2007 Annual Spring Conference

March 14, 15, 16, 2007

Athens, Georgia

A Gathering of Georgia Disability Service Providers and other professionals at the historic Foundry Park Inn

This year’s special presentation:

Accommodating our New Population:

Students

with

Autism Spectrum Disorders

The workshop will focus on issues that we as Disability Services Professionals face in working with this increasing population. Discussions will include:

• Going beyond the usual— thinking of new ways to respond to this population’s needs

• Frequently Asked Questions about Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Situations unique to this population and suggestions for better serving these students within those situations

Conference Schedule

Hotel Information

Conference Registration Form

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Please print and submit this form along with appropriate form of payment to:

Georgia AHEAD 2007 Annual Spring Conference

c/o Elaine Manglitz Clayton State University

2000 Clayton State Blvd.

Morrow, GA  30260

Work (678) 466-5440                              

Fax  (678) 466-5469

email: elainemanglitz@clayton.edu

Hotel Information

Lodging Information: Room reservations and accommodations need to be made directly by you to Foundry Park Inn and Spa (use rate code gaahea).

Reserve your room at the Foundry Park Inn on or before Feb. 12, 2007. Georgia AHEAD room rate is $106.00 + tax  (2 double beds, some king rooms available) if reserved by Feb 12, 2007(rates after this date may be higher).

Take advantage of on-Line room reservations:

1. Go to:  www.foundryparkinn.com

2. Click on “Reservations”

3. Click on “Make Reservations Here”

4. Fill in “Your Search Criteria” (Your overnight dates and code gaahea)

5. Click on “Search”

6. Georgia AHEAD should appear on the screen. Other available rates should also be listed. Click on “Select” next to your choice.

7. Fill in the necessary information

For phone reservations contact: (706) 549-7020, Fax (706) 549-7085 (use rate code gaahea).  All major credit cards accepted. 

Located at 295 E. Dougherty St, Athens, GA 30601. 

The Spa at Foundry Park Inn offers full spa services available to Georgia AHEAD conference attendees with a 10% discount during our conference.

Advance Spa Reservations: toll free (866) 928-4367 or (706) 425-9700

Conference Schedule

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

10:00am-6:00pm                           Conference Registration

1:00pm-5:00pm                             Pre-Conference (Documentation guidelines and Assistive Technology)

6:00pm – 7:00pm                          Welcome Reception for All

Thursday, March 15, 2007

7:30am-8:30am                             Breakfast

8:00am-10:00am                           Conference Registration

8:30am-10:00am                           Characteristics of Asperger Syndrome

10:00am-10:30am                         Silent Auction Opens/ Break

10:30am-11:50am                         Characteristics of High Functioning Autism

12:00pm-1:00pm                           Luncheon/ Georgia AHEAD member meeting

                                                           Election of 2007- 2008 Board

1:15pm-3:00pm                             College Student's Parent Perspective

3:00pm-3:30pm                             Break/Silent Auction

3:30pm-5:30pm                             Panel of Parents, College Students, and Experts on Autism Spectrum Disorder 

5:30pm-6:00pm                             Silent Auction Final Bids and Closeout

6:00pm-until                                   Dinner-On Your Own (Enjoy Downtown Athens Restaurants and Shops or the Foundry Inn Spa)

Friday, March 16, 2007

7:30am-8:30am                             Breakfast

8:30am-10:00am                           Services and Strategies for Supporting College Students with AS/HFA

10:00am-12:30pm                         Break available and check-out

10:30am-12:00pm                         Problem-Solving Challenges on Campus

Presenters

Nancy Dartnall, Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist who earned her B.A. in Psychology from Furman University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

After working as a Clinical Psychologist for the Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation and as part time Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale Child Study Center, she returned to North Carolina in 2000 to be the first Clinical Director of the Gastonia TEACCH Center in Gastonia, North Carolina, where she is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry of the UNC School of Medicine, Division TEACCH. She continues in this position with both clinical and administrative duties and regularly conducts training workshops for parents and professionals throughout the United States and internationally. 
 
 
Gladys A. Williams, Ph.D., is on the faculty at Division TEACCH and the Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina.  She teaches a course on autism at UNC, for which she received the 2005 Faculty Excellence Award from APPLES, the UNC service-learning program.  She is a consulting psychologist at the Chapel Hill TEACCH Center, where she directs diagnostic evaluations, does therapy with children and adults with autism spectrum disorders, and consults with professionals.  She is also a consulting psychologist at the Carolina Living and Learning Center, TEACCH's model group home/farm for adults.  Dr. Williams regularly conducts training workshops for professionals and for parents.
 
Division TEACCH (www.TEACCH.com), founded in 1972, was the first statewide, comprehensive community-based program dedicated to improving the understanding of autism and services for autistic and communication handicapped children and their families. The TEACCH Program has received National and International recognition and is widely regarded as an outstanding model of service. Division TEACCH is an International Center for interdisciplinary training in autism. Professionals from over 45
states and 20 foreign countries have participated in TEACCH training activities during the last few years.
 
Ann Palmer is the Director of Chapter Relations for the Autism Society of North Carolina. She coordinates close to 40 Chapters and support groups across the state. Previously, she was the Parent Support Coordinator for Division TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped CHildren). There she developed a
volunteer parent mentor program that served five TEACCH Centers and provided support to over 800 families in North Carolina.

Ann has published two books: "Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Student Success", and "Parenting Across the Autism Spectrum: Unexpected Lessons We've Learned" which she co-authored with Maureen Morrell. Both books are published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. She has also been published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, the MAAP, the newsletter of the Maap Services for Autism and Asperger Spectrum, Exceptional Parent Magazine,
and Tweens and Teens News Magazine.

Ann is the parent of a twenty-four year old son, Eric, with autism. Eric graduated from North Carolina State University in May, 2006 with a B.A. in Anthropology. He lives in his own apartment and works full time at the NC State Veterinary School.