: : Back
Page in progress
 List of Presenters/Presentations
 : : Home
Presenter Presentation
Lisa Ackerman Starting the Biomedical Treatment Journey
James B. Adams, PhD Current State of Autism Research
Timothy A. Adams, Esq. , Lynne Arnold & Mitchel D. Perlman, Ph.D Special Education Law Day: Intensive Training for Parents
Alanna Apap, BCBA NAVIGATING THE WAY
Tapan Audhya, PhD Unprovoked Seizures in Autistic Individuals
Carmen Augustin, MSW, LCSW Relationship Development Intervention®: An Overview
Mary Lynch Barbera, RN, MSN, BCBA The Verbal Behavior Approach: Teaching Children with Autism
Jeffrey Becker, OD Seeing Is Believing: Sight, Vision and Autism
Marion Blank, PhD, Mary Beth Cull, & Harry Schneider, MD -- Language Seminar Talk is Good: Moving Beyond A Flawed Assumption to Meaningful Communication
Mark Blaxill, MBA Intellectual and Moral Failures in Autism Science
Kenneth Bock, MD The Importance of Integrative Medicine for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Recognizing Subgroups and the Need for Individualizing Biomedical Treatment Approaches
Tom Bohager Enzyme Therapy and Autism
Mika Bradford How to Supplement Their Minds without Losing Yours
Mika Bradford The Urgent Need to Plan: The example of Texas
Kerry Brooks Autism 2 Awesome: A Father's Love
Gregory Brown, MD, Vicki Martin, RN & Jane Sparks, RN A Parent's Survival Guide to Biomedical Therapy in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Jeff Cantor, DDS, Patricia Liston-Gannon, DDS, Pamela Johnson, DDS, Michelle Lancaster, DDS DENTISTRY AND AUTISM- A TROUBLED MARRIAGE
Manuel Casanova, MD Sensory Problems in Autism: Origins and Possible Intervention
Charles Chapple, DC Reaching Sensory Processing Disorders: Working to Benefit ADD/ADHD to Autism through Structure and Function
Ved Chauhan, PhD Abnormal REDOX system in autism
Lillian Chen-Byerley, MS, OTR/L, RCTC Recognizing the link between Central Nervous System Maturity and Sensory Integration
Rob Coben, PhD EEG Assessment and Treatment of Seizure activity in ASD
Ken Cook 10 Americans
Laura Lum Corby IEP Strategies: Navigating School Meetings
Mark Corrales, MPP The importance of research on environmental factors in a highly heritable disorder
Dorinne Davis, MA, CCC-A, FAAA The Davis Model of Sound Intervention: Combining Sound and Science for Positive Change
Dennis Debbaudt First Responders Training
Richard Deth, PhD Unique Aspects of Redox Regulation in Human Brain and Their Implications for Autism
Lisa M. Dietlin Transformational Philanthropy
Stephen Edelson, PhD Elias Tembenis Seizures Think Tank Participant
Mayer Eisenstein, MD, JD Immunization Facts and Accusations: Are They Worth the Risk?
Michael Elice, MD & Barbara Fischkin Biomedical Interventions with Older Children: How to Begin -- and Persevere
Lark Eshleman, PhD Healing the Wounded Child: (re)-integrating the child into the family
Seyyed Hossein Fatemi, MD, PhD Gaba A and Gaba B receptor abnormalities in autism
Barbara Loe Fisher, Vicky Debold, PhD, RN & Louise Habakus, HHP, AADP VACCINE EDUCATION SEMINAR
Richard Frye, MD, PhD Subclinical epileptiform discharges and functional reorganization in atypical cognitive development
Andrew & Carolyn Gammichia Defending Autism ~ Ensuring Social Justice through Community Awareness and Advocacy
Mark Geier, MD, PhD & David A. Geier New Insights into the Underlying Biochemistry of Autism: The Mercury Connection
Mark Geier, MD, PhD & David A. Geier New Insights into the Treatment of Autism: The Hormonal Connection
Kristin Selby Gonzalez Sensory Savvy 101
Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD The Child as a Whole: Why Behavioral and Biomedical Interventions are Both Critical to Growth and Recovery
Katherine Guttshall, MA, BCBA What to do when a child won't eat: Feeding Disorders and Developmental Delays
Boyd Haley, PhD The Effects of Synergistic Toxicities and Genetic Susceptibilities on the Toxic Effects of Inorganic and Organic Mercury Compounds: The Relationship to Autism and Related Disorders
Elaine Hall & Diane Isaacs The Miracle Project
Paul Hardy, MD Epilepsy in Autism: An Overview
Martha Herbert, MD, PhD More than Developmental: Environmental Impacts as Chronic and What This Means for Treatment, Research and Policy
John Hicks, MD Creating Health and Balance
John Hicks, MD The Law of Attraction
Sonja Hintz, RN & Sym Rankin, CRNA, APN How to Get Your Mainstream Physician to See Beyond Autism
David Holmes, EdD The Needs and Wants of Adults on the Autism Spectrum; Lessons learned from the Autism One Radio Show "Adults on the Autism Spectrum; Today!
Devin Houston, PhD Enzymes, GI Function, and Autism: What You Should Know
Laurette Janak How do you know? A medical literature search tutorial
Laurette Janak Minimizing parental health risks: What parents need to know
Laurette Janak Down syndrome, vaccinations and genetic susceptibility to injury: What does the research show?
Raun Kaufman Breakthrough Strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, DN-C, RH Herbal Medicine in Autism
Cheryl Kilmer A Vision for the Future: New models for residential supports for adults with autism and other developmental disabilities
Brian King, LCSW The Sensory Experience: Understanding Sensory Challenges In Daily Life
David Kirby Metals, Myelin and Mitochondria - Several Paths to Autism?
