ACC Announces 2009 Schedule of Autism Conferences

The Anne Carlsen Center (ACC) will open its 2009 schedule of conferences dealing with autism in April at the state’s capital.

Scott Bellini, PhD, is scheduled to present how to effectively build social relationships with children and teens with autism. Bellini, a licensed psychologist and award-winning author, will present his two-day conference April 28-29 in Bismarck.

Bellini, who wrote Building Social Relationships in 2007, will meet with parents and professionals and cover research on practical and effective strategies for teaching social skills for children and adolescents on the autism spectrum.

Building Social Relationships received the Literary Work of the Year award from the Autism Society of America. In the book, Bellini uses real-world examples to describe teaching methods that work – and those that do not – in helping children and teens. Bellini works as an assistant director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA) at Indiana University, Bloomington, and is the director of the Social Skills Research Center (SSRS). The SSRC is a collaborative effort between IRCA and IUB School Psychology program.

Through this conference, participants will gain a number of skills and insights including being able to identify and assess problems related to social functioning. They will also learn social skill strategies that can help individuals overcome many of the difficulties associated with autism and related disorders.

This is the first of several major autism-based conferences the Center will host this year. Conference rates for attending this workshop are $270 for individuals, $260 per person for groups of four or more, and $125 per parent of a child with autism. After the April early-bird date of April 1, a $15 fee will be added to each rate. A limited number of scholarships are available for parents or guardians of children with autism.

In June, the Anne Carlsen Center will host a conference about literacy conducted by Dr. Caroline Musselwhite. Dr. Musselwhite is an assistive technology specialist with over 25 years of experience working with children and adolescents with severe disabilities. This conference will be held June 4-5 at the Anne Carlsen Center in Jamestown.

A third conference in 2009, conducted in September by Dr. Jonathan Tarbox, will identify trends in functional behavior assessment and intervention for parents and professionals. Tarbox will present this conference on the campus of the University of North Dakota, in the Memorial Student Union at the South Ballroom.

For more information about all of ACC’s autism conferences in 2009, or to register for the April workshop, please contact the Center’s Employee and Outreach Training Specialist, Julie Hoeckle. She can be reached toll free at 800-568-5175 or by e-mail at julie.hoeckle@annecenter.org. Information can also be found on the Anne Carlsen Center’s web site, www.annecenter.org.

Autism and related disorders are becoming more common each year. Autism affects one in 150 births. It is estimated by the Autism Society of America that between one and 1.5 million Americans are living with autism.

The Anne Carlsen Center first offered major conferences of this nature throughout North Dakota in 2008. Nationally-renowned speakers traveled to the communities of Bismarck, Jamestown, Fargo and Grand Forks to provide these enlightening and empowering workshops.

Over half of the students at the Anne Carlsen Center’s Jamestown Campus have been diagnosed with autism. ACC also serves individuals with disabilities throughout North Dakota with our Community Services programs. We are constantly striving to find and implement the most up-to-date strategies to help these individuals and their families connect with one another and their communities.