2009 National Autism Conference- State College, Pennsylvania
Brianne Drouillard Aug. 18, 2009
This year I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the 2009 National Autism Conference in State College, Pennsylvania. Throughout the five day conference I had the chance to attend several exciting workshops- some presented by professionals, some by parents of individuals with ASD, and some by individuals with ASD themselves. The inclusion of a great number of parents and individuals with ASD as presenters was a unique feature of this conference, improving the accessibility of the information and providing conference attendees with several positive outcome examples.
It was wonderful to see so many people from different fields of study and locations interested in autism. There were presentations related to all aspects of autism including genetics, neurology, sensory issues, cognition, social skills, and even college experiences. I especially enjoyed attending Dr. Rebecca Landa’s workshop on assessing and treating ASD in young children where the possibility of noticing very subtle differences between children with autism and neurotypical children from a very early age was emphasized. In addition, hearing Joey Gans speak about his “fab five” buddy system of support was completely eye opening. The presentation reminded me about the significant difference that family and friends can make in a person’s life and how a lack of support system is a very real disadvantage to both people with autism and neurotypical people. Another exciting presentation was the closing keynote given by Dr. Temple Grandin. Dr. Grandin is a wonderful example of a person who has utilized the unique strengths attributable to her autism in a very positive way. It was truly inspirational to hear her speak about overcoming her many challenges and help others to do the same. I was also very excited to learn more about the sensory difficulties often associated with autism that are often considered only a secondary issue.
Attending the 2009 National Autism Conference has exposed me to the current research being conducted in the field and given me an idea of future research directions. Although my own research interests are more behavioural, hearing presentations from other areas such as biological and neurological research has given me a great deal of information about topics I previously had little knowledge of. The conference was a great learning experience for me and I hope to be able to attend the 2010 National Autism Conference as well.