Steven Kossor Funding treatment in PA: the Medicaid-EPSDT-BHRS connection
Robert Krakow, JD "Sublegal" - Can children with "autism" obtain justice in vaccine court?
Arthur Krigsman, MD & Sylvia Chin-Caplan, Esq. Autism and Vaccines in the US Omnibus Hearings: Legal and Gastrointestinal Perspectives of the Michelle Cedillo
Arthur Krigsman, MD Update in Autistic Gastrointestinal Disease
Andrea Lalama Reversing Autism: Connecting the pieces with the latest research: BT, Hg, Octopamine, Succinic Acid, Leptu and BIRM
Mary Jo Lang, PhD The Brain, Thinking and Behavior: Understanding Executive Function
Lindyl Lanham, DSH-P, BS Spec Ed & Cindy L. Griffin, DSH-P, DIHom., BME Autism's Many Facets: Recovery through Sequential Homeopathy
Jeffrey Lewine, PhD Epileptiform Activity in the Autistic Brain: Cause, Effect, or Co-Morbidity
Allen Lewis, MD Oxidative stress in autism: A paradigm for effective treatment
Carolyn Lewis Autism and Autoimmune Disease: A close look at co-existing autoimmune diseases in children with autism and their immediate family members
Derrick MacFabe, MD The Gut-Brain Link to Autism - Are short chain fatty acid fermentation products from opportunistic clostridial infections possible environmental triggers in autism?
Derrick MacFabe, MD Enteric and dietary short chain fatty acids - Possible triggers of autism-associated epilepsy and movement disorder
Cynthia & Mark Macluskie Our Journey of Hope and Recovery
Jackie Marquette, PhD TREATMENT AND CARE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS
Julie Matthews, CNC Nourishing Hope for Autism - Evolving Autism Diets
Jenny McCarthy Keynote address
Woody McGinnis, MD Neurotoxic brainstem impairment as proposed threshold event in autistic regression
Mary Megson, MD AVOIDING THE PITFALLS: WINNING THE WAR
Claudia Miller, MD TILT: A New Slant on Autism
Mark Noble, PhD Perspectives from stem cell biology on autism risk factors and treatments
Nancy O'Hara, MD The Overview of The Biomedical Approach: Treatment Options From A to Zinc
Nancy O'Hara, MD Biomedical Interventions for Autism: The Paradigm Shift
Melissa Olive, PhD, BCBA Participant: Residential Think Tank
Dan Olmsted, Kim Stagliano & Mark Blaxill Age of Autism
Valerie Paradiz, PhD & Elizabeth Nickrenz The Roles We Play: Creating Theater with Autism Spectrum Youth
James Partington, PhD Teaching children to Talk About Experiences to Establish Social Interaction Skills
Jon Poling, MD, PhD Mitochondrial abnormalities found in children diagnosed with autism and the importance of defining biological markers
Kerri Rivera & Harry Schneider, MD Autism 101: Today's Biomedical Treatments
Rick Rollens The California Response To The Autism Epidemic: Identifying and responding to the needs of an aging population: Proposals and solutions from the California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism and the Alliance of California Autism Organizations
Mary Romaniec Letting Go! The Journey back to Grace and Dignity. Finding "balance" after the diagnosis
Dan Rossignol, MD Advanced treatments for autism and strategies for non-responders
Dan Rossignol, MD Using evidence-based medicine to choose effective biomedical treatments for autism and ADHD
Sarah Clifford Scheflen, MS, CCC-SLP tbd
Norm Schwartz, MD Autism and the Environment Protecting our Children
Alice Shabecoff The Toxic Assault on our Children
Maya Shetreat-Klein, MD Elias Tembenis Seizures Think Tank Participant
Stephen Shore, EdD Choosing Higher Education... and Staying There
Chantal Sicile-Kira Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: Puberty, Hygiene and Sexuality
Terrie Silverman, MS & Sally Brockett, MS Berard Auditory Integration Training: New perspectives from the international scene provide insight into functional outcomes
Allan Sosin, MD MASKING FOR SEIZURES
Cheryl Steinberg How to use Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) for reducing emotional stress in parenting a special needs child
Carol Stott, PhD Historical Perspective on Conceptualizations of Autism and the Impact on Research
Rev. Lisa Sykes Of Evidence, Ethics, and Education
Theoharis Theoharides, MD, PhD Mast cells disrupt the gut-blood-brain barriers and contribute to autism
Polly Tommey & Oliver Jones Our Children's Future
John Turner, DC, CCSP, DIBCN, Kathryne Pirtle & Sueson Vess Beyond a Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet: Harnessing the Power of Traditional, Nutrient-Dense Foods-the Keys to Maximizing Treatment Success for Autism and Chronic Health Problems
Lauren Underwood, PhD A "Best Practices" Model for Treating Autism: Biomedical & ABA Therapies Put into Practice Together Improve Optimal Outcomes
Anju Usman, MD & Jane Casey Gut Recovery Program™: Symbiotics, Enzymes, Intestinal Biofilms, and Beyond
Sueson Vess & Betsy Hicks Implementing a GF/CF Diet
Aristo Vojdani, PhD Immunology of Autism
Aristo Vojdani, PhD The Role of Environmental Factors in Autism
Andrew Wakefield, MB, BS, FRCS, FRCPath Resolving a chaotic paradox: autism as a disease of the developing immune system
David Warner Autism and Athletics, if they want to play we find a way!
Robert Weiner, PhD, CST-D Rapid Clearing of Autism Symptoms with NeuroModulation Technique - A New Healing Modality
Stacey Whetlow Let Go through Radical Self-Forgiveness
Amy Yasko, PhD Assessment of Metals and Microbes as a Function of Nutrigenomic Profiling

