Conferences
JULY 2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: July 18, 2008
Topic: Transitioning into Life
Presented by: Peter Gerhardt, Ed. D
Plainview, New York 11803
Time: 9-4
Cost: $40 members, $50 non-members $75 late/walkin
Boxed Lunch is included, Those with dietary Restrictions are encouraged to bring their own lunch or call for arrangements
ABSTRACT Today, professionals, families and learners with ASD are beginning to redefine the outcomes of the transition process beyond simple job placement to focus on career development and measures of personal competence and life satisfaction. To this end, this presentation will provide an overview and practical suggestions for transition planning in support of desirable and individualized employment outcomes with attention to assessment, community based training, employment development, job-related social skills and quality of life concerns.
Workshop Objectives After having attended this workshop, participants will be able to: Identify the components of a comprehensive transition plan Define the multiple constituent groups whose needs are to be meet in the employment development process Discuss the important of co-worker training in employment maintenance. Describe the individually determined components of an assessment of quality of life
BIO: Dr. Peter Gerhardt is President of the Organization for Autism Research, a nonprofit organization, the mission of which is to fund applied research and disseminate the relevant findings in support of learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families. Dr. Gerhardt has over 25 years experience utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis in support of adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders in educational, employment, and community based settings. He is the author or co-author of articles and book chapters on the needs of adults with autism spectrum disorder, the school-to-work-transition process, assessment of social competence, and analysis and intervention of problematic behavior. He has presented nationally and internationally on these topics. Dr. Gerhardt received his doctorate from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education. Dr. Gerhardt was recently awarded the John W. Jacobson Award for Significant Contributions to Effective Behavior Intervention by New York State ABA.
Dr. Gerhardt has been an active member of Maryland ABA since relocating to Maryland (from New Jersey) 6 years ago and he is currently the President-Elect. Previously, he had served on the Board of Directors on New York State ABA and was a founding director of Connecticut ABA.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Date: July 25th, 2008
Topic: Developing Fluent Language Skills for Children with Autism: Pragmatic Language Skills
Presented By:Alison Moors, MA, BCBA
Location:Marriott Residence Inn, 9 Gerhard Road
Plainview, New York 11803 2nd Floor Regency Room
Time:10:00-4:00
Cost: $75 Members, $100 Non Members
Lunch included, late after July 11, 2008
Description:This workshop will focus on using the techniques of fluency-based instruction to
teach pragmatic language skills to children with autism. Once children have
gained facility with basic, intermediate, and advanced language skills, such as
asking and answering informational questions, they still have much to learn to
acquire verbal repertoires of sufficient extensity to allow them to maximally
benefit from classroom instruction and social interactions with others. We will
focus on pragmatic language skills as they relate to areas such as attending and
responding to vocal and non-vocal cues of others, following conversational
rules, predicting social cause and effect, usage of idiomatic/metaphorical
language, and increasing overall flexibility and scope of language. We will
present skill descriptions, component/composite relationships between skills,
and descriptions of the critical and variable attributes relevant to the
instructional stimuli used for each skill. Throughout the workshop, we will use
actual student performance data and videotaped examples to illustrate some of
the key skills discussed.
Learner Objectives:
. Define pragmatic language and its implications for students with autism.
. List and describe various important pragmatic language repertoire areas.
. Identify necessary component skills for successful pragmatic language
acquisition.
. Describe the relationship between those skills and other curriculum areas such
as academics and social language development.
. Generate teaching examples that account for all skill critical and variable
stimulus features across multiple verbal behavior repertoires.
. Generate skill sequences for teaching individual pragmatic language concepts.
. Using pragmatic language student assessment data, identify missing pragmatic
language skills.
Workshop Activities:
Throughout the workshop, participants will discuss the material with the
presenters and amongst themselves, practice generating teaching examples of
their own including critical and variable attributes of stimuli, and develop
plans for teaching pragmatic language skills.
Target Audience:
Anyone interested in teaching advanced/pragmatic language skills for children
with autism, and/or whose students have difficulty with appropriate social use
of language. It will be particularly helpful for persons designing or
supervising language intervention programs for children with autism in home or school settings. Please note: a basic understanding of precision teaching
methodologies and language development is recommended.
About the presenter: Bio:
Alison Moors, MA, BCBA. Alison is Academy for Precision Learning's Academic Director. She is a board-certified Behavior Analyst and has a master’s degree in Educational Psychology/Applied Behavior Analysis from West Virginia University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Alison has been a therapist and consultant for children with autism for the past ten years. She also served as a Master Teacher and consultant for Morningside Academy, where she specialized in elementary mathematics instruction. Alison’s expertise includes providing high-quality education to academically gifted and mainstream students, as well as addressing the specific needs of students with learning challenges, including autism and ADHD. She has directed FEAT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment) for Washington State’s summer school program for the past five years.
