Spirituality and Massage Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders Conference 

Speakers:

Virginia Cowen, Ph.D., LMT, CSCS, E-RYT 200: Director of Education, The Institute of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, School of Health and Related Professions, University of Medicine and Dentistry, University of New Jersey, author of "Therapeutic Massage and Body Work for Autism Spectrum Disorders." Will speak on specific therapies that are available to therapists working on persons with ASD. She has worked extensively performing massage on persons with ASD and teaches massage therapy and CAM.

Cheryl Rhodes, LMFT: Director, Care Coordination Program, Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, GA, CDC/AUCD Fellow, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Atlanta, GA, a co-author of "Brothers and Sisters: A special part of exceptional families” (3rd Edition, 2006), and the parent of a child with Pervasive Developmental Disabilities, will speak on the spiritual and emotional challenges to members in families with a person with a PDD, of which ASD is one aspect.

Laurel J. Freeman, B.A., LMT(FL) MA7670/MM3449, is a provider for CE Broker, NCBTMB and RNR™ is approved by the Board of Certification  (BOC) for National Athletic Trainers Association. Laurel is the creator and instructor of RNR™ or RECONNECTING NEUROMUSCULAR RESPONSES™. Friday during the lecture, Laurel, along with Shelly Herberholz, a Certified RNR™ Practitioner & Instructor, will share how RNR™ works. Each attendee will be able to experience the benefits by receiving a section of the routine. Saturday’s workshop will allow all attendees to enhance the experience of RNR™ in a more in-depth way along with time to practice the whole routine. RNR™ is done through clothes and is very safe for both the client and the giver. RNR™ claims to calm the autonomic nervous system down, allowing person with ASD to have the ability to receive information without being on overload.

William Stillman is an internationally known, award-winning author of 10 autism and related books including “Demystifying the Autistic Experience,” “Empowered Autism Parenting,” “The Autism Answer Book,” “The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Asperger's Syndrome,” “The Soul of Autism,” and “Autism and the God Connection.” His Bachelor’s degree is in Education and he has worked to support people with different ways of being since 1987. He has served on a number of autism advisory boards including AUTCOM, the Autism National Committee.  Stillman sees autism not as an “affliction endured by sufferers,” but as a truly unique and individual experience to be respected and appreciated by all. In so doing, he highlights the exquisite sensitivities of our most valuable, wise and loving “teachers.” In Stillman’s presentation, "The World Needs Autism," autism includes many persons with developmental differences and will describe his perception of a global shift toward selfishness and competitiveness and how persons with disabilities hold the key to reverence and respect.