The Daniel W. Rosenn
Annual AANE Connections Conference
featuring internationally known speakers on
Asperger Syndrome and related conditions 

October 23 & 24, 2015

Four Points by Sheraton ~ Norwood, MA

Keynote Speakers
Friday: Sarah Hendrickx
Saturday: Ron Suskind

Plus 34 workshops over 2 days

Sarah Hendrickx: Living, Laughing, and Loving on the Autism Spectrum
Sarah Hendrickx has had a busy life: teenage pregnancy, two marriages, 33 jobs, and a multitude of adventures, mental health problems, crises, and experiences along the way. As a gifted child with an IQ of 153, things should have been much easier than this. In her keynote presentation, Sarah will share some of the highs and lows of her 47 years and tell us how autism explains everything. (And as an autistic, she should know!) Looking at relationships, anxiety, and work, Sarah will tell us why being autistic can be funny, sad, and brilliant, and how to support autistic people to find a path to well being, peace, and fulfilment.
Sarah is an independent specialist consultant, trainer, and coach in Autism Spectrum Conditions based in England. She has delivered over 800 autism training workshops to all types of professionals from educators and care providers to counsellors and lawyers. She works with individuals, couples, and families to help them make sense of autism. Sarah has written six books on Asperger Syndrome and related conditions on employment, sex and relationships, alcoholism, girls and women on the Autism Spectrum and also on the adult neurodiversity spectrum. Disclosure: Financial—Sarah is receiving a speaking fee. Nonfinancial—No existing Nonfinancial relationships.

Ron Suskind: Autism Affinities: Prison or Pathway?                          
The deep and obsessive interests of those with ASD have long been thought of as activities to limit or discourage; what we're finding now is that these passions, what Ron calls affinities, are really a way in which people with autism are leading/ahead of neurotypicals: They are using their affinities as pathways to an oft-overwhelming world, connecting to social realities in profound and unimaginably sophisticated ways.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Ron Suskind is currently the Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and the Director of the Project on Public Narrative there. Mr. Suskind’s memoir, Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism, details his family’s twenty-year struggle with his son Owen’s autism. He has been working closely with the scientific community on “Affinity Therapy,” an autism intervention that the Suskinds developed with Owen, and which Tom Insel, head of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, calls “a complete reversal of the telescope.” Disclosure: Financial—Ron is receiving a speaking fee. Nonfinancial—No existing nonfinancial relationships.

October 23 Program
(click on the session # to see workshop descriptions)
8:30-9:00 a.m.: Check in & Continental Breakfast; Bookstore & Exhibitors open for the day
9:00-10:00 a.m.:  Keynote Presentation: Sarah Hendrickx
10:00-10:15 a.m. Break
10:15-11:45 a.m: Session 1 Workshops
11:45-1:00 p.m.: Lunch
1:00-2:30 p.m.: Session 2 Workshops
2:30-2:45 p.m.:  Break
2:45-4:15 p.m: Session 3 Workshops
4:15-4:45 p.m.: Day 1 ends; pick up CEU credits/certificates 

October 24 Program
(click on the session # to see workshop descriptions)
8:30-9:00 a.m.: Check in & Continental Breakfast; Bookstore & Exhibitors open to 1:30 p.m.
9:00-10:00 a.m.:  Keynote Presentation: Ron Suskind
10:00-10:15 a.m. Break
10:15-11:45 a.m: Session 4 Workshops
11:45-1:00 p.m.: Lunch
1:00-2:30 p.m.: Session 5 Workshops
2:30-2:45 p.m.:  Break
2:45-4:15 p.m: Session 6 Workshops
4:15-4:45 p.m.: Day 2 ends; pick up CEU credits/certificates

General Information

Conference Location: Four Points by Sheraton, 1125 Boston Providence Turnpike, Norwood, MA

Registration Deadline: Register by September 11, 2015, to qualify for a reduced rate. Regular registration rates are available from September 12 through October 20, 2015. The registration deadline is October 20, 2015.

Registration Fees: Click here to see the fee schedule.
-- Registration includes continental breakfast, snacks during breaks, and a buffet lunch.
-- There is no discount if you cannot attend an entire day's program.

Financial Aid: If you are a parent or an adult with AS/related profile who needs financial assistance to attend this conference, funding may be available through your state’s Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC). In MA, call (617) 770-7676, ext. 115. Residents in other states should check www.nacdd.org for financial aid. Apply for funding as soon as possible as funds are limited. You must pay your conference registration fee up front to AANE. If approved, the Council will reimburse you. If you are unable to access money through the DDC. A grant from the John W. Alden Trust provides scholarships and financial aid for families living east of Rt. 495 in Massachusetts. Please call Karen at (617) 393-3824, ext. 10 to discuss financial aid options.  

Continuing Education Fees: CEUs cost $25/day per person. To receive PDPs you MUST attend both days ($50). Click here to learn more about CEUs.

Refund Policy: Refunds, minus a $25 refund processing fee per person, are available through October 20, 2015. No refunds/credits after October 20 or for no shows.

Directions & Parking: Click here for driving directions to Four Points by Sheraton. There is plenty of free parking available.

Public Transportation: The closest MBTA stop is Norwood Central (Purple Line Commuter Rail). Click here for schedules and fare information. The hotel shuttle will be available from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday only; you must call in advance to reserve a ride (781-769-7900). The shuttle does not run on Saturday. Norwood Town Taxi (781-551-3400) and Veteran’s Taxi (617-527-0300) are two local companies that can provide rides. 

Bookstore & Exhibitors will be open the entire day on Friday, October 23, and until 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. Please visit during morning check in, lunch, and breaks.

Lodging: A limited number of Four Points by Sheraton rooms are available at a preferred group rate on Thursday (October 22) and Friday (October 23). You must reserve your own room by calling 781-769-7900 or emailing lucy.finerty@hobbsbrook.com. Mention the "Asperger/Autism Network" when making your reservation.

Sensory Sensitivities: Due to sensory sensitivities among those in our community, please refrain from earing perfume/scented products at the conference.

Dogs: Only leashed service dogs will be permitted.

Weather or Public Emergency: In case of a weather event or a public emergency, call 617-393-3824 x 10 for a recorded message regarding the status of the conference.

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Advertising Opportunities
If you have a service or product that you would like to advertise at this conference, please visit www.aane.org, Upcoming Events, for information about sponsorship, exhibitor, and advertising opportunities. The deadline for submitting requests is October 20, 2015.