The ASA's 38th National Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders (July 11-14, 2007) of ASA

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, AZ

http://www.autism-society.org/
For a complete author index with session numbers, please click here
Thursday, July 12, 2007: 3:00 PM-4:15 PM
Cushing A & B
#2968- Autism Network for Individuals with Hearing and Visual Impairments*
Annual Meeting of the Network provides an overview of the data base including international members, transitional updates related to lifespan services,and new information links. This year will also include the development of personal safety plans.

Presenters:Carol M. Schall, Ph.D., Virginia Autism Resource Center, Director - Dr. Schall has been supporting individuals with autism for over 25 years. As the director of the Virginia Autism Resource Center, she travels across Virginia helping teachers, families, and individuals with ASD. She is skilled in positive behavior supports and person-centered planning. Her practice and research interests include the use of positive behavior support in place of higher risk interventions such as psychotropic medication use.

Margaret P. Creedon, Ph.D., Consultant - Autism Spectrum Disorders, Clinical Psychologist - Margaret P. Creedon, Ph.D., FAACP is an attending staff at Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago and consultant to educational, therapeutic and liefspan services for individuals with ASD. She is a member of the ASA Panel of Professional Advisors and chaired annual meetings of this Network as well as serving as a professional contact for families.

Dolores Bartel, Autism Network for Individuals with Hearing and Visual Impairments, Network Parent Co-Director - Dolores Bartel, co-founder with Alan Bartel, M.D.of the computer based Network for Individuals with Hearing and Visual Impairments. Mrs. Bartel has connected families across the USA through numerous phone contacts. She continually updates information realted to services across the developmental lifespan for individuals like her son, a young man who is profoundly deaf and has autism.

Colleen Shinn, COTA, Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago, Training Spec ialist - Colleen Shinn has worked as an interpreter for the deaf, staff in a school for students with autism and now serves as a Training Specialist For Chicago Area Easter Seal programs for persons with autism.

 
The Autism Network for Individuals with Hearing and Visual Impairments is a special interest group within ASA with family and professional members from 22 countries. The Network holds its meeting at the Annual Conference in response to many requests throughout the year for ways to connect, update and support its membership. The Network also maintains a computer based membership that can provide contacts for parents and professionals possibly within their community. Network lists are available to research programs pending consent or response of the membership. The Network is working on the transfer and coordination of this data base to a larger framework within ASA.

The Meeting will begin with updates and cautions including the issue that having one impairment does not limit the possibility of a progressive disorder or a disorder in another sensory modality. It is also possible that sensory regulation issues and behaviors related to an individual's autism can impede their progress in using specialized formats for communication and mobility. A review of school placement issues will also address the need for specialized and integrated environments especially for students with Asperger's Syndrome and a sensory impairment. Current placements for young adults in community settings will be reviewed.

This year's meeting will include a discussion of personal safety plans for individuals living at home and in community settings. This plan has two parts. One part which should be prominent and available in a household, transported with an individual in the community and available to all support staff rotating in different community housing. This summary sheet should include information about the devices for communication the person uses and additional conditions such as epilepsy that should be addressed when a community or service provider is called to assist or intervene with the individual. This is important for individuals who may have specialized devices they are used to having access to and may have batteries, electronics or other components that may fail or be a potential danger in certain conditions such as great heat. The second section contains an individualized plan for dealing with an individual followin the CALM(Communication, Approach, Literal, Model)protocol. Persons with sensory loss or impairnment and autism require additonal supports when distressed or experiencing a situation that is traumatic for them. Stress can increase the perceived amount of information loss via sensory input as well as frustration in communication output.

Presenters are always willing to meet with families, therapists and educators to address individual situations, and provide support and possible other contacts.

Learning Objectives: 1. Families with individuals who have autism and a hearing or visual impairment will learn they are not alone and that support and services are available including updated young adult information. 2. Families will learn to develop individual personal safety plans that address individual characteristics as well as devices the persons may use to facilitate sensory input and provide communicative output.

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