RDI: My Baby Can Dance - Rock Song & Family Legend

[Guest guest]

My Baby Can Dance - Rock Song and Family Legend

" My Baby Can Dance " - Rock Song & Family Legend

To read this newsletter online, visit: http://www.rdiconnect.com/archive/

New to the

RDI® Program?

Relationship Development Intervention® Program

Download the Introduction to the RDI Program (32-page Booklet)

Preview the 5-hour " Going to the Heart of Autism " DVD

How to Get Started with the RDI Program

10 " What to Do While You're Waiting " Tips

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02/14/06

In this issue:

• News & Announcements

• Upcoming Live RDI® Events around the World

• New on the Web Site

• DVD Excerpt:

Referencing and Regulating

• Research Summary:

Gestalt Processing in Autism: Failure to Process Perceptual Relationships

and the Implications for Contextual Understanding.

• Dr. Gutstein Quotable

• Feature Article:

My Baby Can Dance -

Rock Song and Family Legend, by Hannah Gutstein

• RDI Program Story of the Week

" Your husband is going to break your heart... "

• Video Feature of the Week: Peek-a-Boo with Baby Emma

• 2-day Intro Workshops

2006:

Madison, WI

Winnipeg, Man. CANADA

Indianapolis, IN

Sacramento, CA

New Jersey

Denver, CO

Chicago, IL

Philadelphia, PA

Columbus, OH

Los Angeles, CA

Austin, TX

• 4-day Parent Seminars

2006:

Houston, TX FULL

London, UK area

St. Louis, MI area FULL

ville, FL area

Houston, TX

NEW! Vancouver, BC, Canada

NEW! Madison, WI

• Professionals: News and Announcements

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RDIconnect.com

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Dr. Gutstein's &

Dr. Sheely's Chat Calendar

North America:

Tuesdays, 8 pm CST.

For upcoming Chats, please

check the Chat Calendar for any last-minute additions or changes.

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All Chat Transcripts

Chat Index:

Children's Stories

Competence

Declarative Language

Executive System

Framing/Frameworks

General Topics (Autism)

Getting Started on RDI®

Language Issues

Declarative Language

Master-Apprentice

Memory (EM)

Meta-Functions

Motivation

Productive Uncertainty

Program Tips

RDI® Assessment (RDA)

RDI® Guidelines /Theory

RDI® History/ Research

RDI® Lifestyle

RCR

School Issues

Teens/ Young Adult/Adult Issues

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Quick Links

Archive of Past newsletters

Find a Certified Consultant

RDI® Program Video Library

On-line Support Groups

Free downloads

RDI® Research Study Journal Article;

NAS Outcome Study;

RDI® Activity Selector;

and more!

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Online Store

Featured Resources:

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Under the Big Umbrella

Back by popular demand, this 60-page manual was originally designed for

parents of newly diagnosed children, and and is a great tool for anyone wanting

to learn more about the Pervasive Developmental Disorders. More information.

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For those new to the RDI Program:

Going to the Heart of Autism DVD

The most concise overview of the Relationship Development Intervention

Program to date. Over 5 hours.

More information.

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If you don't have a DVD Player:

The RDI Program Video

The 3-hour video contains highlights of a live, 2-day presentation by Dr.

Gutstein.

More information.

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Autism/Asperger's - Solving the Relationship Puzzle

Dr. Gutstein's first, ground-breaking book on the RDI Program, opening the

door to lifelong social and emotional growth. More information.

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RDI Program Progress Tracking Form

Indispensable guide to anyone wanting to start an RDI Program. Includes a

detailed listing of all 28 stages. More information.

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THANK YOU:

Special thanks to Hannah Gutstein for this week's article; and as always,

many thanks to all those who contributed and helped put the newsletter together.

EDITOR:

Bev C

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Connections Center

4120 Bellaire Blvd.

Houston, TX 77025

Phone:

Fax:

Email:

feedback@...

©2005 Connections Center

All rights reserved

News & Announcements

New Book!

My Baby Can Dance: Stories of Autism, Asperger’s and Success through

the Relationship Development Intervention® (RDI®) Program, is a reflection of

the everyday lives of families with children on the autism spectrum. Laugh along

with the dark and light humor of everyday struggle and success, as families

learn intricate steps and finally dance together.

