Schedule
MONDAY, JUNE 27
4:00-5:15 p.m. Arrival and check-in
5:15-6:00 p.m. Orientation
6:00-7:30 p.m. Dinner
Campus tour and other activities after dinner
7:30- 9:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:30-10:15 a.m. Self-Advocacy for All Autistics
Susan
Golubock, M.Ed., OTR/L
10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The Meaning and Practice of Acceptance: Long-Term
and
Short-Term Goals for Autistic Children
Sola Shelly
12:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch
Pool open 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Other afternoon activities to be determined
4:15-6:00 p.m. "Ask an NT" Panel
Jim Sinclair, moderator; Panelists to be announced
6:00-7:30 p.m. Dinner
Pool open 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Informal evening discussions, topics to be determined
7:30- 9:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:30-10:15 a.m. Developing Leisure Skills and Promoting Social Skills
for
Teens Through Assistive Technology
Barbara Stern Delsack, MSPA/CCC
10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. BECOMING UNFRAZZLED: Tools and Strategies to Help
Highly Sensitive People to Feel Safe and Empowered
Eline M. Glas, OTR/L, Reiki I, II and III
12:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch
Pool open 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Other afternoon activities to be determined
4:15-6:00 p.m. Applying Jigsaw Learning to Promote Social Inclusion of
Included Autistic Students
Lauren Pierce, doctoral graduate student
6:00-7:30 p.m. Dinner
Pool open 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Informal evening discussions, topics to be determined
7:30-9:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:30-10:15 a.m. Self-Determination
Jody Saitsky, Bill Krebs, and Charles Haley,
Speaking For Ourselves
10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. SAA RED: A Method of Identifying Interaction
Components Without Losing Your Self-Identity
Rachele J. Jones, M.A.
12:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch
Pool open 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Concert by special guest Connie
Deming
Other afternoon activities to be determined
4:15-6:00 p.m. Alternatives to Speech and Real-Time Communication
Joel Smith
6:00-7:30 p.m. Dinner
Pool open 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Informal evening discussions, topics to be determined
Participatory sing-along with Connie Deming
FRIDAY, JULY 1
7:30-9:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:30-10:15 a.m. False Dichotomies and Other Rhetorical Ploys (and how
they distort the public discourse about
autism)
Phil Schwarz, Vice President, Asperger's
Association of New England
presentation details
10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Farewell gathering
12:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch, check-out, departure
Presentations
TUESDAY,
JUNE 28
Self-Advocacy for All Autistics
Susan Golubock, M.Ed., OTR/L
Self-advocacy, the ability to speak up for one self, is an essential
life skill. For many autistics and cousins (ACs), development of this
skill can be significantly delayed or interfered with due to the
sensory, social, communication and cognitive differences that make
learning and/or successfully executing this skill difficult. Case
studies will be used to show how practical, non-invasive, tools and
strategies can be adapted to teach or facilitate the learning of
self-advocacy skills with AC children and teens with varying levels of
abilities. The presentation
will cover teaching/learning rights as well as personal
responsibilities.
Susan Golubock is an
occupational therapist with over 30 years experience in working with
school age children in the area of sensory integration. In 1995 Susan
earned a master's degree in assistive technology. Susan was diagnosed
with Asperger's Syndrome as
an adult, following her own self-discovery while working with autistic
children. Susan focused exclusively for 4 years on the assistive
technology and self-advocacy needs of middle and high school students,
many of whom were on the autism spectrum. Susan spent the last 2 years
working with autistic children and teens dealing with significant
sensory processing challenges in a private school setting. She
currently works part-time in a private clinic with autistic children in
addition to giving workshops as a co-founder of Making Sense of Autism.
The Meaning and Practice of Acceptance: Long-Term and
Short-Term Goals for Autistic Children
Sola Shelly
This presentation will elaborate on the difference between accepting an
autistic child as he/she is,
versus accepting them for who
they
are-- autistic. Ideas and dilemmas relating to long-term personal goals
will be applied to autistic children. Decisions like choosing therapies
and educational settings will be discussed from an autistic point of
view. Some tips for daily life will be described and illustrated by
examples.
