Upcoming Conferences

We post this list as a courtesy. We do not necessarily endorse the views or services of any of the following conferences, organizations, or speakers. Your experience, and that of others in your community, should be the most trusted guideline when seeking help and support. Please send conference information to Kristin Kramer.

• May 29-31, 2009 - Augusta, Maine
• June 2, 2009 - Lowell, Massachusetts
• June 9, 2009 - Springfield, Massachusetts
• July 27 - 31, 2009 - Cape Cod, Massachusetts
• August 3 - 7, 2009 - Cape Cod, Massachusetts

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Teaching Communication Skills to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities

Dr. Vincent J. Carbone, Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Augusta Civic Center
Augusta, Maine
Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31, 2009

Symposium Description

Parents, Teachers, Speech-Language Therapist, Para-professionals, Behavior Therapists

• Has your child or student with autism or other developmental disabilities acquired some receptive language but almost no expressive language?
• Has your child acquired vocal imitation but no spontaneous words or phrases?
• Does your student follow directions and remain on-task but almost never communicates spontaneously?
• Does your student label many items in his environment but almost never spontaneously requests anything or engage in conversation?
• Does your child run in the other direction when he or she sees a table, a chair and a teacher?
• Does your child or student exhibit aggressive or self-injurious behavior and very few communication skills?
• Does your child's or student's language sound scripted?

This workshop will describe practical and validated solutions to these problems.

This workshop presenter will describe the behavioral approach to teaching communication skills to children with autism and other developmental disabilities. This approach is based on B. F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior and the research of Michael, Sundberg, Partington, and others. Participants in this workshop will learn:

1. to conduct a Behavioral Language Assessment,
2. to select the most appropriate form of communication for a child or adult (vocal, signing, pointing to or exchanging pictures, or activating an augmentative device), and
3. to select the communication responses and supporting skills that should be taught first.

The workshop will include the recommended teaching procedures for children who have no formal communication skills to children who are near conversational speakers. The presenter will also describe and demonstrate errorless teaching, specific quick-transfer (prompting and fading) procedures, and the use of both discrete trial training in the natural environment and during intensive teaching sessions.

Many video tape demonstrations will be provided to illustrate the methods to increase spontaneous language and to develop conversational skills.

The Presenter

Dr. Vincent J. Carbone is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over 30 years of experience designing learning environments for persons with autism and development disabilities. He received his graduate training in applied behavior analysis (ABA) at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. He has served on the Florida Peer Review Committee, which monitors and guides the provision of behavior analysis services for persons with autism and related developmental disabilities in Florida. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Florida Institute of Technology and currently is an adjunct faculty member at Penn State University, and is visiting professor in the Behavioral Education doctoral program at Simmons College in Boston, MA. His teaching responsibilities include courses in Applied Behavior Analysis and Verbal Behavior. His behavior analytic research has been published in several peer-reviewed scientific journals including Education and Treatment of Children, Journal of Special Education Technology, Journal of Corrective and Social Psychiatry, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, Journal of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention and The Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Carbone currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention , The Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice. He is a frequent invited speaker at professional workshops and conferences. He has provided the preparatory training and clinical consultation to hundreds of Certified Behavior Analysts in several states. He is the developer and presenter of a series of workshops on teaching verbal behavior to children with autism based upon B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior. . He is the director of a center-based clinic for children with autism just north of New York City in Rockland County, N.Y. The clinic provides consultation, training and therapeutic services to children, families and their instructional teams. He and his clinic staff are currently working with several school districts, agencies and families throughout the United States and are presently providing services to persons in Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Germany.

If you would like additional information on workshops see the website http://www.drcarbone.net.

The Agenda
Day One, Two & Three

8:00 - 8:30	Registration & Coffee
8:30 - 10:00	Morning Session One
10:00-10:15	Break
10:15-12:00	Morning Session Two
12:00 - 1:00	Lunch
1:00 - 2:30	Afternoon Session One
2:30 - 2:45	Break
2:45- 5:00	Afternoon Session Two

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Asperger's Disorder: Advances in Understanding and Interventions

Celine Saulnier, Ph.D.

DoubleTree Hotel Riverfront
50 Warren Street
Lowell, MA 01852
Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Symposium Description

