Autism Intervention Today Conference April 23-24 

Leading-edge teaching strategies for children, adolescents and adults

Featuring a first-day dual track with a choice of full-day workshops by two of the most dynamic and accomplished speakers in autism intervention today!

TSHA (9.5) & BCBA/BCaBA(11.5)  and TEA/Teacher CEU (11) hours available!

REGISTER TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT IN THE WORKSHOP OF YOUR CHOICE!!!

Pick one:

Dr. Peter Gerhardt, President, Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
or Dr. Joanne Gerenser, Executive Director, Eden II Programs

Plus a full-day single track highlighting top topics in autism intervention today!
(See the full program below)

PAY BY CREDIT CARD, PAYPAL OR CHECK (SEE FEES BELOW)

Click below to register online or download the conference brochure to mail your registration.

Day 1 - Friday, April 23   Choose one of these workshops:

Promoting Joint Attention and Language in Children with Autism:  Theory to Practice
Joanne Gerenser, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Executive Director, Eden II Programs
(approved for 6.0 TSHA clock hours, 6.5 BCBA credits*, 6 CEUs)

This two-part session will provide a model for integrating research in the areas of psycholinguistic development, early social development and lexical development within behavioral programming for children with autism. The research in joint attention will be reviewed with particular attention to language development and social skills. Strategies to promote joint attention behaviors will be provided. Critical skills for the development of speech will be reviewed as well as programs to promote early vocal and verbal behaviors. The workshop will provide an overview of the literature on speech acquisition as well as the nature of the deficits within this area present in children with autism. Concepts such as fast and slow mapping and programs to develop and expand vocabulary as well as to promote abstract and social language will be reviewed. In addition to the focus on programming, this workshop will address the complexities of meeting the speech, language and communication needs of individuals with ASD across the different disciplines. Specifically, strategies for collaboration among the behavior analyst, speech-language therapist and classroom teaching staff will be discussed.

Bridges to Adulthood:
Targeting Skills for the Next Environment
Peter F. Gerhardt, Ed.D.
President, Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
(approved for 6.0 TSHA clock hours, 6.5 BCBA credits*, 6 CEUs)

Employment and academics are not enough. With increasing numbers of learners with autism being educated in more inclusive settings, special attention must be paid to their transition needs beyond classroom academics. Today, professionals, families and learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders are beginning to redefine the outcomes of the transition process beyond employment to include measures of personal competence and life satisfaction. To this end, this seminar will provide an overview and practical strategies for transition planning in support of competent adulthood, inclusive of employment, social skills, sexuality and quality of life.

Note:  Dr. Gerhardt and Dr. Gerenser were listed on previous conference materials as BCBA-Ds.  They do not have this designation, and we mistakenly added it to our earlier conference descriptions and have corrected the descriptions wherever possible in our materials as soon as we became aware of our error.

Day 2 - Saturday, April 24

More great information for teachers, parents, speech pathologists, and autism professionals….

Session A:   Developing Social Competence:Assessment and Treatment Strategies
Joanne Gerenser, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
(approved for 2.0 TSHA clock hours, 2 BCBA credits*, 2 CEUs)

One of the core deficits in autism lies in the development of social skills.  Individuals with autism have difficulty in almost all areas of social development, including making friends, having conversations, and understanding social rules.   The inability to develop social competence has been found to be the leading factor in the failure of most adults with ASD to attain even a minimal level of quality of life in their lives (Howlin & Goode, 2000).   More specifically, those individuals who fail to achieve some level of social competence are most likely to be un- or under employed, unable to live independently and without quality social relationships (Gutstein & Witney, 2002).  This presentation will provide an overview of the social deficits in individuals with autism.  Assessment and treatment strategies will be presented.

Session B:  Making Treatment Decisions: A Parent with a Scientific Perspective
Amy Morgan Wood, Pharm.D, BCOP
Vice President and Scientific Advisor, FEAT-Houston

When children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders parents are faced with overwhelming choices and conflicting information regarding treatment options.  While behavior analytic teaching for autism intervention has been studied for more than four decades, the availability of ABA services has been slow to develop and both families and teachers are presented with a variety of alternative choices in treatment methodology.  Dr. Wood, a parent of a child with autism, shares her experience applying her background in research and pharmacotherapy toward evaluating and implementing treatment for a child with autism.  A brief review of the value of evidence-based practices will be presented with an emphasis on determining potential effectiveness by reviewing the research and using recommended criteria for selecting skilled providers and consultants.

