with ASD

• Treatment Options/Therapy/Medical/Biomedical

• HFA/Asperger Syndrome

• Adolescent/Adult Issues

• Research

2011 Keynote Presenter - Elder Robison

BREAKING NEWS! - We have just learned that Mr. Robison's new book " Be Different "

will be released on Tuesday, March 22nd while he is at our conference. We will

have the book for sale in the bookstore and Mr. Robison will be available to

sign them!

Elder Robison is a free range Aspergian male who grew up in the 1960s

before the Asperger diagnosis had come into common use. After dropping out of

high school, worked in the music business where he created sound effects

and electronic devices, the best known of which were the signature guitars he

built for KISS. Later worked on some of the first video games and talking

toys at Milton Bradley. After a ten year career in electronics founded

Robison Service, a specialty automobile company in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Robison Service has grown to be one of the largest independent restoration and

service specialists for BMW, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, and Rolls

Royce cars in the northeast.

When he's not at Robison Service, serves as an adjunct professor in the

department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Elms College in Chicopee,

Massachusetts. He also serves on boards for the INSAR, The Centers for Disease

Control, The National Institutes of Mental Health and Autism Speaks. is

involved in TMS autism research at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel

Deaconess Medical Center, and serves on the advisory board for Mass General

Hospital's YouthCare program.

is the author of Look Me in the Eye, my life with Asperger's, published in

17 editions that are sold in over 60 countries. 's next book, Be Different,

will be on sale this March. His writing has appeared in a number of magazines

and he's a regular blogger on Psychology Today.

In addition to his autism advocacy work, is a lifelong car enthusiast, an

avid hiker, a photographer, a music lover, and a world-class champion eater. He

lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

2011 Keynote Presenters - Dave Hamrick and Lindsey Nebeker

Dave Hamrick is a 31-year old man with high-functioning autism who lives in

northern Virginia. He is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in

the Washington, D.C. area, and previously held a similar position in the same

agency in , Mississippi, shortly after earning his Masters Degree in

meteorology from North Carolina State University. Hamrick has also been in a

long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Lindsey Nebeker, who also has a

diagnosis of high-functioning autism. He has also been active within the autism

community in the United States and Canada by presenting at conferences and

workshops about how autism has personally affected him, and also made an

appearance in Glamour Magazine, ABC's Good Morning America and the cover of

Autism Spectrum Quarterly along with Lindsey Nebeker in 2009.

Lindsey Nebeker is a 29-year old woman with high-functioning autism who lives in

northern Virginia. She has a brother also diagnosed with autism. She earned a

Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Technology from the College of Santa Fe in New

Mexico. Lindsey has been in a long term relationship with her boyfriend, Dave

Hamrick, who also has a diagnosis of high-functioning autism. She has been

active within the autism community in the United States and Canada by presenting

at conferences and workshops about how autism has personally affected her, and

serves as the Washington D.C. Liaison for the Autism Women's Network. Lindsey

also made an appearance in Glamour Magazine, ABC's Good Morning America and the

cover of Autism Spectrum Quarterly along with Dave Hamrick in 2009.

Presentations and Presenters

KEYNOTE SESSIONS:

" Look Me In the Eye "

By: Elder Robison, Amherst, Massachusetts

" Weathering Autism and Relationships: Love Conquers All "

By: Dave Hamrick, M. S. and

Lindsey Nebeker, B.A., andria, VA

Breakout Sessions:

" Determining the Communicative Intent of Challenging Behaviors "

By: Glenis Benson, Ph.D., Madison, WI

" Higher Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders: Unveiling Their Pragmatic

Deficits "

By: Glenis Benson, Ph.D., Madison, WI

" Common MythConceptions of Guardianship "

By: Mark Biernath, Esq. –

The Law Offices of Mark Biernath, Atlanta, GA

" Caring for the Caregiver "

By: Buckley, MD, FAAP, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

" Healing Our Autistic Children "

By: A. Buckley, MD, FAAP, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

" Using Data to Drive Educational Decisions for Individual Learners "

By: Darden, CEO – President and Founder of A Deeper View KIHd System,

Alpharetta,GA and Behrmann, Ed.D. – Director of the Keller Institute for

Human Disabilities, Mason University, Fairfax, VA

" Navigating the Maze: First a Diagnosis, Then What? "

By: Debbie Dobbs, M.S. – Child Advocate and

Educational Consultant, s Creek, GA

" Video Modeling: An Engaging and Effective Means to Teach Children with Autism "

By: Ellis, Co-founder and Director of Operations,

The TV Teacher, LLC, Marietta, GA

" Adult Panel Discussion "

Gaffney (facilitator)

Panellist: Dave Hamrick, Lindsey Nebeker,

Reynolds, Ray McKenzie

" The Sound Connection: Auditory Integration Training (AIT) "

By: Gewanter, MSW, LCSW, Asheville, NC

" Mobile Technology, University Research, Public Schools and the Family; A

Partnership Approach to Speeding Education Research to the Consumer Market; One

Mom's Social Mission to do Just That and

Why so Many in the Industry are Excited About It "

By: Gailynn Gluth - Founder and CEO, Wynsum Arts, LLC, Atlanta, GA

" OMAC System:Organization and Management of a Classroom for Students with

Autism "

