Autism Awareness Conference in New Rochelle

As National Autism Awareness Month draws to a close, the College of New Rochelle will host several programs to give autism more exposure and answer some questions.

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, there will be a panel discussion on "Perspectives on Autism Advocacy."

At 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, Dr. Ram Kairam, pediatric neurologist at Columbia University Medical Center, will make a presentation on "Autism Myths and Truths: Classification, Treatment and Education."

Both evenings are free and open to the public.

On Friday, the college will be hosting its first Autism Conference, with the theme "Building Bridges Between Practice and Education." The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include workshops on Assessing Reading and Individualizing in Reading Program in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Curriculum for Children with ASD and How Does the Change in Autism Diagnosis Affect Services for Children with ASD.

Registration and a fee are required for the conference. For more information or to register, click here.

The programs on autism tie in with the college's new 15-credit program designed for teachers, psychologists and other professionals who seek additional expertise in working with autistic students.

Jennifer Scuro, the college's associate professor of philosophy and chairwoman of philosophy and religious studies, said the events are being being approached from the education viewpoint.

She said the first panel on advocacy will feature four women who are intimately familiar with the challenges of autism, including a disability rights activits who is autistic, a mom blogger who has an autistic child, a certified school psychologist and the chairwoman of the New Rochelle School District's committee on preschool special education.

The Thursday presentation will discuss how the classification of autism has changed, Scuro said.

"We are approaching this as education," she said. "We will be hearing what autism is now and what the direction will be in the next few years."

Assistant Professor Concetta Russo will be leading one of the workshops during the Friday conference.

She said it's aimed at practitioners, and attendees include parents, teachers and administrators.

"The day really addresses the need that is inside the classroom," Russon said. "It's very practical in nature."

She said she was a director of special education in a public school system.

"I know the plight," Russo said. "I know what we need to address."

One workshop will feature an attorney who specializes in representing parents with autistic children and will cover how changes in autism diagnosis affect services for children.

"I want people to come away with strategies they can use in the classroom, and the knowledge of what they need to know to get their child all the services that they need," she said.