AAPC Sponsored Conferences

You may fax, phone, or mail your registrations to:
P.O. Box 23173
Shawnee Mission, KS 66283-0173
Phone (913) 897-1004
Fax: (913) 681-9473

AAPC Sponsored Conferences:

Springfield, MA

November 17 , 2009

Helping Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum Develop a Career and Gain Independence

Springfield Technical Community College and the Autism Asperger Publishing Company Invite You to Attend …

Developing Talents: Career Planning, Including Higher Education, for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Download Conference Flyer - .PDF Format  282 Kb)

One-Day Workshop

Featured Speaker:
Temple Grandin, Ph.D.

Presenters:
Kate Duffy, M.S., Joy Dykstra, M.Ed., CRC, Kris Kozuch, M.Ed., LRC
Jane Thierfeld Brown, Ed.D., Tammy L. Ciak, JD,
Colleen M.Moynihan, M.Ed., CLU, CMFU

Springfield, MA
November 17, 2009
Springfield Technical Community College

About the Speakers

Temple Grandin,Ph.D.,is one of the most accomplished and well-known adults with autism in the world. She has appeared on major television programs such as the Today Show,Larry King Live,48 Hours and 20/20 and has been featured in national publications,including Time,People,Forbes,U.S. News and World Report,and The New York Times. Temple Grandin is the author of Developing Talents:Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High- Functioning Autism,The Way I See It:A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger’s,
as well as many other titles.

Kate Duffy, M.S.Ed.
A writer and educator,Kate Duffy,M.S.,has taught at Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley in Kansas City for 21 years while operating a homebased writing business and raising two sons with sensory integration disorder and Asperger Syndrome.The co-author ,with Temple Grandin,of Developing Talents:Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism, Duffy also has taught entrepreneurship for 16 years through the First Step Fund,a micro-business training organization.She wrote a monthly careers column for The Kansas City Star for six years and four books about employment.At the college, Duffy also mentors new adjunct faculty members, providing training in student-centered learning strategies.

Jane Thierfeld Brown,Ed.D.
Jane Thierfeld Brown,Ed.D.,is director of student services at the University of Connecticut School of Law.She has worked in disability services for 27 years. She consults at higher education institutions and is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences on Asperger Syndrome. She is the co-author of Students with Asperger Syndrome:A Guide for College Personnel.

Joy Dykstra,M.Ed., CRC
Joy Dykstra,M.Ed.,CRC,has worked in the Office of Disability Services at Springfield Technical Community College since 2003.Currently,she is the college’s learning disability specialist.Dykstra also is co-facilitator of a homework support group for students with disabilities at the college and has coordinated an orientation session for incoming students with disabilities.

Kris Kozuch,M.Ed.,LRC
Kris Kozuch,M.Ed.,LRC,is coordinator of disability services at Springfield Technical Community College.Prior to this position,Kris served as an accommodation specialist for 15 years.She has coordinated several grants that provided career counseling and job placement services to students with disabilities. Additionally,Kozuch has a history of working as a rehabilitation clinician in a community mental health setting.

Colleen M.Moynihan,M.Ed, CLU,CMFC
Currently serving as business advisor for the New England Business Associates Business Consulting Center,assisting individuals with disabilities in developing a business plan and implementing their own business,Colleen Moynihan has over 25 years’experience with Fortune 100 companies as an executive in marketing and strategic planning.Moynihan has served on national and regional industry boards as an industry advisor and spokesperson on regulation and legislation.

Tammy L.Ciak, JD
Tammy Ciak serves in two roles for New England Business Associates:(a) as an employment consultant providing supported employment services to individuals with disabilities;and (b) as business advisor for the Business Consulting Center where she is developing an Exploring Entrepreneurship program designed for students with developmental disabilities to learn about selfemployment and begin steps toward starting a business of their own.

CONFERENCE LOCATION
Springfield Technical Community College
Scibelli Hall, Building 2
One Armory Square, Suite 1
Springfield, MA 01102-9000

BOOKSTORE
Be sure to stop by our full-line bookstore.We carry over 100 titles designed for teachers, psychologists and parents working or living with individuals with autism spectrum disorders. In addition to selling our own publications, AAPC represents publishers from across the U.S. and abroad.

