DDI to Co-Host a Ground Breaking Two-Day Conference
November 24, 2008
Aging with Autism; Preparing For and Facing the Various Transitions Throughout Adulthood
(Smithtown, N.Y.) — Following up on the success of last year’s conference, the Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) is collaborating once again with two other leading Long Island-Metro based agencies dedicated to serving individuals with Autism and developmental disabilities, Eden II Programs and Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism (NSSA), to present a groundbreaking conference that will aim to educate and enlighten us all to the intrinsic issues of a population growing older with autism.
Although recent advances in the education and early intervention of children with autism have resulted in remarkable outcomes for some, many individuals on the spectrum will require some level of support throughout their lives. There are some serious concerns that must be considered when thinking about the future and what services and funding are available when individuals “age out” at 21.
According to the Autism Society of America, before the early 1990s, autism was rarely talked about, with only four cases diagnosed per 10,000 children. By 2007, a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a rate of one case of an autism disorder per 150 among 8-year-old children. The population of adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders is escalating at an alarming rate.
DDI, Eden II and NSSA have brought together a panel of inspirational Keynote speakers and noted experts from a variety of fields who will make presentations on an array of issues including employment, residential, transition, behavior models, quality of life, sexuality, medications and many more.
New York State OMRDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter and Organization for Autism Research (OAR) President Peter Gerhardt, Ed. D, along with many nationally renowned clinicians and researchers in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders will participate in numerous presentations and workshops.
The conference will be held Thursday, December 11th and Friday, December 12th from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Melville Marriot. For more information and to register please call 631-462-0386 ext 12, email agingwithautism (at) @nssa.net or visit www.ddiinfo.org.
DDI is a not-for-profit agency headquartered in Smithtown, NY, with more than 30 locations throughout Suffolk and Nassau Counties. Serving nearly 1,000 children and adults with a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), DDI is the largest provider of services for individuals with autism on Long Island. It provides educational, vocational, and residential programs, as well as medical and dental services for over 1,500 children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities. DDI also operates family-centered preschool programs for both children with disabilities as well as typically developing students. DDI was founded in 1961 by a group of parents to address the special educational and therapeutic needs of their children with autism or other developmental disabilities. DDI is a member agency of the United Way.
For more information about DDI, visit www.ddiinfo.org.
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Posted by News LI Editor · Filed Under Health
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