LI Conference on Autism and Aging

AGING WITH AUTISM: DEFINING THE FUTURE Conference
Conference flyer available as a PDF at www.eden2.org

Thursday, November 29, 2007 and Friday November 30, 2007

Huntington Hilton, Long Island
598 Broadhollow Road, Melville, NY

8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Join Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI), Eden II Programs, and Nassau-Suffolk Services for Autism (NSSA) for a collaborative groundbreaking two-day conference on Long Island that will aim to educate, and enlighten us all to the intrinsic issues of a population growing older with autism.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO RECEIVE A CONFERENCE BROCHURE,
CONTACT 631-462-0386 OR definingthefuture@nssa.net
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AGING WITH AUTISM: DEFINING THE FUTURE agenda

Thursday, November 29, 2007 – Day 1

7:45 a.m.-8:45 a.m. Check In & Registration – Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m.-9:15 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:15 a.m.-9:45 a.m. KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: AUTISM SPEAKS: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
MARK ROITHMAYR

9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m. KEYNOTE PANEL: Part 1-DEFINING THE CHALLENGES: SERVICING ADULTS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

The Rising Prevalence Of Autism And Its Impact On The Adult Lives Of Individuals With ASD
ERIC LONDON, MD
The prevalence of autism, with attention to both the numbers and the methods which may be affecting the numbers, will be reviewed and will address the question of whether the numbers will continue to rise. Regardless of whether or not there is a real rise in the numbers of autistic individuals or whether there is an apparent rise due to methods, definitions, etc., this phenomena is presenting society with a new predicament. Just a decade ago, there was a huge influx of diagnosed autistic individuals and there has been a response from the educational system (although school services are still woefully lacking in many locations). The effect on the sector which provides adult services may have even greater challenges. School is only about 20% of one’s life while adulthood may be closer to 75%. As this cohort accumulates, the numbers of individuals needing services will continue to rise. Creative paradigms must be instituted and there is time pressure to create these programs.

Identifying and Meeting the Unique Needs of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
LINDA MEYER, PhD, MPA
For adults with autism spectrum disorders who have graduated from school programs, their entitlement for learning has ended, but their need for ongoing skill acquisition and opportunities to practice those skills across environments has not. Most adults with ASDs require highly specialized, intensive supports to be successful in the communities where they live, work, and play. Few adults on the autism spectrum have an appropriate day or residential program. Even fewer individuals or their families/guardians will have a choice in the types of service(s) they will receive. This presentation will discuss the intricate, diverse, and distinct constellation of needs of adults with autism spectrum disorders and the components of effective programs and supports.

Meeting The Needs Of Adults With Autism: Past, Present, And Future
COMMISSIONER DIANA JONES RITTER, OMRDD
10:45 a.m.-11:00 a.m. COFFEE BREAK

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. KEYNOTE PANEL: Part 2- FACING THE CHALLENGES: SERVICING ADULTS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE
JOANNE GERENSER, PETER PIERRI, CORY POLSHANSKY
NICOLE WEIDENBAUM - MODERATOR
12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m. LUNCH
1:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSION 1

Behavioral And Psychiatric Disorders In Adults With Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Epidemiology, Consequences, Treatment, And Service Needs
PETER STURMEY, PhD
There is less research on behavioral and psychiatric problems in adults with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) than with children. However, as new cohorts with higher prevalences of PDDs age and as PDDs are diagnosed more commonly in adults, greater attention should be given to this issue. This presentation will review the literature in four areas: epidemiology, consequences of behavioral and psychiatric disorders, treatment options and evidence-based practice, and current and future service needs. The presentation will conclude with recommendations for practitioners and services.

