Fw: [asalv] Fwd: [SEAS-PA] FW: Conf: ASPEN offers Success Beyond High School, 3/26/06, Iselin, NJ

[Guest guest]

SAVE THE DATE! 3-26-06 ASPEN Spring

>> conference

>>

>> ASPEN Spring Conference

>> Sunday, March 26, 2006

>> 8:00am-4:00pm

>> Hilton Woodbridge

>> Iselin, NJ

>>

>> SUCCESS BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL: A ROADMAP FOR ADULTHOOD

>> What Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders Need

>> to Know About College

>> and Employment

>>

>> Presenters:

>>

>> Shore

>> Author of

>> Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism

>> and Asperger Syndrome

>> and

>> Ask and Tell: Self-Advocacy and Disclosure for

>> People on the Autism Spectrum

>>

>> Varrassi

>> Campus Director, Regional Center for College

>> Students with Learning

>> Disabilities

>> Fairleigh Dickinson University, Metropolitan Campus

>>

>> Long

>> Director, Adult Resources

>> NJ Cosac

>>

>> Panel of High School & College Students

>> With Autism Spectrum Disorders

>>

>> ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE

>>

>> ---Viewing autism spectrum disorders as an

>> expression of the diversity of

>> the human gene pool rather than as a life limiting

>> disability, we will

>> examine ways in which people with this condition are

>> able to build

>> fulfilling and productive lives. Drawing from the

>> Shore¹s own

>> experiences as well as others on the autism

>> spectrum, a lifespan approach

>> towards developing practical solutions in the areas

>> of education,

>> relationships, employment, self-advocacy and

>> disclosure shall be explored

>> for maximizing the potential of people both on and

>> off the autism spectrum.

>>

>> ---Students and parents are often shocked to find

>> that the legislation that

>> provided them with IEPs, accommodations, course

>> waivers etc. is no longer

>> applicable after high school graduation. This

>> program seeks to provide

>> parents, students, school counselors and others with

>> information on life

>> after high school for students with disabilities who

>> had been receiving

>> services via IDEA or Section 504. Varrassi¹s

>> presentation will

>> address preparing the student for the college

>> option, college programs for

>> students with disabilities, Section 504 at the

>> post-secondary level and the

>> need for students to understand their disability and

>> to become

>> self-advocates.

>>

>> -- Planning for adulthood can be a daunting task,

>> especially for adults with

>> autism spectrum disorders and their families. It

>> is never too early or too

>> late to prepare to implement appropriate services

>> for adults on the autism

>> spectrum. The key steps are to understand how the

>> system operates, where the

>> resources are located and how to make the system

>> work. Long¹s

>> presentation will provide an overview of the New

>> Jersey adult service system

>> including: COSAC¹s Adult Resources Department,

>> Division of Developmental

>> Disabilities (DDD), Medicaid-Waiver services,

>> Division of Vocational

>> Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) and other resources

>> that can be accessed on a

>> federal, state and local level.

>>

>> ---Sometimes, experience is indeed the best teacher.

>> A panel of

>> students >> college, 4-year college and

>> graduate school >> obstacles and triumphs in:

>> transitioning; the college search process; the

>> application process; choosing

>> courses; functioning independently; accessing

>> services and self-advocacy.

>>

>> ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

>>

>> STEPHEN SHORE, M.A., nonverbal until age four, was

>> diagnosed with " atypical

>> development with strong autistic tendencies " and

>> recommended for

>> institutionalization. He is now completing his

>> doctorate in special

>> education at Boston University with a focus on

>> helping people on the autism

>> spectrum develop their potential to the fullest

>> extent possible. In addition

>> to working with children and talking about life on

>> the autism spectrum,

>> presents and consults internationally on

>> adult issues pertinent to

>> relationships, employment, and disclosure as

>> discussed in his books Beyond

>> the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and

>> Asperger Syndrome, the

>> recently released Ask and Tell: Self-Advocacy and

>> Disclosure for People on

>> the Autism Spectrum.