Sola Shelly is an Aspie
woman. One of her children is an autistic teenager. While not having a
formal degree in psychology or related areas, she has read extensively,
and attended professional conferences, to educate herself about the
approach of the parent/professional community to autism and its
treatment. More than anything, Sola has gained important insights from
reading writings of, and interacting with, autistic people. Sola is a
great believer in
self-awareness both for parents and children, and in well-informed
decision-making.
"Ask an NT" Panel
Jim Sinclair
Mainstream autism conferences often have panels of autistic people to
answer questions about the experience of autism. This is our chance to
ask a panel of neurotypical people all those things we've wondered
about NTs and why they do the things they do.
Jim Sinclair was a member
of the panel of autistic people at the 1990 Autism Society of American
conference, and has spoken at many conferences and other events since
then. Jim has been organizing Autreat since 1996, and has worked
extensively with both autistic and non-autistic presenters and
conference organizers.
WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 29
Developing Leisure Skills and Promoting Social Skills for
Teens Through Assistive Technology
Barbara Stern Delsack, MSPA/CCC
Speech-Language Pathologist
Assistive Technology Specialist
Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery College
Parents and teachers are challenged to engage autistic teenagers in
meaningful, motivating and age appropriate activities. Teens have
difficulty finding recreation and leisure activities that encourage
peer interactions and socialization. This workshop will provide
practical ideas, examples and resources for using assistive technology
to create quality activities for these autistic teenagers.
Barbara Stern Delsack is
a Speech-Language Pathologist/ Assistive Technology Specialist with
Montgomery County Public Schools. She is a graduate of the Hahnemann
University : Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has worked in the area of
Autism for the past 20 years. In addition, she is an Adjunct Professor
at Montgomery College (Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children with
Special Needs and Chronic Conditions, Introduction to Augmentative
Communication and Assistive Technology, Augmentative Communication
Strategies: Formulating and Creating Schedules and Other Visual
Supports, Engineering the Environment for Communication and Leisure
Time Activities) and at The George Washington University (Introduction
to Augmentative Communication and Assistive Technology). She has
presented at numerous conferences (Tam-Kellar Conference: Recreation
and Leisure Activities for Teenagers with Special Needs February 7,
2003, A Partnership: Baltimore City Schools PAL Programs And Johns
Hopkins Center for Technology in Education Teaching Children with
Autism for example).
BECOMING UNFRAZZLED, Alternative Healing Tools and
Strategies to help Highly
Sensitive People to Feel Safe and Empowered.
Eline M. Glas, OTR/L, Reiki I, II and III
An overview of simple, low cost or free tools and strategies (such as
meditation, Reiki, Closing Spiral, I Ching, and resistance exercises)
that can
be useful to help you or your child feel safe, calm, grounded, balanced
and an asset to others.
Eline Glas was born in
The Netherlands as the oldest daughter of deaf parents. She is an
occupational therapist, the mother of three daughters and recently came
out as being a person with Aspergers. She has had a lifelong interest
in meditation, healthy diet and yoga, as well as other complementary
healing methods. She has a private practice serving families of
children with autism and Aspergers.
Applying Jigsaw Learning to Promote Social Inclusion of
Included Autistic Students
Lauren Pierce, doctoral graduate student
This is a discussion session talking about jigsaw learning, an
educational methodology that allows for easier and promotes greater
social interaction. This discussion will talk about ways to feel less
intimidated in classroom structured environments and ways that
having this method employed may help autistic students develop more
friendships and peer relations. It is also a beneficial session for
teachers and parents who may want to learn how this method can be
utilized to foster and support social interactions in academic and
learning environments.
Lauren Pierce is a
doctoral student at North Carolina State University pursuing her PhD in
developmental psychology. As an undergraduate student at the University
of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, she worked extensively with autistic
children and adults residing in group homes and served as a personal
aide to a fully included autistic student. Currently serving as an
instructor for Educational Psychology, Lauren found a way to
incorporate work with autism into her instruction of psychology to
future educators. It was through this integration that she became
involved with jigsaw learning methodologies and its application to
persons with
autism.