2. Evidence-Based Practice In The Promotion Of Healthy Lifestyles For Adolescents And Adults With ASDs
LINDA MEYER, EdD, MPA
Regular exercise promotes fitness and health benefits as well as improves appearance. Adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders may be at risk for being physically inactive. The characteristics of the disorder may interfere with successful participation in traditional forms of physical activity or the limited number of fitness and recreation programs designed for individuals with developmental disabilities. Achieving an appropriate fitness level can help learners with ASDs participate more fully with their families and peers in leisure time activities and activities of daily living, as well as education, vocational, and community environments. Acquiring appropriate fitness skills may promote the productive use of leisure time in less restrictive settings. Extensive research supports the effectiveness of a behavioral approach for individuals with ASDs. This presentation will address the application of behavioral principles ! to promote the physical fitness of individuals with ASDs to promote inclusion in home, community, volunteer, leisure, and work settings.

3. The Parent Perspective: Facing the Issues of Living with a Family Member Aging with Autism – Parent Panel

4. Positive Behavior Support: What Really Counts in Life
EDWARD CARR, PhD
When a person with autism becomes an adult, the central issue is no longer how to
“cure” autism but, rather, what is it that really counts in life? The answer to this question is the same whether or not you have a disability. What really counts is: personal relationships, health, being productive, happiness, and involvement in your community. This presentation will explore these issues by focusing on social relationships (rapport, building friendships), health (access to medical care, physical illness), problem behavior as a barrier to a meaningful life, and becoming part of the community (illustrative case study). The concept of “support” moves the field closer to modern medicine in which “management” rather than “cure” reflects the reality of much clinical practice, and closer to the field of positive psychology in which building personal “strengths” rather than overcoming “psychopathologies” is seen as the signature issue leading the way to a better life.

2:45 p.m.-3:00 p.m. COFFEE BREAK

3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSION 2

5. The Autism Spectrum and Competitive Employment
S. MICHAEL CHAPMAN
This presentation will cover some of the best practice approaches that are used to assist individuals with an autism spectrum diagnosis in obtaining and maintaining competitive employment. Vocational assessment, job development, training strategies and support needs that are unique to individuals with ASD will be covered.

6. Technology and Learning: Developing Innovative Teaching Methods for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
MARY McDONALD, PhD, BCBA
This presentation will provide information on a variety of technology- based instructional methods that can be used to teach skills to adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Specific areas of video technology will be reviewed as they pertain to skill development. Computer programs will be presented and will include commercial software and teacher made lessons such as individualized PowerPoint applications (produced by The Genesis School). A variety of other technology-based tools will be discussed and depicted through video. Specific areas of learning will focus on promoting independence, effective communication, and social skills.

7. Issues of Psychopharmacology and Adults with ASD
ERIC LONDON, MD
As individuals with autism transition from childhood to adulthood they lose the support of the school environment. Further, as they age, parents are less able to handle difficult behaviors, both due to the age of the parent as well as the size and strength of the young adult. If employment is to be successful, behaviors must be acceptable in that environment which is generally more stringent than in a school setting. Trained behavior analysts are often not present in the work environment. This creates a need for psychopharmacologic interventions to optimize the individual’s ability to function in this adult environment.

8. Training, Supervising, and Motivating Support Staff
DENNIS REID, PhD, BCBA
This presentation will describe an evidence-based approach to training, supervising, and motivating support staff working with adults who have autism. Initially, a step-by-step process for managing staff performance will be described that focuses on promoting staff work behavior necessary to ensure desired consumer outcomes. Procedures to be discussed include an on-the-job competency- and performance-based way to train important work skills to staff, systematically monitoring staff performance in a manner that is acceptable to staff, supporting or reinforcing proficient staff performance, and quickly correcting non-proficient performance when necessary. Strategies for motivating staff in terms of enhancing both work effort and enjoyment will also be described. The latter strategies will include summaries of reports from over 1,000 experienced supervisors regarding what they have found to be the most effective motivational strategies as well as common supervisory approaches th! at tend to decrease staff motivation (i.e., management procedures to avoid). Finally, general management practices will be described that tend to create a work environment that staff find enjoyable and supportive of diligent work habits.

