August 4-5, 2008

MSUB main campus
1500 University Drive, Billings, MT

Educators can earn 1 Special Ed college credit
Conference Fee; $159
College Credit: $100

For more information or to register, call 896-5890

Please join us for a 2-day conference on the MSUB campus to explore the issues our community faces in dealing with autism.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. This high incidence of autism is presenting some dramatic challenges for educators, medical professionals and families. A recent study indicates that 86% of parents of autistic children divorce.

You will hear from medical professionals, therapists and parents about clinical and non-clinical treatments that are having some success in treating the disease. We will discuss everything from swimming with dolphins to Neuroimaging and Morphometric Analysis. The only way to have an impact is to work as a community, combining the resources of educators, medical professionals, therapists, counselors and parents. This conference is open to all.

We are proud and privileged to have nationally recognized Keynote speaker Dr. Clarissa Willis, Associate Director of the Center of Excellence at East Tennessee State University and an Associate Professor of Special Education in the Department of Human Development and Learning. Dr. Willis is a dynamic speaker who combines humor and experience to outline best practices and give practical advice about how autism spectrum disorders can be treated and what the continuum of services should be. She is the author of Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and has wonderful advice for educators working with kids in the classroom everyday, including the "Top 10 things for Teachers to Know about Autism Spectrum Disorder".