Presenter Presentation
Lisa Ackerman

is the founder and executive director of Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), a national organization dedicated to providing information, resources, and support to families affected by autism, including speeding up the time from diagnosis to effective treatments. TACA provides support to more than 14,000 people across the USA, with 95% of its services at no cost to families. www.tacanow.org
Starting the Biomedical Treatment Journey

Everything parents need to know when starting down the path of recovery for children affected by autism. Practical suggestions and things to consider for parents new to biomedical treatment for children affected by autism (and at any age!)

Presenter Presentation
James B. Adams, PhD

is a professor at Arizona State University, where he researches the biomedical causes of autism and how to treat it, with a focus on nutritional abnormalities/treatments and toxic metals/chelation. He also serves as the Science Director for the Autism Research Institute and Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!). Prof. Adams is the proud father of a teenage girl with autism.
Current State of Autism Research

This talk will focus on research results that relate to both the causes of autism and how to treat it biomedically. Autism is due to a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors, some of which are known, and there is some intriguing new research on specific abnormalities in mothers that can vastly increase their risk of having a child with autism. Autism involves many complex biomedical abnormalities, and treatments now exist for most of those, although the efficacy of many treatments needs more investigation, and better treatments are needed in some cases. Finally, this talk will briefly discuss future research that is needed so that we can learn how to both prevent autism and help heal those who have autism.