Session C:  Developing Interventions for Individuals with
High Functioning Autism & Asperger’s Syndrome
Jennifer Dantzler, M.S., BCBA
Executive Director, Including Kids, Inc.
(1.5 BCBA credits*, 1.5 CEUs)

Parents are often told that their child is too high functioning for ABA.  If ABA is about addressing the principles of human behavior (all human behavior), then how is a child with deficit areas too high functioning?  The challenges that arise with high functioning autism and Asperger’s Syndrome are due to true deficit areas, for example executive functioning, perspective taking and core pivotal response systems; however, others see the person with inappropriate behavior and awkwardness as “being stubborn” or “rude”.  This presentation will address where the challenges may arise, why they arise, and some ways to help a child learn how to overcome these deficits.  Topics will include addressing anxiety, academic challenges, self-management, social skills and work place preparation.

Session D:  A 10-Year History of ABA in a Public School
Kelle Wood Rich, BCBA, Executive Director, Central Texas Autism Center
Carin Thompson, Lead Interventionist, Lewisville I.S.D.
(approved for 1.5 TSHA clock hours, 1.5 BCBA credits*, 1.5 CEUs)

Learn how a large public school approached implementing ABA methodologies in the classroom. Topics include having special education administration support, training approaches for teachers and support services, using an expert consultant for implementation of training methodologies and on-going consulting, and providing a continuum of services from the classroom to home.

* BCBA credit hours are available at $5 per session for a total of $20 for all four sessions for which units are available.  The funds will be payable at the conference at the CEU desk for those seeking BCBA credit.

2010 Conference Schedule

Friday, April 23
   7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.   Registration and morning refreshments.
   7:30 a.m.  – 4:00 p.m.  Concurrent Workshops

Two breaks: mid-morning and mid-afternoon (snack)
Lunch on your own at a time designated by the speaker.  Greenway Plaza food court will be open.

Saturday, April 24
  8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.        Registration and coffee.
  8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.      Session A
Break
  10:45 a.m. – 12:00 noon   Session B
  12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.      Lunch
Order  lunch on  your registration form if you wish to have a lunch provided Saturday. 
  1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.         Session C
Break
   2:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.         Session D

Conference Fees

Early Registration before March 25th

Individual:   $135
Couple:       $185

Registration

Individual:     $160
Couple:         $210  (spouses)
Student:         $65  (with current full-time ID)

Saturday Box Lunch     $5  
(Note:  If you pay by credit card or PayPal at the student rate this is automatically added.  If you are an individual registrant or couples registrant, you may select the fee with or without the Saturday lunch.  The Greenway Food Court adjacent to the hotel is open Friday but not Saturday)    

About Our Presenters

Peter F. Gerhardt, Ed.D.
President and Chair of the Scientific Council, Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
Dr. Peter Gerhardt is President and Chair of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding applied research and disseminating the relevant findings in support of learners with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. Dr. Gerhardt has more than 25 years experience utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis in support of adolescents and adults with an ASD in educational, employment, and community based settings. He is the author or co-author of articles and book chapters on the needs of adults with autism spectrum disorder, the school-to-work-transition process, assessment of social competence, and analysis and intervention of problematic behavior. He has presented nationally and internationally on these topics. Dr. Gerhardt received his doctorate from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education. In 2007 Dr. Gerhardt was awarded the John W. Jacobson Award for Significant Contributions to Effective Behavior Intervention by the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis

Joanne Gerenser, Ph.D.
Executive Director of the Eden II Programs
Joanne Gerenser is the Executive Director of the Eden II Programs in New York. She received her Master’s degree in Speech and Hearing at the Ohio State University and her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Science at the City University of New York Graduate Center. She is an adjunct Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College as well as Penn State University. Joanne is a member of the Scientific Advisory Council for the Organization for Autism Research. She has authored several book chapters and articles on autism and developmental disabilities and is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Speech-Language

Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis. She sits on a number of Professional Advisory Boards for several programs serving children and adults with autism in the US and abroad. She has received numerous awards for her work with children and adults with autism.

