Research and Current Practice
Special Education Conference 2009: Hunter College
On Saturday, February 28th, I attended the 2nd citywide Special Education Conference sponsored by Education Update. The conference focused primarily on autism, ADHD, and assisitive technology that could facilitate learning and enable those who require alternatives to standard teaching practices. There were many speakers, each of whom had 20 minutes to present on their topic. Thus, presentations had to be brief but, as a result, a great deal of information was presented.
Here is an overview of speakers and some contact information if anyone is interested in that specific topic:
Shirley Cohen provided and overview of the NYC DOE NEST program, which services children with Asperger's Syndrome. She also spoke about the newer Intensive Kindergarten program for students who may not qualify for the NEST program and require a slightly more intensive learning environment. Parents must be willing to have their child spend two years in kindergarten in this program. Dr. Cohen hopes that the intensive program can be used as a stepping stone for those who may eventually "graduate" into the NEST program.
Catherine Lord spoke about the early diagnosis for autism at age 2. Dr. Lord indicated that research suggests that diagnoses at age 2 is generally stable over the years, although some children eventually receive a PDD-NOS diagnosis after age 5. I was happy to hear that children can make the largest gains in language from the ages of 5-9. This stresses the importance of intensive speech therapy during the school age years.
Cecilia McCarton spoke about the McCarton's school integrated approach to teaching students with ASDs. This is a private school on the upper east side of Manhattan that integrates ABA, intensive individualized daily speech therapy, and one-on-one instruction for students with ASDs. Unfortunately, tuition is $80,000, unless you sucessfully sue the NYC DOE and the school has an open seat!
Kathy Burris is the Assistive Technololgy Coordinator for Landmark College. According to their website, Landmark College’s mission is "to transform the way students learn, educators teach and the public thinks about education. We provide highly accessible approaches to learning that empower individuals who learn differently to exceed their aspirations and to achieve their greatest potential. Through the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training, the College aims to extend its mission across the nation and throughout the world." Ms. Burris is an excellent resource for the plethora of assistive technology devices currently available for struggling students, including Dragon Naturally Speaking, which is the speech recognition software I am using for students with Asperger's and dysgraphia.
Dr. Lisa Fleisher, Dr. Howard Abikoff, and Dr. MacLean Gander all spoke about best practices for those teaching students with ADHD. Dr. Abikoff's presentation on organization, time management, and planning (OTMP) training for these students was extremely valuable for clinicians who collaborate and consult with teachers. I've provided a link to a recent lecture about the OTMP training program for those who are interested.
Dr. Linda Hickson spoke about a program to help adolescents with developmental disabilities to make safer decisions during potentially dangerous situations which may lead to abuse.
Vincent Carbone of the Carbone Clinic in Valley Cottage, NY spoke about his study geared toward teaching eye contact as a pragmatic langauge skill for children with autism.
The conference ended with a panel of parents who provided their own perspectives on raising children with ASDs and ADHD. Zosia Zaks, a parent of two children with ASDs, was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome herself in 2000. Thankfully, she stressed the importance of the neurodiversity movement and accepting these children as different, appreciating their magical strengths, and the need to help teachers accomodate for these very special children.
Here is an overview of speakers and some contact information if anyone is interested in that specific topic:
Shirley Cohen provided and overview of the NYC DOE NEST program, which services children with Asperger's Syndrome. She also spoke about the newer Intensive Kindergarten program for students who may not qualify for the NEST program and require a slightly more intensive learning environment. Parents must be willing to have their child spend two years in kindergarten in this program. Dr. Cohen hopes that the intensive program can be used as a stepping stone for those who may eventually "graduate" into the NEST program.
Catherine Lord spoke about the early diagnosis for autism at age 2. Dr. Lord indicated that research suggests that diagnoses at age 2 is generally stable over the years, although some children eventually receive a PDD-NOS diagnosis after age 5. I was happy to hear that children can make the largest gains in language from the ages of 5-9. This stresses the importance of intensive speech therapy during the school age years.
Cecilia McCarton spoke about the McCarton's school integrated approach to teaching students with ASDs. This is a private school on the upper east side of Manhattan that integrates ABA, intensive individualized daily speech therapy, and one-on-one instruction for students with ASDs. Unfortunately, tuition is $80,000, unless you sucessfully sue the NYC DOE and the school has an open seat!
Kathy Burris is the Assistive Technololgy Coordinator for Landmark College. According to their website, Landmark College’s mission is "to transform the way students learn, educators teach and the public thinks about education. We provide highly accessible approaches to learning that empower individuals who learn differently to exceed their aspirations and to achieve their greatest potential. Through the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training, the College aims to extend its mission across the nation and throughout the world." Ms. Burris is an excellent resource for the plethora of assistive technology devices currently available for struggling students, including Dragon Naturally Speaking, which is the speech recognition software I am using for students with Asperger's and dysgraphia.
Dr. Lisa Fleisher, Dr. Howard Abikoff, and Dr. MacLean Gander all spoke about best practices for those teaching students with ADHD. Dr. Abikoff's presentation on organization, time management, and planning (OTMP) training for these students was extremely valuable for clinicians who collaborate and consult with teachers. I've provided a link to a recent lecture about the OTMP training program for those who are interested.
Dr. Linda Hickson spoke about a program to help adolescents with developmental disabilities to make safer decisions during potentially dangerous situations which may lead to abuse.
Vincent Carbone of the Carbone Clinic in Valley Cottage, NY spoke about his study geared toward teaching eye contact as a pragmatic langauge skill for children with autism.
The conference ended with a panel of parents who provided their own perspectives on raising children with ASDs and ADHD. Zosia Zaks, a parent of two children with ASDs, was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome herself in 2000. Thankfully, she stressed the importance of the neurodiversity movement and accepting these children as different, appreciating their magical strengths, and the need to help teachers accomodate for these very special children.
Comment
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Comment by aurora on March 3, 2009 at 3:26pm -
Ariane
Thanks for including the helpful info from the conference. I will make sure to read it thoroughly when I get a chance.
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