United Kingdom RDI® Program News:

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U.K. 4-day Parent Seminar - Registration Re-opened.

March 14-17, 2006

This seminar is already full with a wait list, therefore, we are

expanding the Seminar to allow for 6 more couples. New deadline for registration

is Friday, February 17th.

We spent more than a day traveling from the U.K. for this, but time

(and money) spent was well worthwhile. Great insight into the RDI® Program and

invaluable as a preparation for the assessment and consequent RDI consultations

that we will be undertaking for our son. – Dixon Milburn (Oldham, U.K.)

To receive your Free Parent Seminar Info-Pak, email us at

parents@... or call Jill, our Parent Training Coordinator, at

001. ext. 108.

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U.K. Chat with Dr. Gutstein posted

If you missed the February 2nd U.K., chat, you can read the

transcript in the archives. Topics covered include: Info on the UK Parent

Training; Getting started; Program Tips; Siblings; Using extenders, therapists,

tutors; IEP; ABA/VB and RDI.

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U.K. On-line Group: - A parent-centered group for U.K. parents

involved in, or wanting to learn about, the RDI Program. Certified Consultants

also welcome.

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NEW Cities added for 4-day Parent Seminars:

Vancouver, BC, Canada - June 13-16, 2006

Madison, WI - June 26-29, 2006

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RDI® Program Story of the Week

" Your husband is going to break your heart ... "

What greater reward can there be than watching your autistic

children develop into someone more and more special each day. To achieve

milestones that you initially thought were not possible... Read the rest of the

story.

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Featured Resources in our on-line store

Only 20 Copies Left!

How to Discipline Without Feeling Guilty: Assertive Relationships

with Children

We're down to the last 20 copies of " How to Discipline Your Child

Without Feeling Guilty " by Melvin Silberman and Wheelan. Once these books

have been sold, it will be officially out of print and will no longer be

available in our online store. Don't miss out on getting your own copy.

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Upcoming Live RDI® Events Around the World:

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Fairfax, VA - February 19, 2006 (7:30 pm)

" Let's Get Emotional: RDI Program and Emotion Sharing. " An

introductory talk presented by Certified Consultant, Allan Gilbertson, at the

February meeting of PACE (Parents for Autistic Children's Education). Location:

Fairfax Hospital's Physicians' Conference Center Lower Level Section A. For more

info, call .

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Tidewater, VA - February 21, 2006 (7:00 pm to 9:00 pm) Support Group

for families participating in an RDI Program. Contact Certified Consultant,

Tracie Mauch at tlmauch@... or for information.

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ville, FL - February 23, 2006 (6:45 pm to 8:00 pm)

Parent Support Group for families who are implementing the RDI

Program. Meetings are held at Spectrum Therapies of North Florida, Inc., at 340

Third Avenue South, Suite B. Space is limited, so please contact Certified

Consultant, April Choulat at RDIFL@... or .

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Apex, NC - February 26, 2006 (6:30-8:30 pm)

A no-charge evening presentation for those new to the RDI® Program

who want to learn more. Meeting is at 103 Salem

Towne Court. Space is limited, so please register by contacting

Certified Consultant, Amy Cameron at aecameron@... or .

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Houston, TX - February 27-March 2, 2006

4-day Parent Seminar. This workshop is full.

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Santa Clara, CA - March 1, 2006 (7 to 9 p.m.)

2-hour Mini-Presentation on the RDI® Program, by Certified

Consultant Maisie Soetantyo for " Parents Helping Parents (PHP) in Santa Clara. "

Location: 3041 Olcott St. For more information: call x118 or

register on-line at the PHP site.

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Madison, WI - March 4 -5, 2006

2-day Intro to RDI® Program Workshop presented by Dr. Gutstein.

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London, UK area - March 14-17, 2006

4-day Parent Seminar. Registration deadline: February 17.

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Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA - March 23-24, 2006

2-day Intro to RDI® Program Workshop presented by Dr. Gutstein.

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New on the Web Site:

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FREE for Members:

PowerPoint presentation given by Dr. Gutstein at his latest two-day

Introduction to the RDI® Program workshop in Kelowna, B.C., February 4-5.

Download it from the Connections Center home page.

