Self-Advocates with Autism Present at AutismOne 2016 Conference in Chicago
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) February 01, 2016 -- AutismOne® is dedicated to the advancement of persons on the autism spectrum. The fourteenth annual AutismOne Conference, to be held in Chicago, May 25-29, 2016, offers information presented by individuals with autism, highlighting success and hope.
Gavin Schultz is a self-advocate with autism who returns to express his views at the AutismOne 2016 Conference. Gavin is a non-verbal young man who communicates via the renowned Rapid Prompting Method™ (RPM) as well as with an iPad. Gavin said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to share my story at AutismOne. It gives me great pleasure when people respect my opinions and take the time to listen to what I have to share. I communicate differently than some people. Verbal conversation is hard for me, so I use an iPad or Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) letter board. I appreciate that I am not looked at as disabled or less than anyone else when I speak at AutismOne. It’s not easy having autism. I am so thankful my mother has learned so much about biomedical treatments and therapies at AutismOne. The knowledge she has gained because of this amazing conference has helped create who I am today.” For parents of children who are non-verbal, Gavin will inspire and engender hope.
Nurse Ruth Snyder is an adult on the autism spectrum and longtime AutismOne Conference speaker. Ruth shared: “My life pattern was to obtain health but never maintain it. I had reached a point of almost completely shutting down and being unable to function almost 14 years ago. I had about 4 hours of physical energy and ability in any given 24-hour period. If I did anything that took physical and mental energy, then that meant less than 4 hours of productiveness for that day. Then I met the autism biomedical community, learning about all the different options for health promotion and improvement. Trying, choosing, and individualizing the concepts as appropriate for my situation has given me my life back. I have reached a stable and functional routine where I don’t need excessive rest to recover from physical activities. That allows me to put quality back into all I do, enhancing relationships and contributing more to society.” For adults on the spectrum who have physiological issues, Ruth will be able to share substantiation of the helpfulness of considering biomedical approaches from both a scientific standpoint as well as personal perspective.
AutismOne 2016 Conference presenter Lanier Weed’s presentation is titled “Non-Verbal Communication on the iPad.” Lanier is a 17-year-old young lady who is non-verbal and with profound autism, who experienced regression into autism at 18 months old. For 16 years, Lanier communicated through limited signs and was presumed to have intelligence at a 4-5-year-old level due to behaviors and inability to communicate. At 16 years old, Lanier began to communicate, and her first words typed were "Thank you for releasing my voice." Eighteen months later, Lanier was found to have high intelligence. She describes her past silent life as being jailed. Lanier expresses great concern for friends writing, "Free your words if tired of forever pain. Sorry for your sorrowful silence," and says it's her calling to help those who are still "trapped." When referring to the New Year, Lanier wrote, "Year to change hearts. You teach the teachers. You teach the smart is me. You teach that my voice is loud in silence."
AutismOne is joined by additional presenters on the spectrum who are scheduled to present at the AutismOne 2016 Conference. Please stay tuned for more information.
Biomedical topics emphasized at this year’s AutismOne 2016 Conference in May include PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) and Lyme disease, both of which have been found in individuals with an autism diagnosis.
The AutismOne 2016 Conference will be held at the beautiful Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel. A very low basic registration price is currently offered; please click HERE. A 20-credit CME (continuing medical education) program is optionally available (not included in basic registration fee).
Teri Arranga, AutismOne, http://www.autismone.org, +1 7147320704, [email protected]
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