THURSDAY, JUNE 30
Self-Determination
Jody Saitsky, Bill Krebs, and Charles Haley, Speaking For Ourselves
Jody Saitsky is a past
vice-president of SFO. She is a longtime activist with ADAPT, a
grassroots organization that works to free people from institutions and
nursing homes. Jody was a community outreach visitor to people living
in a large nursing home in Philadelphia. She is participated in Temple
University's Partners in Policymaking, and received a certificate as a
disability advocate. Jody uses a wheelchair and speaks to others about
her experience as a person living with a developmental disability. Jody
has worked as a consumer satisfaction monitor, visiting people's homes
and assessing with them the quality of their supports.
As a young man, Bill Krebs was
told he would not amount to much. He would spend his life receiving
governmental assistance and handouts without the ability
to independently support himself or others. However, Bill has proved
them all wrong. Bill is the vice-president of Speaking For Ourselves, a
statewide grassroots self-advocacy organization; he is the guardian of
a teenage female high school student; and financially supports an
elderly parent. He also serves on twelve state run level committees and
six local organizations.
Charles Haley is a
long-standing member of Speaking For Ourselves, a grassroots
self-advocacy organization for people with disabilities. In the
capacity of "computer guru" Charles helps in the maintenance of the
office commuters. He
assisted in the development of the "Point and Read" computer program,
which aids people to navigate computer programs and the Internet. He is
on the newsletter committee of the "Family Forum," a newsletter for
families and people with disabilities, and is active in the
self-advocate movement. Charles is a tireless advocate for the rights
of people with disabilities to be self-sufficient and independent.
SAA RED: A Method of Identifying Interaction Components
Without Losing Your Self-Identity
Rachele J. Jones, M.A.
Tired of social skills programs that make very little sense? I was, but
I still had to interact with others in order to survive. So, after much
research, I created the SAA RED model (based on real communication
theories) so that I could figure out how to get along with other people.
Rachele Jones began
studying Autism Spectrum Disorders and primarily Aspergers Syndrome
(AS) in December 2000 when her eldest son was diagnosed with AS. Since
then she has learned that all the interpersonal struggles she has
endured were also related to AS. In an effort to help her son avoid
some of those struggles she created SAA RED while working on her
masters degree in Communication Studies. She is currently finishing a
doctorate in Special Education at Texas Tech University in an effort to
be of more assistance to everyone on the autism spectrum.
Alternatives to Speech and Real-Time Communication
Joel Smith
This workshop will discuss strategies for dealing with real-time speech
difficulties. It will explore some of the reasons people may want
to consider alternatives to real-time speech. A variety of
alternative communication modes will be discussed. Social
pressures and prejudices toward users of alternative modes of
communication, as well as ways to counter them, will also be
discussed. This presentation should be useful for anyone that has
problems communicating in real-time or with speech in at least some
situations.
Joel Smith is a part-time
user of non-traditional communication techniques. One of
his perseverations, since a very young age, has been on different
forms of communication. As a result of that and a result of
contact with people who use communication techniques other then
real-time speech, he has gained some insight into ways of functioning
in a world
designed for real-time speech without always being able to engage in
real-time speech.
FRIDAY,
JULY 1
False Dichotomies and Other Rhetorical Ploys (and how they
distort the public discourse about autism)
Phil Schwarz, Vice President, Asperger's Association of New England
In this workshop we will examine rhetorical ploys intended to distort
or discredit arguments (and those making them) in the public discourse
about autism -- a look at what each kind of rhetorical ploy is, a look
at a number of examples advanced by various parties in the population
of parents, professionals, clinicians, and autistic people often
referred to as the
"autism community", and a look at how those examples affect and distort
the public perception and debate about autism, both within the "autism
community", and beyond the "autism community" through the mainstream
media. We will explore ways to counteract those false dichotomies
in debate. Participants are encouraged to write down and bring in
examples they encounter (or have
been subjected to).
Phil Schwarz has been a
member of ANI since 1994, and has attended all Autreats since 1997. An
AS adult and the father of an autistic son, Phil is vice-president of
the Asperger's Association of New England, and has served on its board
of directors since 1996.
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