Jennifer Dantzler, M.S., BCBA
Executive Director, Including Kids, Inc.
Jennifer Dantzler is a board certified behavior analyst with a Master's of Science in intensive special needs from Simmons College in Boston, MA, and a post master's certificate in autism from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.  She has worked at the New England Center for Children and in home programs supervised by Lovaas consultants, Alpine Learning Group, Dr. Patrick McGreevy, and others.  While receiving her certificate in autism, she was the principal of the LEAP Program (Life Skills and Education for Persons with Autism and other Pervasive Behavioral Disorders) at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD.  She is currently the director of Including Kids, Inc., located in Humble, TX, a TEA-approved contract program using Applied Behavior Analysis for children with pervasive developmental disorder, autism and related language, social and behavioral disorders. 

Carin Thompson, M.Ed., BCBA
Lead Interventionist Lewisville ISD 
Carin has 11 years of experience teaching children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities and holds a masters degree in special education with a focus on emotional disturbance and autism. She has been BCBA since 2005. Carin also holds teaching certifications in general education and special education and is a certified educational diagnostician. Carin has over 8 years experience assessing and developing treatment for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities and over 8 years supervising and training teachers, related service personnel, and parents on the science of applied behavior analysis and verbal behavior: including theory and methodology of interventions. Carin is currently is the lead interventionist for Lewisville Independent School District. Her responsibilities there include program development, training, and monitoring of the use of ABA principles in the public school setting.

Amy Morgan Wood, Pharm.D., BCOP
Board Member & Scientific Advisor, FEAT-Houston
Dr. Wood graduated Summa Cum Laude from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology.  She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill receiving her Doctorate in Pharmacy with Highest Honors.  Dr, Wood completed her Postdoctoral Residency at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.  Following her residency training, Dr. Wood worked with bone marrow transplant patients at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer in Tampa, Florida.  She then returned to M.D. Anderson to become a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist with the Lymphoma Service.  In addition to management of pharmacotherapy for patients with hematologic malignancies, Dr. Wood’s research interests included management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, treatment of infectious diseases in immuno-compromised patients, and the use of monoclonal antibodies to treat lymphoma.  In addition to her patient care and research responsibilities, Dr. Wood was an Adjunct Clinical Professor at The University of Houston School of Pharmacy doing both didactic and experiential teaching with doctoral students.  While at M.D. Anderson, Dr. Wood also served as a preceptor for Clinical Pharmacy Residents and did lectures for Medical Fellows.  Dr. Wood received her Board Certification in Oncology Pharmacy and served on numerous institutional committees including the Institutional Review Board and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.  In addition to serving as an author and collaborator on numerous published articles, Dr. Wood routinely served as a reviewer of institutional research protocols. In 2004, Dr. Wood’s second child was diagnosed with autism at the age of 22 months.  Since that time, Dr. Wood has never returned to clinical practice and has stayed home for the past six years to oversee her son’s home ABA program.  She is serving as current Vice President and Scientific Advisor for Families for Effective Autism Treatment – Houston.  She lives with her husband and two children in The Woodlands, Texas.

Kelle Wood Rich, M.Ed., BCBA
Central Texas Autism Center
Owner/Executive Director
Mrs. Wood Rich has 20 years of experience teaching children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. She has been a charter  BCBA since the year 2000, has over 10 years experience assessing and developing treatment for this population of learners and over 10 years supervising teachers, therapists and consulting with school districts.  Mrs. Wood Rich frequently presents at local, national and international professional conferences.  She and her staff currently consult with approximately 35 school districts and educational service centers throughout Texas and conduct workshops around the world training parents and professionals on how to teach people with autism utilizing the science of ABA and incorporating Skinner's Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Mrs. Wood Rich supervises a staff of BCBA’s and BCaBA’s in the center in Austin where they see approximately 30 children a week for ABA therapy.

After graduating from Texas Christian University, she taught special education for several years in a public elementary school. She then completed her Master’s at the University of North Texas and returned to the same school district as a Crisis Interventionist, Behavior Resource Specialist and Autism Specialist. She was an associate of Dr. Vince Carbone for 10 years, serving families and presenting workshops.  Mrs. Wood Rich moved to Austin to pursue her Doctorate at the University of Texas and to start CTAC. Mrs. Wood Rich has been an invited speaker at many professional conferences including the Texas State Autism Conference, the Texas Association of Behavior Analysis and the International Applied Behavior Analysis Conference.

Thank you to our Conference Sponsors!!

GOLD SPONSOR

The Learning Lane, The Woodlands, Texas
www.thelearninglane.com

Behavioral Assessment, Support and Intervention Services

Spectrum of Hope

SILVER SPONSOR

 The Shape of Behavior www.shapeofbehavior.com

BRONZE SPONSORS

Greater Houston Limousines