The Pilot Club of Great Bend is sponsoring an Autism Spectrum Disorder Workshop set for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 7, at Barton Community College in the Fine Arts building in Great Bend, Kansas.
The event is open to the public. Teachers and families in Kansas, and especially western Kansas, affected by autism are encouraged to attend.
Attendees can sign up for this workshop early through the Pilot Club’s web site at www.greatbendpilotclub.com or www.eventbrite.com or print the registration form and mail it to Great Bend Pilot Club, PO Box 503, Great Bend, Kansas 67530. The group’s Facebook page will also have a link for registration. The costs to attend are $50 for professionals and $20 for families, students and daycare providers. CEUs are pending. After the March 15 deadline, registration and admission at the door the day of the workshop will have an added fee of $5.
The keynote speaker will be Jim Ball of Cranbury, New Jersey, author of the book, “Early Intervention and Autism, Real-Life Questions, Real-Life Answers.” Ball is the immediate past chair of the national board of directors of the Autism Society. He has lectured nationally and internationally, provided expert testimony and published in the areas of early intervention, behavior, consultation services, social skills, technology and trauma.
Additional speakers leading breakout sessions include the following:
Linda Heitzman-Powell, Ph.D., MPH, of McLouth, is a licensed psychologist and a board certified behavior analyst. Her research interests are related to the education and training of professionals and parents through the use of distance technology to increase access. Her breakout sessions include behavior basics and parent training.
Elizabeth Hewatt is a board certified behavior analyst at Pathways Alternative Center for Education in Pratt. PACE provides services for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities in south central Kansas. Her story and the function of behavior are Hewatt’s breakout sessions.
Tami Allen is the program director of Families Together, Inc. of Wichita with offices in Garden City. Families Together supports families with exceptional children by assisting with building natural supports within communities. Her breakout sessions include stress management and learning with a difference.
Jenni Halstead is a certified rhythmic movement consultant and course instructor who has worked in occupational therapy for 21 years. She specializes in reflex integration for pediatric to geriatric clients to overcome multiple problems, including autism, ADHD and Down syndrome. Both of Halstead’s sessions will be on rhythmic movement.
Ball, will also present breakout sessions sharing information on strategies for early intervention programs; video modeling and its use in the classroom; social skills throughout the educational years; and job skill resources. The workshop will also have a panel of parents who will share their stories and knowledge of this disorder.
The Great Bend Pilot Club has received a matching grant from the Pilot International Founders Fund to help develop and present this workshop. The Pilot International Founders Fund was established to support the community-based work of Pilot Clubs by helping to underwrite club efforts to serve in the areas of preparing youth for service, encouraging brain safety and health and supporting those who care for others. Through the Pilot International Founders Fund, Pilot International and its local Pilot Clubs are able to improve the lives of others through education, volunteerism, financial support and research.
For more information about the Autism Spectrum Disorder Workshop, contact Sally O’Connor at 620-786-5572. For questions regarding registration, contact Betty Schneider at 785-342-5112.