Archive for May, 2010
Tony Attwood, World-Renowned Asperger’s & Autism Expert
May 29th
We are proud to welcome world renowned Dr. Tony Attwood, a leading expert on Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorders. He will focus on providing practical strategies for working with children and adults on the autism spectrum in the areas of social difficulties, emotional regulation, love, bullying, relationships, and much more.
Tony Attwood explores in depth the complexity of the mysterious group of clinical pictures known collectively as Asperger’s syndrome, part of the wider autistic spectrum. He describes all the puzzling and fascinating aspects of these conditions and brings them vividly to life with illustrations from personal histories.
He emphasises the fact that the individuals concerned have special skills as well as disabilities. Most important of all, he makes imaginative but always practical suggestions for helping people with the syndrome, their families and others who are involved. The author has achieved real empathic understanding of children and adults whose basic problem is a biologically based lack of empathy with others. The book is to be highly recommended for those with Asperger’s syndrome as well as for families, other carers and professionals in the field.
July 12th, 2010 – Edmonton, Alberta Early-bird Pricing Details
Group discount rates are also available for 5 or more – please call 1-780-416-4448 or Toll-free 1-866-928-8476 (866-9AUTISM)
May 20th
About Dr. Tony Attwood:
I first became interested in what we now call Autism Spectrum Disorders in 1971 when I worked as a volunteer during a summer vacation at a local special school and met two young children with autism. I found their unusual behaviour quite bewildering and became determined to specialize in this area in order to understand and help children and adults with autism.
Over the intervening years I have been able to gain experience of the full range of the spectrum, from babies to the elderly and from those whose abilities and behaviour are profoundly affected to renowned university professors. I have also been able to observe the long term development of children and adults and experience working as a clinician in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia, and now regularly visit North America.
My interest in Asperger’s Syndrome occurred by following the same path as Lorna Wing, namely noticing children who had the classic profile of the silent and aloof child in their pre-school years, subsequently developing fluent speech and intellectual abilities in the normal range. Yet these children still had an unusual profile of social reasoning and linguistic skills and an unusually intense interest in a specific topic.
Their profile of abilities was not adequately described by the criteria for autism as described by Leo Kanner but was consistent with the profile described by Hans Asperger. The original assumption was that such children were rare but the benefits of modern intensive early intervention programs means that this is the prognosis for a greater number of children who had classic autistic features when they were very young. An unexpected finding was that once we started to explore this section of the autistic spectrum it soon became apparent that the majority of children with Asperger’s Syndrome did not have a prior diagnosis of autism.
The characteristic profile of abilities and behaviour was not apparent until the child attended school and in this new social context and with age peers, the signs were conspicuous. Teachers and professionals also became more aware of the distinct profile that identifies the syndrome.
I started a diagnostic and treatment clinic for children and adults with Asperger’s Syndrome with Dr Brian Ross, Child Psychiatrist, in Brisbane in 1992. This clinic functions two days a week, the other days I support children and adults by visiting them at school and home. I also spend considerable time traveling to present workshops and papers at national and international conferences, and supervise post-graduate clinical students for clinical experience and research in the area of developmental disorders.
Dr. Tony Attwood is coming to Canada this summer!
Click here to find out more about his visit to Edmonton on July 12th 2010!
Click here to find out more about his visit to Toronto on July 24th 2010.
“Autism Tomorrow” Features Dr. Temple Grandin
May 18th
Temple Grandin Featured In Autism Tomorrow Book Give Away Program
Dr. Temple Grandin, the world’s most famous woman with autism, is one of 16 authors participating in a large book give away program with the new book, Autism Tomorrow: The Complete Guide To Help Your Child Thrive In The Real World at http://www.AutismTomorrow.com
Autism Today and The Center For AAC & Autism have partnered to give away the first printing of this book, written as a roadmap to the future, helping every family, teacher, caretaker, or business person who has or knows of a child with autism, help make the transition between childhood and adulthood.
The Centers For Disease Control (CDC) says that 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with autism, and since the mid-1980’s the numbers have increased to near epidemic proportions. Thousands of families now have a child with autism and don’t have a comprehensive manual to help their child make the transition to adulthood. Autism Tomorrow is the first complete book resource to fill that gap.
The book answers critical questions like, ‘will my child be able to work, how will my child live, how do I handle puberty and sexuality, and what are the tips I need for employment and employers? Readers discover how to plan for a financially sound future, deal with bullying, solve health, visual perception and fitness issues, help their children improve communication, social skills, communication and many more real-world concerns.
Sixteen best selling authors are featured in the book, including Temple Grandin, Karen Simmons, Bill Davis, Stephen Shore, Julie Matthews, Pat Wyman and more. Senator Mike Brubaker, member of the Autism Caucus and Children’s Health Caucus says, “Autism Tomorrow is a book that I guarantee will grab you in the first few minutes, then inform, educate and move you to a new level of understanding autism that I did not think possible…”