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Tuesdays, 8 p.m. CST: Live Chats

Dr. Gutstein's Chats:

February 21 Level 3: Stages 9-14

February 28 Self-awareness

March 7 Appraisal

March 14 Broadband Communication

March 21 Language

March 28 Episodic Memory

Dr. Sheely's Chats:

All welcome, especially Beginners, to ask questions and discuss the

RDI® Program with Dr. Sheely.

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Recent Live Chats Posted:

Dr. Sheely's February 7 Chat: Siblings; Getting started; School

issues: IEPs, (aides); Peers; Prompting. Pointing/Gesturing.

Dr. Gutstein's February 7: Topic: Dyads.

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Recent discussions on the Message Board

RDI work with a child who has some skills? | RDI newbie, need help

with tantrums | Visual communication strategies

Have a question of your own?

Community Board | Professional Board

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DVD Excerpt

Referencing and Regulating

Regulating and referencing really go hand in hand. When you reference, you

are trying to understand how to resolve uncertainty, what’s different. Right?

you are trying to pick out something that is important to respond to. Well,

regulating is what you do when you determine what the best solution is, what the

decision is. You have to then take an action. Referencing without regulating

wouldn't make any sense, and you can't regulate without a reference point. So

when we regulate, we assume that you are distinguishing what is important from

what is not important, and that you are constantly using your reference point to

adapt your actions. Right? To maintain coordination with others.

From Chapter 6, Core Deficits: Regulating

DVD Preview: If you're interested in learning more about the DVD, view the

video preview or see the DVD Release Notes and Unpublished DVD Index which

appeared in recent newsletters. The five-hour Going to the Heart of Autism DVD

can be ordered on-line from our secure, on-line store.

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Research Summary

Gestalt Processing in Autism: Failure to Process Perceptual Relationships

and the Implications for Contextual Understanding. (2004)

Author: Brosnan, M., , F., Fox, S., & Pye, J.

Publication: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 459-469.

Summary: Previous studies have suggested an autistic bias for local over

global processing. This study instead examines gestalt grouping in autistic

children. Gestalt grouping is often confused with global processing, but it is

different in that Gestalt grouping describes the effect of the relationships

between parts of an image on the perception of the entire image. Autistic

children were not found to have a local bias or perception difficulties but did

fail to use gestalt grouping.

Read about the Participants, Methods, Results, Conclusion and the Critical

Review.

This summary is just one example of the dozens that are available from our

Research Summary Database.

NOTE: © Copyright 2004. This summary and all others in the Database cannot

be published elsewhere in any form without the written consent of Connections

Center.

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Dr Gutstein Quotable:

We establish regulation through establishing a simple pattern and then

each time adding a different small variation, making sure the child can still

perceive the pattern.

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Going to the Heart of Autism

New Book Release!

My Baby Can Dance

Stories of Autism, Asperger’s and Success through the Relationship

Development Intervention® (RDI®) Program

Special guest writer this week is Hannah Gutstein, one of the co-editors

of My Baby Can Dance. She is currently an editor, publicist, dog and cat sitter,

wedding coordinator and eldest daughter of Dr. Gutstein and Dr. le

Sheely, who developed the RDI Program. Below, she shares with us an inside look

at her father and his life's work.

My Baby Can Dance -

Rock Song and Family Legend

by Hannah Gutstein

Many people don’t know this, but my dad is a huge rock n’ roll fan.

Growing up my sister and I could sing and dance, in our 80’s legwarmers and

scrunchies to every lyric from the Beatles, croon Kink’s ballads and even, I am

proud to say, hum along to Jimi Hendrix and Janice Joplin. Our childhood nights

generally consisted of performances taking turns singing the chorus, with

lipstick all over our faces, clutching hair brushes for microphones.

As the times have changed, my dad’s tastes have expanded and probably

mellowed out. Gone are the days when the car windows would be rolled down to

allow the music to be cranked up to full tilt as we rambled down the highway

screaming out our favorite revolutionary tunes and dancing in the backseat,

stuffing ourselves with bagel sandwiches.

Today we sit in pleasant silence, listening to bluesy Alison Krauss or The

Gypsy Kings, sometimes with some Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir or Gershwin thrown

in. Occasionally an old favorite will rear its head and we will all nod

appreciatively, giving each other a secret smile, thinking about a time when one

of us would have stood on a chair and banged Maxwell’s silver hammer or taken

another little piece of my heart, while shaking our fists to “Why she walked

like a woman and talked like a man Oh my Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la

Lola.”

