Autism New Zealand Incorporated 2010 Conference

Autism New Zealand Incorporated 2010 Conference
Celebrating ASD in New Zealand
10th / 11th / 12th September 2010 Te Papa Wellington

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Dr AvaRuth Baker
Dr Tony Attwood
Dr Gary Mesibov

5 WORK STREAMS - workshops
Adult life, Adult Issues
Living with ASD
Family + Practical
Strategies
Research/Government
Education
including presentations
by Temple Grandin and
Donna Williams

PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Nutrition
ABA
Siblings

To see more information and register to the above work streams and panel discussions, please go to: www.autismnz.org.nz/Autism-New-Zealand/Conference-2010.php

Autism New Zealand Incorporated 2010 Conference - Celebrating ASD in New Zealand

DAY 1 FRIDAY

08:00 Registration

09:00 Mihi - Opening remarks ? from the chair

10:30 Morning tea

11:00 Keynote speaker - Dr AvaRuth Baker
AvaRuth's experience in autism is both professional and personal (diagnosed as residual Asperger's Syndrome in 1997). AvaRuth trained in medicine and mental health, finds her current niche interpreting between different autism perspectives (insider versus outsider), medical models (orthodox versus holistic) and research paradigms (biomedical / quantitative versus sociological / qualitative).
AvaRuth will be speaking on the subject:
Identifying Autism Spectrum Conditions: What does it matter?? Does an autism label limit or liberate?

12:00 Lunch - plus a Separate room: for parents only networking

1:00 Keynote speaker - Dr Gary Mesibov
Gary is currently the Director of Division TEACCH at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This internationally recognized statewide program is one of a kind in its pioneering approaches to service, treatment, training, research and the education of individuals with autism. Gary also serves as Professor of Psychology, Dept. of Psychiatry, and Clinical Professor, Dept. of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Gary will be presenting on 'Transition to Adulthood'. Preparing people with ASD for adulthood is an important issue. People with ASD, just like everyone else, will live many more years of their lives as adults than they will as children yet we are not sure what they will be doing and how best to prepare them for these unknown futures.

2:00 Work streams

3:00 Afternoon tea

3:30 Work streams including Donna Williams
Donna is a best-selling author, artist, singersongwriter, screenwriter and sculptor diagnosed with autism after being assessed as a psychotic infant in 1965 at age two, tested multiple times for deafness and labeled disturbed throughout childhood, before treatment for gut, immune and
sensory perceptual disorders in adulthood. Donna will be speaking on the topic:
Autism: the myths, the diversity and where is the hope?

5:00 - 6.00pm Facilitated discussion for ASD attendees OR Open networking session

DAY 2 SATURDAY

08:45 Summary of Day 1 and Housekeeping

09:00 Keynote speaker - Dr Tony Attwood
Tony is a clinical psychologist who has specialised in autism spectrum disorders since he qualified as a clinical psychologist in England in 1975. He works in private practice in Brisbane, but is also adjunct
professor at Griffith University, Queensland. His book Asperger?s Syndrome ? A Guide for Parents and Professionals has sold over 300,000 copies and has been translated into twenty languages. Tony has prepared a new topic especially for conference ?Families on the Spectrum? ? What happens when people on the spectrum fall in love, have relationships and become parents?

This raises issues which we should be addressing to help the not just the couple
involved, but the children, some of whom will also be on the spectrum.

10:00 Morning tea

10:30 Work streams

12:30 Lunch

1:30 Work Streams including Temple Grandin
Temple is perhaps the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world. However she didn't talk until she was three and a half years old, communicating her frustration instead by screaming, peeping, and humming. In 1950, she was diagnosed with autism and her parents were
told she should be institutionalized. Temple will be presenting by audio
conference on 'Autism - The Way I See It'. Different Types of Thinking in Autism - Visual thinking - Thinking in Pictures - Music and Math thinking - Verbal logic thinking

3:00 Afternoon tea

3.30 Panel Discussions: Panel 1-Nutrition, Panel 2-ABA, Panel 3-Siblings

4:30 Matt Frost, Jen Birch - The conference so far

5:15 Facilitated discussion for ASD Attendees only

6:30 Pre-dinner drinks

7:30 Gala Dinner and dancing with the Hypnotics

DAY 3 SUNDAY

09:00 - 12:00 Workshop 1: ASD Across the Lifespan: Early Childhood to Adult Minds and Hearts Symposium. A Specialist Clinic for Asperger's Syndrome and Autism, Brisbane, Australia - Emotion Management in Under-6 year olds - School Interventions for the Primary School Child - The Self-Understanding Interview for Adolescents and Adults with Asperger's Syndrome - Moving to Manhood: A new group format for teenagers growing into men - Intervening with couples when one or
both have Asperger's Syndrome - Strength for Support: Focus on Parent Wellbeing
Workshop 2: TEACCH with Gary Mesibov Created by Eric Schopler 45 years ago, the TEACCH program has developed strategies and programs that have served people with ASD all over the world of all ages and
all levels of functioning. The program is based on understanding the neurological differences that research has identified in people with ASD and then adjusting educational, self-help, and communitybased programs to more closely match their learning needs and difficulties than is the case with most programs in existence today that have been designed for typical learners. The goal of the presentation is for participants to better understand ASD and how to help these people to think and learn and understand more effectively in the home and the school and the community.

12:30 Karakia and close

Ticketing options:

FEES

Early Bird Registration fees apply if registered and paid before 31 July 2010.
Please tick appropriate boxes and total amount due in bottom row. Registration closes 31 August 2010.

One day conference option, please select which day, you wish to attend, Friday or the Saturday.

Full conference option, covers the Friday, Saturday and Sunday (1/2 day).

The Gala dinner on Saturday 11 September, is an extra, over and above the conference.

Workshop registrations will apply on the day and you will receive a registration/information pack, once we have received your payment.

For any questions in relation to this conference, please email: conference@autismnz.org.nz