The Academy for Precision Learning uses empirically validated, scientifically proven approaches to gain results in student performance. We aim to show measurable progress in student performance by employing Precision Teaching methodologies. These methodologies enable teachers to closely track each student's daily and weekly performance trends and to provide a permanent record of intervention strategies.
Registration: To mail in a registration click here
August 2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: August 1st 2008
Topic: Advocacy Training - Understanding "What just happened?" at your IEP meeting
Presented By: Debora Harris BCaBA, Effective Interventions Inc
Location: The Elija House Library, 665 N. Newbridge Rd. Levittown NY 11756
Time: 10-2
Cost: $40
Description:You've just had your meeting, and it may or may not be "over with". Or your child is transitioning out of EI or CPSE into CSE . Advocacy is all about getting services you are entitled to. Parent, professional, and legal opinions will help you navigate the system. Question and answers Bios: Debora Harris, is Co-Founder of the ELIJA Foundation www.elija.org , Long Island’s largest educational organization specializing in the treatment of children with Autism. She is also Co-Executive Director of The Elija School www.elijaschool.org , an educational treatment program for children with Autism, as well as Co-Executive Director of Effect Interventions www.effectiveinterventions.com , a behaviorally based clinic for children with autistic spectrum disorders in Nassau County. She is also a parent of a child with ASD. Debora continues to offer ongoing seminars in a variety of topics pertaining to intervention, advocacy, and parenting children with ASD.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: August 8, 2008
Topic: Introduction to Verbal Behavior and how it applies to teaching learners with autism functional communication skills
Presented by: Debora Harris BCaBA Effective Interventions Inc
Location: The Elija House Library, 665 N. Newbridge Rd. Levittown NY 11756
Time: 10-2
Cost: $40
Description: Participants will learn how to utilize Skinner's analysis of Verbal Behavior and apply it to teaching communication to children with Autism. An introduction to Verbal Behavior and the behavioral classification of language, Effective teaching strategies will be discussed, An overview of how to get started with an unwilling or limited communicator, Mand training,building a rapport, gaining instructional control, teaching across all verbal operants, using the ABLLS-R as a guide to teaching language and early learner skills.
OR
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: August 18- 22 , 2008
Topic: ABA 5-DAY TRAINING : Teaching children with Autism Using Applied Behavior Analysis
Times/ Schedule: Mon-Wed: 10:00 - 2:00 Thurs and Fri: 11:00-2:30
Plainview, New York 11803
The last 2 days for hands on training is at
Cost: $375 , including light refreshments
Participants will learn about : The core deficit s in Autism , The basic principles behind ABA and how it applies to teaching children with Autism, How to build a rapport with a new or unwilling learner, The different modalities in teaching communication and verbal behavior, Behavior management, reduction and replacement strategies
Includes 2 days of hands on training
Must attend all 5 days for certificate of attendance
Register today!
September 2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: November 6, 2008
Presented by: Pete Wright, Esq
Title: Wrightslaw One-Day Special Education Law and Advocacy for parents, advocates, educators and attorneys.
Time: 8:30 registration 9-4:30
Plainview, New York 11803
Cost: $150 Members, $175 Non-Members/Late/Walk-in (after Oct. 23, 2008)* Lunch included
Description: Wrightslaw special education law and advocacy training programs are designed to meet the needs of parents, advocates, attorneys, educators, health care providers, and others who represent the interests of children with disabilities and their families. One-day special education law and advocacy programs focus on four areas:
* special education law, rights and responsibilities
* tests and measurements to measure progress & regression
* SMART IEPs
* introduction to tactics & strategies for effective advocacy
The registration fee includes two books - Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition, (Retail: $29.95) and Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition. (Retail: $19.95)
Presenter Bio:
Peter W.D. Wright is an attorney who represents children with special educational needs. Mr. Wright has a degree in Psychology from Randolph Macon College and a Law Degree from T.C. Williams Law School at the University of Richmond.
In second grade, Pete was diagnosed with learning disabilities including dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD. Pete's determination to help children grew out of his own educational experiences.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAVE THE DATE!!!
Elija Foundation's 7th Annual Gala
November 14th 2008
Milleridge Cottage Jericho NY
7 PM until Midnight
December 2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Save the Date!
April 24, 2009
Carol Gray
May 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
