The daylong conference, "Building a Mosaic of Support for Students with Autism," will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the DeVos Center, 401 W. Fulton St. in Grand Rapids.
Keynote speakers are Pat Mirenda and Janice Fialka. Mirenda is an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of British Columbia. She specializes in school-wide discipline practices, computer technology for students with autism and augmentative communication for people with developmental disabilities. Fialka is a social worker, national speaker and longtime activist for people with developmental disabilities. She is the author of several books, including "Inclusion It Matters: Lessons from My Son," and "Inclusion Do You Hear What I Hear?"
Breakout sessions in the afternoon will cover a myriad of issues related to autism including self-care issues, speech and language skills, behavior assessment and Asperger syndrome. Registration is $85 and includes conference materials and lunch. A registration form is downloadable from the center's Web site. For more information, call the Autism Education Center at x16483.