Here is what I am getting at, hopefully in a lyrical way and not getting

too carried away. Hey, I can still rhyme!

I believe that from an early age, one of the ways that my dad helped my

sister and I relate to him was through music. When we were babies, he would make

up countless songs about our favorite stuffed animals. When we could walk and

talk, he would perform elaborate musicals with us and Barbie or Teddy Ruxbin. He

even bought us matching lime green jellies from Target when we convinced him

that they were our ticket to girl band success at the age of 8.

So, it makes perfect sense to me, and I will speak for my sister here,

that my dad would cherish a lyric from a rock n’ roll song. That he would form a

metaphor for his life’s work around the music that makes us scream at the top of

our lungs, cry into our pillows and fall in love. That My Baby Can Dance would

be a book of stories about struggle, success, heart ache, memories, tragedy and

love. That, in essence, his work and the passion of the families and children in

this book would have the true makings for a fierce rock n’ roll song.

Now there are those that will think my unusual comparison is quite odd.

Say, 'that is insane! Rock n’ Roll and Autism, no two things have been further

apart. And, not to mince words but, the actual song lyric and title is “My Baby

Can’t Dance” a virtually unknown song by a group called the Darts that has been

made much more optimistic in the title of the book'. But, focus for one minute!

All those things aside, I challenge the skeptics out there to give me the

benefit of the doubt. Think about passion, hope, inspiration, that first hug,

that first fear, that first memory. Maybe you are seeing the Mona , a

beautiful quilt, a poem or even a really great steak.

For my dad, his laid away love has always been rock n’ roll; a sensational

lyric, a perfect pitch, a guitar, some drums and a stage, are exactly what make

him tick, get him through life, survive all the airplanes and hotels and most of

all make him remember. In my mind, My Baby Can Dance is a tribute to the forces

that drive us, the people that we love, and my dad’s greatest celebration,

looking into someone else’s eyes, grabbing their hand, turning on the music and

starting a relationship.

My Baby Can Dance: Stories of Autism, Asperger’s and Success through the

Relationship Development Intervention® (RDI®) Program is for anyone who needs a

reminder about what makes everyday social encounters so wonderful and why

sometimes, the simplest forms of communication can lead to the most wonderful

moments.

For more information or to order this new book: visit the Connections

Center On-line Store.

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RDI® Program Story of the Week

" Your husband is going to break your heart ... "

What greater reward can there be than watching your autistic children

develop into someone more and more special each day. To achieve milestones that

you initially thought were not possible. I have often said that I wouldn't want

my life to be any other way when I have been blessed with two wonderful boys,

Birhanu (now 7) and (just turned 6). I am constantly amazed at what they

both can achieve despite all the challenges that they are facing.

Case in point...The other day my wonderful husband Misrak came home from

work with a " special delivery " for me. His arrival was hardly noticed by myself

as I was busily preparing dinner for us all. What got my attention was my oldest

son (who had noticed his father come in the door) saying " Oh mom....Your husband

is going to break your heart, " only to have Misrak present me with a beautiful

bouquet of flowers. I don't know to what I reacted to more–the wonderful

surprise that my husband gave me or the remark made by my son. It's one of those

moments I will treasure forever and I feel sorry for those families with

typically developing children who will never experience the same emotions I felt

at that moment.

Many thanks to Laurie A., Ajax, Ontario Canada, for her story.

Do you have a story to share?

If you have a story of a child, teen or adult, please email it to

feedback@... for possible inclusion in a future newsletter.

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Video Feature of the Week

Peek-a-Boo with Baby Emma

One of the earliest " me-you " activity frameworks found in many cultures is

" peek-a-boo. " First done between parents and infants, it later evolves into

hide-and-seek and much later evolves into flirting.

In this captivating clip of a father and his 6-month old neurotypical baby

daughter, notice the facial gazing, emotion-sharing, and the gentle regulation

created by the peek-a-boo pattern and its variations. When dad leads them to

switch roles, notice how baby Emma experiences a little uncertainty and looks to

her mother to resolve it. She is clearly beginning to reference, and with some

encouragement and reassurance from mom (off camera) easily learns her new role

and continues to enjoy the productive uncertainty of this simple game.

