2008 Autism Intervention Conference
Third Annual Autism Intervention Conference draws more than 600 participants
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The third annual Autism Intervention Conference drew more than 600 participants to the University of Missouri for five days of workshops, training and professional development. While the original intent of the conference was to provide training for parents and educators in empirically-based intervention strategies, the conference's size, reputation and breadth have expanded greatly. 125 family members, 353 professionals and 66 presenters were on hand. At the same time the conference has become increasingly relevant for psychologists, speech and language pathologists, medical professionals, applied behavior analysts, habitation and employment specialists, vocational rehabilitation counselors, case coordinators and advocates. This is perhaps best reflected by an ever-expanding range of topics, the recruitment of presenters from across the country and the increased availability of continuing education credits.
This year's conference included two pre-conference workshops, a meet and greet and more than seventy conference sessions. There were also numerous vendor and agency booths and meetings that addressed a number of professional and organizational needs and initiatives. These included a meeting of the Missouri Association for Applied Behavior Analysis, a meeting of the Missouri Autism Coalition, and a planning meeting to establish statewide standards regarding the assessment and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders.