LEARN AND EARN
Earn one college credit from Northwest Missouri State University ($75 additional
fee). Visit www.asperger.net or call 877-277-8254 for more information.
This course is offered for .6 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).

Conference Schedule

Developing Talents
Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
Developing the special talents of individuals with high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger Syndrome is critical to their well-being and future success. Temple Grandin will share her unique journey as a gifted woman with autism,with an emphasis on how her abilities were nurtured from an early age. She will also make suggestions for how educators and parents can recognize and develop the talents of individuals with HFA and Asperger Syndrome.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After attending this session,participants will be able to:
• Identify and help nurture special talents in young people on the autism spectrum
• Develop a road map to success for individual students with HFA and Asperger Syndrome

A Guide for Helping Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Find
a Livelihood That’s Right for Them
Kate Duffy, M.S.
Work plays a major role in most people’s lives;yet,most people with disabilities are unemployed or seriously underemployed despite their intellectual ability and qualifications. In this hands-on workshop,participants will learn how to prepare young people with special needs to be successful in the workplace,whether they are employed by someone or choose to become entrepreneurs. The specific focus is on discovering and growing talents and interests that might lead to satisfying work or a viable small business as well as a practical career planning and job search process.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After attending this session,participants will be able to:
• Design a career plan with their students or family members,emphasizing the young person’s strengths and talents
• Identify careers that are best suited for their students or family members
• Use career-planning resources,accessible through public libraries and the Internet

The Hidden Curriculum of Postsecondary Education
Jane Thierfeld Brown,Ed.D.
Students with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and other autism spectrum disorders are entering college in unprecedented numbers. Most students with AS have trouble regulating their behavior and affect,and in navigating the social and interpersonal aspects of college. This poses challenges for students in the social and co-curricular realm of college. Thus,these difficult issues and uncharted accommodations fall to student life and counseling. This session will address issues of transition and college success for the AS population.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After attending this session,participants will be able to:
• Identify transition issues for students on the spectrum
• Identify postsecondary education issues for students on the spectrum

• Explain the importance of teaching the hidden curriculum to students
• Identify need for training and education within college or K-12 staff and faculty

Preparing Students with Disabilities for the Transition from High School to College
Kris Kozuch,M.Ed., LRC, and Joy Dykstra,M.Ed.,CRC

More and more high school students with disabilities are planning to continue their education in postsecondary schools. Students need to be aware of their rights and responsibilities and be able to advocate for themselves in the college setting. Understanding the expectations in a college setting and how they differ from life in high school is the focus of this session.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After attending this session,participants will be able to:
• Identify the differences between high school and college and services provided in a postsecondary educational setting
• Understand the role of colleges in providing accommodations to students with disabilities
• Identify keys to making a successful transition from high school to college

Entrepreneurship and Disabilities: A Good Match
Tammy L.Ciak, JD, and Colleen M.Moynihan,M.Ed, CLU,CMFC
For many people with disabilities,developing their talents and starting a small business around them is the surest way to steady employment.rn the steps ntrepreneurs take in creating a sustainable small business in today’s fast-paced economy as well as the special supports that are available for small-business owners with disabilities.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After attending this session,participants will be able to:
• Define the business start-up process
• Identify the kinds of support and training that are available to entrepreneurs with disabilities
• Describe the traits and practices of successful entrepreneurs

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
AGENDA
7:30 – 8:30 Check-in
8:30 – 10:15 Keynote Address – Temple Grandin – Part One
10:15 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 12:00 Keynote Address – Temple Grandin – Part Two
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch – Will be provided
1:00 – 2:30 Break-Out Session One – Kate Duffy
Break-Out Session Two – Jane Thierfeld Brown
2:30 – 2:45 Break
2:45 – 4:00 Break-Out Session Three – Joy Dykstra and Kris Kozuch
Break-Out Session Four – Colleen M.Moynihan and Tammy L.Ciak

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