Educating children with Autism or Asperger Syndrome

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Local and national experts will discuss teaching strategies for children with autism or Asperger's Syndrome at Grand Valley State University's Statewide Autism and Training project (START) 2009 conference.

The conference will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, April 28 and 29, at the Sheraton Lansing Hotel, in Lansing, Mich. The conference runs from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. each day.

Timothy P. Kowalski, author and speech-language pathologist, is the keynote speaker on April 28. Kowalski’s speech, “Does Napoleon Dynamite have Asperger’s Syndrome?” will help participants understand Asperger Syndrome and acquire practical skills for assessment and intervention.

Richard D. Lavoie, education consultant at Simmons College in Boston, is the keynote speaker on April 29. Lavoie’s address is called “Strategies for Success for Students on the Spectrum.”

Breakout sessions include discussions on education support, behavioral and social support, and early intervention. Grand Valley faculty participating in the conference include START project director Amy Matthews and START project faculty Jamie Owen-DeSchryver, who will speak about learning opportunities for children with autism in early childhood classroom settings.

For details on conference sessions and costs, visit www.gvsu.edu/autismcenter or call (616) 331-6480.

BACKGROUND
Timothy Kowalski is a speech pathologist with extensive experience in treating individuals with Asperger Syndrome and high-functioning autism. He is a consultant for academic facilities for children with and without developmental and autistic spectrum disabilities. He is the author of The Source of Asperger’s Syndrome and Assessing Social Communication in Asperger’s Syndrome: An Introduction to the Conversational Effectiveness Profile.

Richard Lavoie has 37 years of experience as a teacher and is an educational consultant in the area of special education and learning disabilities. Lavoie is currently a visiting professor at Simmons College in Boston. He has provided consulting services in the area of special education to more than 400 schools in 42 states. He has appeared on ABC News, CBS Morning Program and Good Morning America. His articles have appeared in Child Magazine, Family Circle, and New York Times.