 |
 |
Session Details
March 28, 2009
Thank you for your interest in the Southern Maine Autism Conference. The Southern Maine Autism Conference is full. Presentations and resources will be available on this website following the event. Thank you.
Break-out Sessions
10 – 11 am Sessions
Parent Panel: Welcome to Holland!
A special session featuring a panel of thoughtful parents who love and care for a child, teen or adult with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Each panel member will share some of the important knowledge and insights they have gained through their experiences at home, schools and in the community. This includes a discussion of defining moments, valuable resources/therapies they have discovered, things they wish they had known at the beginning, challenging life events they can laugh about now and more. Ample time will be allotted for participants to ask questions and some panelists will be available throughout the day for further discussion.
[NOTE: A parent panel will be repeated at 11:15 to accommodate everyone who wishes to attend.]
Social Behaviors: Working Through Challenges to Find Connection
Melinda Josiah Geaumont, LCSW
Melinda has worked for the Sanford School Department as a Clinical Social Worker and Autism Specialist for the past nine years. She has helped develop and implement Sanford’s K-12 STARS Autism Program and provides clinical supervision to five STARS classrooms. In her private practice at Broadleaf Behavioral Health in Arundel, Melinda provides psychotherapy to children and adults.
Key topics covered in this workshop will include: looking at the world through an autism lens; the importance of predictability and routines; pre-teach and practice; de-escalation techniques; finding connection.
The Home and Garden Edition for Autism
Cathleen Burgess, SLP and Linda Bonnar, SLP
As a Speech and Language Pathologist, Cathleen has over 30 years experience working with children and adults with disabilities. Over the past 10 years, Cathleen specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders and maintained a private practice called “Sunbeams” in Brunswick where she provided consultation and educational trainings for children and adults on the spectrum. Last fall, Cathleen left her practice in Maine to become the Autism Clinical Supervisor and adjunct professor with the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Linda Bonnar is a Speech and Language Pathologist with over 20 years of experience working with children and adults of varying disabilities including those on the autism spectrum. As Director of Communication Pathways at the Pine Tree Society, Linda and her staff perform evaluations, consultations, and in some cases, direct services across the state of Maine. Linda is also certified as an Assistive Technology Practitioner and addresses the challenges many students face in accessing curriculum material within their academic environments.
Parents of children on the autism spectrum frequently face the challenge of keeping their home a home while also creating a communicative environment for their children. This workshop will provide successful strategies and creative ideas taken directly from the presenters’ own experiences with families. From the living room to the kitchen, bedroom and beyond, participants will walk away with ideas they can start using tomorrow to keep their homes comfortable, not a “land of therapy.”
11:15 – 12:15 Sessions
Advocacy 101
Lou McIntosh and Beth Briley
Both Lou and Beth are parents of children with special needs and have been professional advocates since 1995. Together, they have conducted national trainings on a variety of disability and special education topics. Lou McIntosh has also served as co-chair on the Federal Early Intervention Council.
Participants in this session will learn organizational and preparation strategies for Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings. This session will also introduce participants to varied tactics and strategies for effective parent participation in IEP meetings. Information will be provided around effective responses if/when conflict should arise with your child’s education. The session will conclude with a discussion on methods of formal dispute resolution and a participant question and answer period.
“Take Out Strategies” for Those on the Go
Mary I. “Mit” Thornton-Vogel, M.S., OTR/L and Christine Abate, BS, OTR/L
Mit is currently Senior OT for Spurwink Services where she provides clinical supervision, assessment and intervention and consults with public schools as part of the Spurwink Consultation Team. With 32 years of experience in the field, Mit has worked in all areas of Occupational Therapy. She is NDT certified and has completed Schools Attuned training. Mit has provided numerous workshops in the areas of OT and specializes in pediatrics with an emphasis on sensory processing, self regulation, play/social participation, neuromotor development, life skill development and mental health.
Chris is an Occupational Therapist with Spurwink Services and has worked in the field for 10 years in both the private and public school settings. Chris works with students of all ages and with a variety of diagnoses and challenges, including adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system. She supports her students in the areas of sensory processing skills, self regulation, social participation skills, neuromotor development, functional life skills, in vocational settings and with transition to adulthood. Chris is a member of the Spurwink Consultation Team and is trained in Schools Attuned.