By: Golden, M.Ed., Atlanta, GA

" Employment and Persons with ASD: All About the Match! "

By: Lynnette , Ph.D. – UCEDD Associate Director of Community Services -

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

" Building Neurodevelopmental Profiles Throughout the Lifespan "

By: Elana Himmelfarb, M.A. – Learning Specialist and Transition Coordinator, The

Community School, Atlanta, GA

" Drawing a Blank: Improving Reading Comprehension for Good Decoders with Autism

Spectrum Disorders (Parts I and II) "

By: Iland, M.A., Author, Educational Consultant, Parent, & President of

the Autism Society of Los Angeles, CA

" Increased Independence = Improved Quality of Family Life "

By: Jackie Isbell, M.A., Jefferson, GA

and Phil and Nickerson, Parents, Milton, GA

" Families and Schools: Moving Beyond Conflict to Find Collaboration And Trust "

By: Kent Logan, Ph.D., North Carolina

" Developing Appropriate Social Skills Objectives "

By:Kent Logan, Ph.D., North Carolina

" Some Glimpses of Light Nearer to the End of the Tunnel: Stories, and

Encouragement from the

Mom of a Young Adult on the Spectrum "

By: Jeanne Lyons, B.S.Ed., Atlanta, GA

" Developing a Sensory Strategy Plan to Treat Children and Adolescents with

Sensory-Based Problem Behaviors "

By: Ileana McCaigue, OTR/L, IMC –

Handy O.T. Treatment Tools, Suwanee, GA

" Identifying Pain in a Child with ASD "

By: Ana Carolina Mieres, MS, PT, Ph.D.,

University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

" A Trip to Disney World: How to, What to, and When to "

By: Montgomery, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Director – Reinforcement Unlimited,

Woodstock, GA

" Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) "

By: Montgomery, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Director – Reinforcement Unlimited,

Woodstock, GA

" Ethnic Differences in Identification and Placement of Children with Autism

Spectrum Disorders "

By: J. Morrier, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Assistant Director,

Emory Autism Center, Atlanta, GA

" Sexuality on the Autism Spectrum "

By: G. , M.S., M.A., M.B.A., Executive Director, The Community

School, Atlanta, GA, Beth Champ, M.S., M.B.A., The Community School, Atlanta,

GA, and Hackett, B.A., The Community School, Atlanta, GA

" Dealing with Feelings:

Four Pathways to Addressing Behavior at its Source "

By: Laurie Patrice, LPC, BCPC and , LPC, NCC – Center for

Integrative Therapy, Roswell, GA

" Being Different – Making Your Best Life in a Neurotypical World "

By: Elder Robison, Amherst, Massachusetts

" Back to the Basics: Using Tangible Symbols to Support Beginning Communicators "

By: (Libby) S. Rush, MA, CCC-SLP, CPM,

Durham, North Carolina

" Symbols Don't Become Communication All By Themselves "

By: (Libby) S. Rush, MA, CCC-SLP, CPM,

Durham, North Carolina

" Just Give Him the Whale "

By: Schwarz, Ph.D., CEO-Creative Culture Consulting, LLC and Professor,

National-Louis University, Chicago, IL

" Addressing Adventuresome Behavior While Keeping

the Dignity of All Intact "

By: Schwarz, Ph.D., CEO-Creative Culture Consulting, LLC and Professor,

National-Louis University, Chicago, IL

" Autism Spectrum Disorders as Functional Disconnection Syndrome "

By: Scire, DC – Executive Director,

Brain Balance Achievement Centers, Atlanta, GA

" Unlocking the Puzzle of Everyday Items to Complete the Spectrum: Million Dollar

Methods on a Piggy Bank Budget! "

By: Robyn , B.A., Beth Choate-Grossman, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, and Ann Holtz,

B.A., Atlanta, GA

" Let's Everyone Get on Board: How to Develop and Advocate for an Appropriate IEP

for a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder "

By: Torin Togut, Esq. – Professor, University of Georgia, Attorney, Georgia

Legal Services Program, Atlanta, GA

" Fathering a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder "

Panel Discussion

Presenters and Presentation Information is Subject to Change Without Notice

The Attendees

Each year the conference is oriented toward families, educators and autism

professionals who are looking to find new or better ways to care for the

individuals with autism in their lives. Further, the conference is oriented

toward individuals with autism who are looking for resources which can help them

reach their maximum potential. Past conference attendees were from a diverse

group, including parents, grandparents, individuals with autism, educators,

autism professionals, and students interested in pursuing a career in fields

related to autism.

Registration Includes:

•Two Full Days of Incredible Presentations and Phenomenal Presenters

•Lunch Included with Registration

•Free T-Shirt and Tote

•On-site Bookstore

•Exhibit Hall

•Raffle Drawings

Registration Fees:

Early Bird Registration (postmarked by 2/15/11) - $165.00

Student Registration EarlyBird (postmarked by 2/15/11) - $125.00

Registration (everyone after 2/15/11) - $185.00

Visit the Autism Society of America - Greater Georgia website at www.asaga.com

for additional conference information.

Please feel free to share this information as appropriate.