Adult/Adolescence Track & Think Tank
As half a million young adults with autism pour out of the school system and onto the streets, governments are paralyzed. Parents are asking: where will my adult child with autism live, learn, work, play, heal, and find friends after the school bus stops coming? Join the discussion with a high-powered panel parents and professionals who are creating model homes, jobs, schools, and communities for a safe and productive future.
Dan E. Burns, PhD
Dan E. Burns, PhD, taught Communication courses ad an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of Phoenix. In 1990 his third child, Benjamin, was diagnosed with autism. Dr. Burns is Adult Issues Liaison for AutismOne. Burns chairs the board for The Autism Trust USA, focused on the creation of new communities to offer a future for the increasing number of children with autism.
Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED AP
The Ideal Group Home
Cathy will discuss design and material strategies to implement within an ideal residential setting for an ASD population.
The Changing Face of Special Needs Schools through Architecture (3:45pm)
Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED AP, is the principal of Purple Cherry Architects. Purposeful Architecture, a studio within her firm, focuses on environmental design for children and adults with challenges. As a Special Needs Design Architect, her firm works on projects independently or teams with architecture firms nationally. Cathy provides a unique perspective and has the ability to translate the needs and mission of an organization into physical design.
Dr. Jacquelyn Marquette, PhD
A Pilot Project with (DVR) in Kentucky: Increasing Supported Employment for Individuals with ASD
A statewide pilot is being implemented in Kentucky to address the needs of clients with ASD transitioning from school to DVR for supported employment services. This group’s inability to work is viewed as a social institutional failure to adapt to their needs with necessary supports. A prerequisite for assimilation into employment requires social environments to be structurally modified, sometimes radically. New definitions and the integration concepts to meet challenges will be presented. In consulting practice,
Jackie provides assistance to youth with autism and their families during school transition. With the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), she assesses strengths and supports to enable the capability of clients seeking services through KY's DVR. Jackie publishes in journals, magazines, books, and a blog on transition, creating emotional stability, and community living. She has an adult son with autism who is employed and an award-winning artist in acrylics.
Karen McDonough, BS
Supportive Housing for Adults With ASD -Let's Think Outside The Box
With States in financial dire straits and the tsunami of children with autism now reaching adulthood, it's time to get creative in how we design, fund, and implement housing and services for adults with autism.
Prior to joining Revere Healthcare , Karen was Executive Director and registered lobbyist for the Autism Society of Illinois. She is the former Director of Chapter Development for the National Autism Association, founder of the NAA-Chicago Metro Chapter, and former Vice-president of the North Suburban Autism Society Chapter. Karen also serves on the Autism Resource Team for a suburban High School District where she has collaborated on transition programming and social skills curriculum.
Rupert Isaacson
The Horse Boy Method; addressing positive outcomes for the whole family through horse, nature and the community
Autism is as much a set of gifts as a set of challenges. The trick is to tap into each individual's gift to help them become productive, fulfilled and valued. Find ways to ameliorate the sensory and other problems, particularly in the early years, and the intellectual gifts can be astonishing. It's all about creating the right environment for the individual and the family. Nature, social animals and a functional adult community are integral. We explore how. It's a beautiful adventure; enjoy it!
Rupert Isaacson is father to Rowan, diagnosed PDD in 2004. His book and film the Horse Boy describes how equine therapy and floor time helped his son dramatically. He now runs the Horse Boy Foundation (www.horseboyfoundation.org) and teaches Horse Boy Method (www.horseboymethod.com) to help other families find the same benefits. He lives in Austin, TX with Rowan and his wife Kristin a professor of psychology at the University of Texas. He sees Autism as a skill set not as a problem to be fixed.