4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m. POSTER SESSION
Proposals for posters are invited. The poster should address issues pertaining to adults in the following areas: Applied Research and/or Case Studies

Persons interested in presenting posters should submit a cover letter with the following:
· Names, addresses, and phone numbers of author(s)
· 100-150 word abstract summary
· Data where applicable
· Self-addressed stamped envelope

Electronically send materials by October 29, 2007 to: Mary McDonald at MMcdonald@eden2.org

AGING WITH AUTISM: DEFINING THE FUTURE

Friday, November 30, 2007-Day 2


7:45 a.m.-8:45 a.m. Check In & Registration – Continental Breakfast

8:45 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: UNDERSTANDING THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM AND ITS IMPACT ON ADULT LIFE
BRENDA SMITH MYLES, PhD
This presentation will discuss the hidden curriculum – unwritten rules that can impact the quality of life, life success, and safety of individuals on the spectrum. This includes assumed rules, expectations, idioms, and metaphors. Understanding the hidden curriculum is difficult for everyone, but it is compounded when accompanied by challenges in understanding social interactions and incongruities. The hidden curriculum and its impact will be overviewed and numerous examples related to community, work, and daily living will be provided. Finally, instructional strategies that can be used to foster understanding of the hidden curriculum will be provided to assist adults on the spectrum make sense of their world.

10:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m. COFFEE BREAK

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Live. Work. Play.
LINDA WALDER FIDDLE
This presentation is geared towards inspiring advocacy and creating partnership to address the needs of adults with autism. For parents and those in the community more unfamiliar with the core issues faced by adults with autism it will serve as an outline to focus them on these challenges. For providers and educators it will offer perspectives as to how to address these challenges. The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation is the first organization in the United States with the specific mission to address these issues by developing programs and awarding grants to programs that exemplify respect for individuality of each person with autism.

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. LUNCH

12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSION 3

9. Bringing the Birds & Bees Down to Earth: Sexuality & Sexuality Education
for Persons with Autism
LISA MITCHELL, LCSW
This presentation will assist parents, caregivers, and professionals working with
individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders of all ages, however, particular attention will be paid to issues which adolescents and young adults commonly face. Attendees will learn about Autism and social/sexual interest, improving a person on the spectrum’s understanding of personal boundaries and relationships, facilitating social skill development, teaching abuse prevention strategies, preparing young people with autism spectrum disorders for puberty, including how to address negative reactions to body changes, ways to address inappropriate social or sexual behaviors, key concepts to focus on when educating persons on the spectrum about sexuality, and suggested activities to use when providing sexuality education for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

10. Evidence-Based Practices for Promoting Daily Enjoyment Among Adults with Autism
DENNIS REID, PhD, BCBA
This presentation will describe evidence-based practices for promoting enjoyment among adults with autism. A particular focus will be on adults who experience difficulties expressing affect such as happiness in conventional ways due to communication challenges. Initially, valid means of identifying expressions of happiness and unhappiness will be described based on recent research findings. Next, systematic means of increasing happiness and decreasing unhappiness during daily routines will be described. Procedures to be discussed include providing choices at a level commensurate with an individual’s communication skills, identifying and providing preferred activities, and presenting teaching and related instructional activities in ways that are enjoyable for learners. Practical ways to monitor happiness during daily routines will also be described. The importance of monitoring happiness will be emphasized as one step in the process of designing supports and services to address happiness as a formal outcome by provider agencies similar to more conventional outcomes (e.g., skill acquisition, reduction of challenging behavior).

11. The Primary Care Approach to Adults with Developmental Disabilities
JAMES R. POWELL Jr., MD
The medical care of individuals with developmental disabilities requires a unique look and understanding. There is currently a national movement to recognize the care of adults with Autism and developmental disabilities as its own specialty. As of today, there is no standardized curriculum or proven approach to treating this population. This presentation will examine some of the local and national data that emphasizes how we should approach adults with Autism and developmental disabilities. It will show some of the trends related to frequency of visits, medication usage, and commonly encountered diagnoses in this population. It will also provide insight into the atypical presentation of common medical disorders as well as some of the expanding screening recommendations that exist in the current literature.