Because the RDI® Program is a cognitive-developmental approach to

remediating autism spectrum disorders, we always want to stay mindful of what

typical development actually looks like. At the Connections Center we bring

typically developing children into our clinic on a regular basis–at least once a

month. We also study video clips of babies interacting with their parents, so we

have a clear picture of the very earliest stages of development, when

experience-sharing abilities are just beginning to emerge.

Note: If you have any problems viewing the video, please email our Tech

Support at support@....

A SPECIAL THANK YOU:

to all the Parents and Children who have so generously given us their

permission to share their private video clips. Without your huge generosity of

sprit, and compassionate commitment to educating others, we would be unable to

truly communicate and help others learn about the RDI® Program. Your

contributions are invaluable and greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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Upcoming 2-day Introductory Workshops

for Parents & Professionals:

Psychologists: Connections Center is approved by the American

Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists.

Connections Center maintains responsibility for this program. All of our 2-day

and 4-day workshops for professionals are certified for CE credits. Each

participant will receive certification of contact hours attended. 2-day

workshops are certified for 10 CE credits.

Case Managers: Commission for Case Manager Certification, 11 Clock Hours.

Counselors: National Board of Certified Counselors, 11 Clock Hours.

Speech-Language Pathologists: American Speech-Language Hearing

Association, 1 CEU.

2006:

Madison, WI (March 4 -5, 2006)

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (March 23-24, 2006)

NEW! Indianapolis, IN (May 3-4, 2006)

Sacramento, CA (June 9 - 10, 2006)

New Jersey (July 7 - 8, 2006)

Denver, CO (July 28-29, 2006)

Chicago, IL (August 25-26, 2006)

Philadelphia, PA (September 15-16, 2006)

Columbus, OH ( October 6-7, 2006)

Los Angeles, CA (November 3-4, 2006)

Austin, TX (November 17-18, 2006)

Group rates available

Email , at Adiska@... for information.

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4-Day Intensive Parent Seminars

" I feel that I now have some long term hope for my Autistic son. Dr.

Gutstein’s passionate but scientific rejection of the narrow expectations

currently pervading the Autism ‘treatment’ community is extremely refreshing.” -

Guy Mayo (Brighton, England)

Read what other parents have said about the 4-day Parent Seminars on our

web site. Learn effective ways of teaching emotion-sharing, social motivation,

flexibility, creative thinking and executive functioning; design an optimal RDI®

Lifestyle to suit your family; develop customized activities tailored to your

particular child, and much more. Parent Seminars are limited to small groups of

no more than 25 couples. Includes large-group lectures with the very latest

information about RDI®, including new research; small group practice and

discussions, and a one-on-one meeting with a Certified Consultant. You will also

receive the RDI® Program Parent Training Book, which includes all the workshop

slides, the Progress Tracking Forms, Planning Forms, etc.

To receive a complete Parent Seminar Information Package, email us at

parents@RDIconnect or call Jill, our Parent Training Coordinator, at

, ext. 108.

2006 Dates:

Orange County, CA area: February 14-17, 2006 FULL

Houston, TX: February 27-March 2, 2006 FULL

London, UK area: March 14-17, 2006

St. Louis, MO area: April 10-13, 2006 FULL

ville, FL area: May 8-11,2006

Houston, TX: May 30-June 2, 2006

NEW! Vancouver, BC, Canada - June 13-16, 2006

NEW! Madison, WI - June 26-29, 2006

Visit our website for more information

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Professionals: News & Announcements

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Professional News

• Transcripts of all professional chats

(for Registered RDI® Program Professionals only)

• Upcoming topics for Professional Chats:

http://www.rdiconnect.com/chat/default.asp.

• On the Resources Group (for Professionals only): Annual Conference,

licking, Business structure; Quick Books or Simply Accounting; Turn-taking/M-A;

out of town clients.

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Professional Certification Information:

Next Seminar Dates for Professional Certification:

Beginning: Register for the May 16-19, 2006 session.

Intermediate: Register for the April 4-7, 2006, session.

Advanced:

April 18-21, 2006

August 29-September 1, 2006

November 28-December 1, 2006

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