Vol. 8, Spring 2005

Exciting Professional Development Opportunity:
Developmental Approaches for Young Children on the Autism Spectrum

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies is sponsoring a conference devoted to early intervention models for educating young children with autism, Thursday, June 30, 2005, at the Bangor Civic Center. The conference, entitled Developmental Approaches for Young Children on the Autism Spectrum, will feature a keynote by Dr. Barry Prizant developer of the Social Communication Emotional Regulation Transactional Support (SCERTS) Model. Dr. Prizant will discuss the “Continuum of Traditional Behavioral to Social-Pragmatic Developmental Approaches in Working with Children on the Autism Spectrum.”

The conference will offer presentations by individuals representing five different developmental approaches to working with young children with autism. Dr. Prizant will offer a workshop providing an overview of the SCERTS Model. The Developmental Individualized Relationship-based/Floortime Approach will be outlined by Debbie Bauch and Sarah Measures from the ASTRA Foundation in Acton, Massachusetts. Dr. Farhana Shah, a Maine-base psychologist, will present information on the Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children (TEACCH) Model. Dr. Gail McGee from Emory University, will provide an overview of Incidental Teaching, which she developed. Diane Osaki director of the Aspen Center for Autism in Denver, Colorado will speak about the Denver Model, which she co-founded with Dr. Sally Rogers.

The National Academy of Sciences report (2001) acknowledged there is no evidence that any single approach is more effective than another in treating ASD. The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies is pleased to offer this professional development and family learning opportunity to explore a variety of developmental approaches to autism early intervention.

Who should come?

• Early Interventionists
• Early Care and Education Professionals
• Parents and family members
• Teachers

Why attend?

• Learn more about several of the educational approaches to autism
• Benefit from having representatives from different models (the Denver Model, DIR, Incidental Teaching, SCERTS, and TEACCH) in the same place at the same time.
• Choose in-depth sessions on the models you would like to learn more about.
• Build relationships with parents and professionals who are invested in providing quality autism interventions for the children of Maine

For more information, contact Marge Zubik at 581-1363 or visit our website: http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/autism.

National Academy of Sciences. (2001). Educating Children with Autism [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 11, 2005 from the National Academies Press http://www.nap.edu/books/0309072697/html/