>>

>> VINCENT VARRASSI, M.D., has served as the Campus

>> Director of the Fairleigh

>> Dickinson University Regional Center for College

>> Students with Learning

>> Disabilities since July 1999. Mr. Varrassi has 27

>> years experience in public

>> school education, having served as both a special

>> and regular education

>> classroom teacher, a learning disabilities

>> specialist, and Supervisor of

>> Special Education. He is an adjunct faculty member

>> to the graduate School of

>> Education at FDU and a current member of the

>> Executive Board of the NJ

>> Association of College Admissions Counselors. Mr.

>> Varrassi has presented on

>> the topic of transition to college and alternative

>> post secondary options

>> for students with learning disabilities at high

>> schools, college fairs, and

>> professional conferences throughout the State of New

>> Jersey and nationally.

>>

>> LESLIE LONG, B.A. is the Director of Adult

>> Resources for NJ Cosac and has

>> been assisting individuals with disabilities in the

>> area of employment for

>> more than 16 years. Her previous positions include

>> Statewide Coordinator for

>> Technical Assistance for the Arc of New Jersey,

>> Director of Project HIRE,

>> and Statewide Coordinator of Adult Services for the

>> NJ Division of

>> Developmental Disabilities. She is an expert on

>> Transition from School to

>> Work issues for students with disabilities and

>> presents statewide on all

>> areas related to supported employment services.

>>

>> CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

>>

>>

>> 8:00 AM Registration/Breakfast/Visit

>> Vendors

>>

>> 9:00 AM Lori Shery, President,

>> ASPEN® >>

>> 9:10 AM Shore, M.A. >> Using Our Strengths for

>> Achieving a Fulfilling and Productive Life >> Everyone Else

>>

>> 11:00 AM Break/Visit Vendors

>>

>> 11:15 AM Varrassi, M.S. >> Students with Autism Spectrum

>> Disorders for Post Secondary Options: College or

>> ³What Happened to My IEP?

>> >>

>> 12:00 Noon Buffet Lunch (Provided)

>>

>> 1:00 PM Varrassi, M.S. >> Students with Autism Spectrum

>> Disorders for Post Secondary Options: College or

>> ³What Happened to My IEP?

>> >>

>> 2:00 PM Coffee & Dessert Break

>>

>> 2:20 PM Long, B.A. >> Adulthood: Overview of Services

>> for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

>>

>> 3:15 PM Panel of Students >> of Students in High

>> School, Community College, 4-Year College and

>> Graduate School

>>

>>

>> Conference concludes 4:00 PM.

>> REGISTRATION FEE

>>

>> (Includes materials, breakfast, lunch and coffee

>> break)

>>

>> MEMBER (PARENT/FAMILY)________

>> $80.00 EA, ($100.00 AFTER 3/16/06)

>> MEMBER (INDIVIDUAL WITH ASD)________

>> $40.00 EA, ($50.00 AFTER 3/16/06)

>> MEMBER (PROFESSIONAL)______

>> $105.00 ($125.00 AFTER 3/16/06)

>>

>> NON-MEMBER (PARENT/FAMILY)________

>> $105.00 EA, ($125.00 AFTER 3/16/06)

>> NON-MEMBER (INDIVIDUAL WITH ASD)________

>> $52.50 EA, ($62.50 AFTER 3/16/06)

>> NON-MEMBER (PROFESSIONAL)______

>> $130.00 ($150.00 AFTER 3/16/06)

>>

>>

>> The conference registration forms will be mailed out

>> this month and will

>> also available to download from our website

>> www.aspennj.org. If you are not

>> an ASPEN member but would like a brochure mailed to

>> you, please email us

>> your name and address at aspenorg@....

>>

>> We are VERY excited about this extremely informative

>> conference, and we hope

>> to see you there!

>>

>> Lori S. Shery, President

>> ASPEN

>> Asperger Syndrome Education Network, Inc.

>> www.aspennj.org

>>

>> --

>> Please note: ASCEND Group is a 501©(3) charitable

>> organization. We do not

>> endorse any specific professional or therapeutic

>> treatment. Likewise, these

>> messages should not be interpreted as endorsements

>> for particular providers.

>> We are not meant to be a replacement for medical or

>> legal advice. Our

>> mission is to raise public awareness about AS, to

>> advocate for improved

>> education and services, and to provide support and

>> information to the

>> Asperger community.

>>

>>

>> ------ End of Forwarded Message

>>

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