Athens, Ga. – B.J. Freeman, a nationally recognized expert on autism and professor emerita of medical psychology at the UCLA School of Medicine, will be the keynote speaker at the Bionic Educator II: Autism Answers Conference Nov. 14 at the University of Georgia Griffin campus.
The conference, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., will feature the latest research from expert speakers and breakout sessions. School administrators, educators, related service providers and parents from across the state can learn about how they can better serve children with Autism Spectrum Disorder-a developmental disorder that affects about one in every 88 American children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Craig H. Kennedy, dean of the UGA College of Education and also a nationally known expert on autism, will deliver opening remarks.
Freeman, founder and past director of the UCLA Autism Evaluation Clinic, will speak at 9:45 a.m. on “Infantile Autism to ASD: A 40 Year Journey 1973-2013.” She will make a second presentation at 1:15 p.m. titled, “Helping Children with ASD Succeed in an Inclusive School Environment.”
Other speakers include Susan Kabot, the executive director of the Autism Institute at Nova Southeastern University, and Christine E. Reeve, a consultant and adjunct faculty member at Nova Southeastern University’s Mailman Segal Institute.
Several educators and researchers from UGA and other state universities will lead breakout sessions on a variety of topics related to autism. “They will take the research we know about students on the autism spectrum and apply that to effective classroom practices,” said Clemene Ramsey, Griffin campus program coordinator for the UGA College of Education and organizer of the event.
Perry Buffington, a UGA-Griffin faculty member, will speak about the effect of medication of students with ASD. A native of Pike County, Buffington is a licensed psychologist with more than 20 years of experience.
Consultants Rebecca Lamont and Jackie Isbell will discuss how to apply what teachers know about students with ASD to the classroom environment.
The conference is being presented by the UGA College of Education’s communication sciences and special education department, Griffin RESA-Metro South GLRS and Spalding Regional Hospital. It will be held at the Student Learning Center and in the auditorium of the Stuckey Building on the UGA Griffin campus. The conference is open to the public. Registration cost is $75 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Registration is free for UGA students. To register online, see http://tinyurl.com/autism-ugaconference.