Autism Conference

Over the past 2 years, Autism has been thrust into the disability services’ spotlight. There is very little known, at this point, about possible causes and treatments for this condition. Studies indicate that 1 in every 150 to 160 children born today will be diagnosed with some form of autism. Recently, Pam Williams, Camp ASCCA Nurse, attended an Autism Conference in order to hear the most recent research and expand her knowledge of the subject.

The University of Alabama hosted more than 300 individuals for the weekend conference. Participants ranged from social and educational agencies to parents of children with autism. Also in attendance were several persons currently living with autism. These individuals spoke about how autism had affected their lives and how they have worked to overcome this obstacle.

Pam plans to implement many of the newest practices this summer. She discussed ways to help our summer counselors and will present these ideas to them during orientation. The focus will be reducing the anxiety of our campers with autism. One example is the use of visual aids when discussing programs and the daily schedule.

After talking with Pam, I got the sense that she was eager to learn even more about autism. You can view the interview with Pam below. The video is 5:03 in length and is an 8.9 mb download.

For more information about autism, please visit the Autism Society of America website. The ASA promotes education, awareness, and advocacy on the critical issues affecting autism today.