Presenter Presentation
Timothy A. Adams, Esq. , Lynne Arnold & Mitchel D. Perlman, Ph.D

Timothy A. Adams, Esq.
received his Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Irvine and his Juris Doctorate degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. He has served as an adjunct professor and Associate Director of the Special Education Advocacy Clinic, Pepperdine University School of Law. He is actively involved in educating parents through presentations to disability rights organizations and parent support groups including speaker at Autism One (2005-2008), the National Autism Association (2005 and 2007-2008) and the National Epilepsy Foundation Annual Conference (2001). He has been interviewed and quoted in publications including the Daily Journal (2001), the Orange County Register and the nationally published magazine Parenting (March 2003); He is Roberts & Adams' Chief Executive Officer.

Lynne Arnold
is the chapter director for Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) of Visalia, CA and an Autism One parent mentor. Through conference presentations and mentoring, she helps parents to understand their child's rights to appropriate interventions and education. Lynne is the editor of Autism: Asserting Your Child's Rights to a Special Education by David A. Sherman. She has presented at Autism One (2005-2008), National Autism Association Conference (2005 and 2007-2008), Families for Effective Autism Treatment (FEAT, Autism Society of America and for other autism groups.

Mitchel D. Perlman, Ph.D
focuses on the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents who have specialized needs and/or who are involved in chaotic-intense-traumatic-critical situations. Known for the comprehensiveness of his investigatory assessments (psychodiagnostic, psychoeducational, neurocognitive), Dr. Perlman is often called on to be the impartial independent examiner in juvenile, family, civil and special education proceedings. He lends his expertise and keen insights to children/teens who have stepped away from the mainstream and/or who have gotten themselves in over their heads - emotionally, legally or in relation to others. He is involved in assessing some of the most fascinating individuals, and he has a knack for detecting and/or explaining things that have often gone unnoticed or that have been misunderstood. For example, in many children who had been diagnosed with autism and mental retardation, Dr. Perlman has found near-gifted to gifted intelligence and has been instrumental in guiding parents to the resources to unlock it.
Special Education Law Day: Intensive Training for Parents

Advocating for your child is a complex and sometimes counter-intuitive process. In these sessions, parents will learn the basic concepts of special education law, the importance of strategizing and how to use this knowledge to gain control of their child's education. The primary goal of this track: Become an empowered IEP team member by gaining an understanding of special ed law, which then can be directly applied to their child's specific needs and situation.

This is an intensive track designed to get your team up to speed quickly and will cover extensive information. To facilitate this process, each participant will receive a workbook with supporting information on key concepts, selected sections of IDEA, background facts on case studies as well as recommended reading and resources.

Presenter Presentation
Alanna Apap, BCBA

is a board certified behavior analyst with a master's degree in education working in South Florida. Using a multidisciplinary team approach for 20 years, her speciality is leading teams in the development of coordinated plans integrating educational, behavioral, therapeutic, and medical interventions, which leads to more successful outcomes for the child. She created Peer PALS (Playing And Learning Socially), a social integration program designed for schools and camps that teaches typical children how to make friends, play, model, and guide children with ASD. Alanna and her partner developed and piloted a comprehensive, visually oriented, research-based social skill curriculum for children and adolescents with ASD and Asperger's. The Surviving Social Situations Curriculum will be available within the next year. Please visit www.peerpals.us.
NAVIGATING THE WAY

Peer PALS which stands for Playing And Learning Socially is a highly motivating activity-based program that addresses core deficits and relies on trained typical peers to navigate the way. This presentation will debut the component Surviving Social Situations a 4-week intensive social-behavioral "summer school" or "camp" model where typical children surround and promote positive social interaction and engagement. Behavioral strategies are embedded throughout the program using a theme-based token economy and pivotal response training. Structured, visually oriented PowerPoint lessons designed specifically for students with ASD captivate and engage learners. Video examples will be used. Come see the smiles on faces that rarely smile and kids being kids.