12. Matching the Characteristics of Asperger Syndrome and Job Requirements: A Formula for Success
BRENDA SMITH MYLES, PhD, DONNA OWENS
The full-time employment rates for individuals with high-functioning autism/Asperger Syndrome (AS) and those with a more classical presentation are 12% and 6%, respectively. A myriad of reasons exist for these abysmal statistics, including a lack of understanding of the characteristics of the spectrum and how they can impact job performance. This presentation will describe the characteristics of adults with AS that impact the workplace. Suggestions for preparation for employment that acknowledge these characteristics, as well as an overview of employment options that match the profile of adults will be addressed. Emphasis will be placed on the assets that individuals with AS bring to the workplace.

1:45 p.m.-2:00 p.m. COFFEE BREAK

2:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSION 4

13. Speech and Language and Communication: Meeting the Needs of Adults with ASD
JOANNE GERENSER, PhD, CCC-SLP
One of the hallmark features of autism is a qualitative impairment in communication. This can range from a failure to develop any functional speech to an inability to initiate or sustain a conversation. Although we have made significant strides in our ability to treat these speech, language and communication problems, deficits generally persist throughout an individual’s lifespan. Research has shown that more than one half of adults with autism do not have sufficient language to meet their daily communication needs. This workshop will review the existing literature on speech-language issues in adults with ASD. Topics to be addressed include augmentative communication, speech and language needs in the workplace as well as models of service delivery in adult programs.

14. The Comprehensive Guide to Transitional Services: The Aging-Out Process
LAUREN GIORDANO, MA
This presentation will provide information about transition services. Learning what steps are imperative to take in order to make a smooth transition from district into the adult world will be discussed in detail. Attendees will be given a guide which will include a well detailed outline of which steps need to be taken at each age to complete the transition process, a guide to understanding supports and services, as well as a complete list of service providers in the Long Island region. Attendees will be guided on how and when to apply for Medicaid and what services will be available for individuals aging out into the adult world.

15. Successful Transition from an Individualized Education Plan to an Individualized Vocational Plan
NICOLE WEIDENBAUM, MS, Ed, SAS, MARIA GARRETT, MS, BCBA, JASON WATSON
Until recently adults with autism were perceived to be incapable of integration into the community and workforce. Fortunately, with increased advocacy and awareness, and effective educational programming, these perceptions are changing. The challenge now is to continue to provide the same level of support that was deemed necessary and appropriate up until the age of 21 despite a significant decrease in funding and a lack of experienced and qualified support staff. This presentation will focus on the need to individualize adult service provision and the challenges faced in doing so. We will discuss the successes and pitfalls that we have faced within our adult services program as well as some creative ways to access opportunities for job sampling and community integration.

16. Residential Issues for Adolescents and Adults with Autism
EILEEN HOPKINS, PhD
The size and specific type of residence are important considerations in creating a safe and happy home for individuals with autism. Importantly, however, what is needed to provide truly effective residential supports to adolescents and adults with autism extends far beyond the physical qualities of the house. Ensuring the individual’s health and safety are critical clinical concerns, as are supporting the person in maximizing their quality of life through promoting independence, inclusion, and on-going skill development. This presentation will orient attendees to important options, principles, and practices in the area of residential services, with the goal of building skills to provide quality services and supports to individuals with autism in residential settings. Topics including needs assessment and program development; addressing dietary, health, and medical needs; developing opportunities for meaningful community inclusion; and promoting overall happiness and quality of life will be discussed. A program staffing model found to be effective in delivering quality residential services will be reviewed, and time will be provided for participants to share ideas and practices they have found to be effective.

3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m. “Aging With Autism Spectrum Disorder”: Consumer Panel
A panel of consumers on the autism spectrum will discuss some of the challenges they face as adults living with ASD. A question and answer period will be provided

CONFERENCE PRESENTERS (bios available in the PDF version)
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CONFERENCE REGISTRATION (form available in PDF form)