This workshop will provide strategies that promote sensory processing, self regulation and adaptive activities to assist adolescents and adults in understanding their individual sensory systems and how their bodies work and respond to stimulation. This includes what individuals will need to be able to stay on task and focused. In addition, each participant will receive a “take out guide” to understanding and moving through the teenage years into adulthood.
Parent Panel: Welcome to Holland!
A special session featuring a panel of thoughtful parents who love and care for a child, teen or adult with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Each panel member will share some of the important knowledge and insights they have gained through their experiences at home, schools and in the community. This includes a discussion of defining moments, valuable resources/therapies they have discovered, things they wish they had known at the beginning, challenging life events they can laugh about now and more. Ample time will be allotted for participants to ask questions and some panelists will be available throughout the day for further discussion.
1:15 – 2:15 Sessions
Nurturing Yourself While Caring for Others:
Preventing Caregiver Burnout
Liza Little, Psy.D., RNCS
As Associate Director of Clinical Services at Spurwink, Dr. Little oversees the agency’s residential and day treatment programs. She has published and presented her research on families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders over the last ten years and cares for several family members with special needs.
This workshop will address the challenges and impact on caregivers who are caring for a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and the research findings on parental coping. Parents and caregivers will learn self care strategies and develop a self care plan they can use to build and maintain resiliency.
Food for Thought on Thoughts on Food
Kristin Winston, Ph.D., OTR/L
Dr. Winston has been an Occupational Therapist for over 20 years practicing primarily with children and families. In addition to working with young children and their families through Child Development Services of York County and in private practice, Kristin also teaches in the Master of Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Southern Maine. She has specialized in the practice area of feeding and eating concerns for over 10 years.
The following topics will be covered in this workshop: the complexity of feeding and eating; general guidelines for the typical amount of food for snacks and meals required by young children; avenues for parents to explore and new ways to think about snacks and meals to help expand your child’s food choices; what parents should look for in terms of support/guidance from professionals.
Safety for Your Child With Autism
Cathleen Burgess, SLP and Linda Bonnar, SLP
(See bios at “The Home and Garden Edition for Autism”)
Through infancy to adulthood, every parent worries about the safety of his or her child. Children with autism are no different, however, many of these children require varying degrees of hyper-vigilance regarding safety across their lifespan. This workshop will cover tools and resources for parents to consider when addressing safety concerns for their own children.
2:30 – 3:30 pm Sessions
Planning ahead for future: A look at transition and adult services
Joe Pannozzo
As Director of Pine Tree Society Community Services, a day program for adults with Autism or developmental disabilities, Joe is well-versed in services available in Maine. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from University of New Hampshire and a Graduate Certificate in Behavioral Interventions in Autism from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He is currently working toward his Master’s in Clinical Psychology.
Planning for the transition to adulthood should start at age 16, but what services are available? Joe will lead an exploration of services offered including residential services, day programs, employment services and the person-centered plan.
Sensory Diet Strategies for the 3 – 12 Year Old
Molly Walrath, MS, OTR/L and Annie Altavilla, MS, OTR/L
Molly is Coordinator of the University of New England Community Occupational Therapy Clinic and is an adjunct faculty member and clinical instructor. She is certified in craniosacral therapy, therapeutic listening and the sensory integration and praxis tests with extensive experience in sensory integration theory and practice.
Annie is a Senior Staff Therapist and clinical supervisor at the University of New England. She is also certified in craniosacral therapy and therapeutic listening and has advanced experience in sensory integration theory and practice. Ann provides community-based OT services at two York County preschools that specialize in programs for children with autism.
Discussions will focus on sensory diet strategies for 3 – 12 year olds. This includes background information regarding various levels of regulation, ways to identify your child’s (and your own) sensory processing needs and practical strategies for use at home and in the community.
Identifying and Managing Challenging Behaviors
Matthew Siegel, M.D.
Dr. Siegel is currently the Medical Director of the Developmental Disorders Program at Spring Harbor Hospital and of the Autism Developmental Disorder and Early Childhood Clinic at Maine Medical Center. He trained in both child psychiatry and pediatrics at Brown University.
Participants will learn basic principles of behavior management for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. They will also learn important skills in identifying problem behaviors, their causes and basic strategies to address these issues using positive reinforcement.