Presenter Presentation
Tapan Audhya, PhD

is a Biochemist and, prior to his recent responsibility as Director of Research and Development at Vitamin Diagnostics, Inc., he spent twelve years in R & D at various divisions of Johnson and Johnson. He is also associated with New York University Medical School as a research professor. For the last 10 years, he has been involved in nutritional intervention in autism and has presented many papers at international and national conferences.
Unprovoked Seizures in Autistic Individuals

Evidence of both clinical and subclinical seizures has been reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Approximately 20-30% of autistic children have a seizures disorder. Of course, this estimate does not include children who initiate seizures when proved by frustration, fear, sudden shock, high fever, anger, or exposed to high pressure oxygen chamber. In our experience, many ASD children with untreated PKU, cerebral palsy, neuroinflammation, or mental retardation have a higher risk of seizures; also, children who display sudden repetitive movements, swaying, language regression (particularly after 2-4 years of age), etc., often have experienced seizures. On the other hand, many seizure-free autistic individuals begin to have seizures during puberty. Many autism candidate genes that have been associated with autism risk encode for proteins that regulate excitation/inhibition within CNS. These include nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, GABA receptors, glutamate receptors, etc. An altered GABA-A receptor, found very often in autistic individuals, has been proposed as a major underlying cause of seizures. Because GABA inhibits neurons from firing, and seizures are caused by inappropriate or unregulated firing of nerve cells, increasing or decreasing GABA activity through its receptors can cause the system to stabilize or destabilize and thus control seizures. In the presentation we will discuss some of the information that we have developed in our laboratory regarding seizures in autistic individuals.

Presenter Presentation
Carmen Augustin, MSW, LCSW

has over 25 years experience working with children, teens, and young adults with ASD and their families. She is a partner in Sweeney, Augustin, and Associates, a private practice located in Skokie, Illinois providing comprehensive services to children with special needs and their families. Ms. Augustin is a RDI® Program Certified Consultant, receiving her training and supervision from Dr. Steven Gutstein and Dr. Rachelle Sheely of the Connections Center in Houston. Ms. Augustin is on the professional advisory boards of the Autism Society of Illinois.
Relationship Development Intervention®: An Overview

Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) ® is a program for educating and coaching parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). RDI® is based upon the latest information from developmental psychology and autism research. RDI® is specifically designed as a program for systematic long-term remediation of the core deficits of autism.

The bulk of resources are invested in preparing parents to act as participant guides, creating daily opportunities for their child to respond in more flexible , thoughtful ways to novel, challenging and increasingly less predictable settings and problems. Both parents are essential participants in the treatment process. RDI® is based upon the model of Experience Sharing developed by Steven Gutstein, PhD and Rachelle Sheely, PhD. Ms. Augustin will present an overview of RDI® principles.

Presenter Presentation
Mary Lynch Barbera, RN, MSN, BCBA

offers a unique perspective as both a parent of a child with autism as well as a professional. Mary's firstborn son, Lucas, was diagnosed with autism one day before his third birthday in 1999. Mary became a board certified behavior analyst in 2003 and has since been working as the lead behavior analyst for the Pennsylvania Verbal Behavior Project. Mary is an international speaker and has had the privilege of working with hundreds of children on the autism spectrum. She has assisted in providing training to thousands of professionals and parents. In 2007 she published The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related Disorders. Mary hosts a monthly radio show on Autism One Radio.
The Verbal Behavior Approach: Teaching Children with Autism

Drawing on her experience as both a parent of a son with autism as well as a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA), Mary Lynch Barbera will provide participants with information to help children with autism learn language and other important skills. Mary will highlight strategies from her book titled The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related Disorders and provide guidance using the scientifically proven strategies of applied behavior analysis (ABA), specifically utilizing B.F. Skinner's Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Parents and professionals will be empowered with information regarding ABA/VB programming for children with autism and other developmental disorders.

Presenter Presentation
Jeffrey Becker, OD

is a 1978 graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and graduated from The Illinois College of Optometry in 1983. He has been practicing in Northeastern Pennsylvania for over 24 years, with a specialty practice in Rehabilitative Optometry. Dr Becker is an adjunct faculty member of Misericordia University, Dallas, PA where he teaches vision rehabilitation courses to master's level occupational and physical therapy students. Dr. Becker, in his 24 years of clinical and research experience, has examined and treated over 2000 neurologically impaired patients ranging in ages from birth to senior citizens. Dr. Becker is a Defeat Autism Now! Certified Physician and Director of Vision Services, NeuroSensory Center of Eastern Pennsylvania.
Seeing Is Believing: Sight, Vision and Autism

In this presentation, Dr. Becker, will discuss how visual processing affects children on the autism spectrum. He will use real life examples that will illustrate to parents, doctors and attendees how imbalanced visual processing affects a child's world. Dr. Becker will explain how vision therapy is helping to improve the functioning and behavior of children with autism and ASDs.