8:00 to 8:45	Registration/Refreshments
8:45 to 10:00	What Are Autism Spectrum Disorders? Clinical Features of Autism and Related Conditions Diagnostic Differentiation of Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and PDD-NOS Current Research Paradigms in ASD Case Examples
10:00 to 10:15	Refreshment Break
10:15 to 11:00	Diagnostic Assessment Early Detection and Initial Diagnosis Developmental, Cognitive, and Speech Assessments Multidisciplinary Evaluations & Differential Diagnoses
11:00 to 12:00	Educational and Therapeutic Programming Special Education and the Law Parent Training, Education, and Advocacy Determining Appropriate Educational Settings Methods of Treatment and Intervention
12:00 to 1:15	Lunch: On Your Own
1:15 to 2:00	Social, Communication, and Peer Interventions Social and Communication Skills Interventions Conversation Training Play and Interaction with Peers
2:00 to 3:00	Emotional Regulation and Adaptive Behavior Training Psychological and Emotional Supports Addressing Maladaptive Behaviors Adaptive Skills Training Vocational and Life Skills Training
3:00 to 3:15	Refreshment Break
3:15 to 4:30	Complementary and Alternative Interventions Defining CAM Media Interplay and Its Role in Autism Awareness and Treatment Current Research on Efficacy of CAMs

For more information, visit
http://www.neei.org/workshops/conference_details.aspx?WID=1&CID=64

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Asperger's Disorder: Advances in Understanding and Interventions

Celine Saulnier, Ph.D.

Springfield Marriott
2 Boland Way
Springfield, Massachusetts 01115
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Symposium Description

8:00 to 8:45	Registration/Refreshments
8:45 to 10:00	What Are Autism Spectrum Disorders? Clinical Features of Autism and Related Conditions Diagnostic Differentiation of Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and PDD-NOS Current Research Paradigms in ASD Case Examples
10:00 to 10:15	Refreshment Break
10:15 to 11:00	Diagnostic Assessment Early Detection and Initial Diagnosis Developmental, Cognitive, and Speech Assessments Multidisciplinary Evaluations & Differential Diagnoses
11:00 to 12:00	Educational and Therapeutic Programming Special Education and the Law Parent Training, Education, and Advocacy Determining Appropriate Educational Settings Methods of Treatment and Intervention
12:00 to 1:15	Lunch: On Your Own
1:15 to 2:00	Social, Communication, and Peer Interventions Social and Communication Skills Interventions Conversation Training Play and Interaction with Peers
2:00 to 3:00	Emotional Regulation and Adaptive Behavior Training Psychological and Emotional Supports Addressing Maladaptive Behaviors Adaptive Skills Training Vocational and Life Skills Training
3:00 to 3:15	Refreshment Break
3:15 to 4:30	Complementary and Alternative Interventions Defining CAM Media Interplay and Its Role in Autism Awareness and Treatment Current Research on Efficacy of CAMs

For more information, visit
http://www.neei.org/workshops/conference_details.aspx?WID=1&CID=65

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Clinical Care for Autism Spectrum Disorders:
A Comprehensive Developmental Approach to Assessment, Diagnosis, and Intervention

Celine Saulnier, Ph.D.

Four Points by Sheraton Eastham
Route 6
Eastham, Massachusetts
July 27 - 31, 2009

Symposium Description

Monday	Clinical features: Defining the autism spectrum disorders Diagnostic differentiation Current epidemiological statistics and etiological theories Current research paradigms
Tuesday	Autism in infancy and young children: Early markers and developmental risk factors Early detection Current research Helping families cope with diagnosis
Wednesday	Multi-disciplinary approach to assessment and diagnosis: Developmental, cognitive, and psychological assessment Speech, language and communication Adaptive functioing, motor skills, and behavioral regulation Diagnostic and psychiatric assessment Differential diagnosis and comorbidity
Thursday	Educational programming, academic supports and the law Educational placements and service Speech, language and communication therapies Social, play and peer intervention strategies
Friday	Emotional, behavioral and adaptive intervention strategies Psychological and emotional supports for therapy Maladaptive and at-risk behaviors Adaptive skills interventions Vocational and life skills training Complementary and alternative methods of intevention

For more information, visit
http://www.neei.org/workshops/conference_details.aspx?WID=2&CID=104

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Autism and Asperger Syndrome: From Assessment to Treatment

Michael Powers, Psy.D.

Four Points by Sheraton Eastham
Route 6
Eastham, Massachusetts
August 3 - 7, 2009

Symposium Description

Monday	Understanding autism and Asperger syndrome Core deficits Theories of causation Genetics Neuropsycholgical assets and deficits Deficits Differential diagnosis of ASDs
Tuesday	Understanding and treating social and communication problems Social skills training Group and individual treatment Skills for home and community Social communication skills Conversation skills
Wednesday	Understanding the causes of challenging behavior Goals of assessment and treatment Situations that "set the stage" for behavior Assessment of behavioral function Identifying replacement behaviors
Thursday	Strategies for chaning challening behavior at home, in the classroom, and in the community Integrating treatment planning with social and communication objectives Functional communication training Developing positive behavioral supports Evaluation of treatment effectiveness Ethical issues in treatment; safeguarding client rights
Friday	Creating efffective educational programs Specific strategies to promote learning and behavior in the classroom Working collaboratively with families Evaluating program effectiveness

For more information, visit
http://www.neei.org/workshops/conference_details.aspx?WID=2&CID=105