Presenter Presentation
Marion Blank, PhD, Mary Beth Cull, & Harry Schneider, MD -- Language Seminar

Marion Blank, PhD
is the Director of A Light on Literacy in the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program at Columbia University. She is an internationally recognized developmental psychologist with extensive experience in designing language and reading programs for children with a wide range of learning disabilities.

Mary Beth Cull
joined Dr. Blank three years ago to become a member of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program. She has been trained in behaviorist approaches with children on the spectrum and has now extended the work to include more cognitive/linguistic principles.

Harry Schneider, MD
received his medical degree from Columbia University and completed his residency at Northwestern University. Dr. Schneider is an Associate Research Scientist in the Functional MRI Research Center of Columbia University. He is in private practice at the Center for Medical and Brain Sciences in Plainview, NY, and uses both conventional medicine and the Defeat Autism Now! approach in his approach to the medical care of children on the spectrum. Dr. Harry Schneider served on the medical staff of North Shore University's Franklin General Hospital and South Nassau Communities Hospital, as well as serving as an Adjunct Professor for Clinical Training in the Family Practice Training Program at SNCH. He has participated in Tropical Medicine Research in Guatemala and Brazil for the World Health Organization and received research support as a Medical/Linguistic Consultant for Transcendent International's bilingual medical software. Dr. Schneider's background is as a linguist, with advanced degrees in language and linguistics, and he speaks multiple languages. He is in the process of obtaining a doctoral degree in Speech Language Pathology.
Talk is Good: Moving Beyond A Flawed Assumption to Meaningful Communication

Intervention programs are dominated by the theme that "talk is good." While well-intended, this emphasis leads to numerous problems--not least of which is a failure to differentiate between language and communication. As a result, programs fail to provide children with the guidance needed to enhance their functioning. The presentation will examine: (i) a range of powerful, but unstated assumptions that currently govern intervention efforts; and (ii) set forth principles for creating a more productive therapeutic environments.

New Therapeutic Frontiers in Language and Communication Restoration

After years of using neuromodulation, specifically electrical or magnetic stimulation to restore language function in diverse populations such as stroke victims, traumatic brain injury patients, people with Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease, practitioners at Columbia decided that we could help "nonverbal" children on the spectrum, as well. Because the other populations of patients we treated all began with neurotypical brains, we had to see find a way to see how "an autistic brain" was functioning for language; this could not be seen on a structural or regular MRI. We decided to use functional MRI for these children. While listening to recordings of their mothers' and fathers' voices, as well as music, we imaged known language areas and then applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to show us how these area were connected to each other. We discovered that many language areas did not work for language (some were activated for music, not language) and that the connections between them were defective. However, we now had a "road map," an image of their brains that we could use to determine which areas might benefit from stimulation. I decided to pilot the project from my office in Long Island, NY, using transcranial direct current stimulation. This is a non-invasive, minimal risk procedure using very low-dose electrical currents applied to language areas while the children are receiving specialized language instruction. All patients are beginning to regain language.

Presenter Presentation
Mark Blaxill, MBA

is the father of a daughter diagnosed with autism, editor at large for Age of Autism and a director of SafeMinds. He is managing partner for 3LP Advisors, an advisory firm focused on intellectual property transactions. He spent most of his professional career at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he was a senior vice president until he left the firm in 2006. While at BCG, he was the leader of the firm's strategy practice and led firm initiatives in the area of globalization, open source software, intellectual property and network analysis. He has just published a business book, The Invisible Edge: Taking Your Strategy to the Next Level Using Intellectual Property (Portfolio, March 2009) and is teaming up with Dan Olmsted to write a book on the natural history of autism.
Intellectual and Moral Failures in Autism Science

As the autism crisis continues to careen out of control, the most puzzling aspect of autism science is not autism itself but the breakdown in the ability of our scientific institutions to come to grips with the autism problem. This is a tragedy that is playing itself out at many levels. There are large conceptual problems in dealing with failure of the prevailing models of autism biology and causation. These failures are compounded by even larger conceptual problems when it comes to dealing with the environmental causes of disease more broadly. Taken on their own terms, these intellectual problems are challenging enough. But if you combine them with the politics surrounding modern medical practice, including the influence of pharmaceutical industry over the scientific process and the driving economic interests of the medical profession, the obstacles to real progress in reversing the autism epidemic can appear insurmountable. The breakdown of scientific governance is reflected in the recent NIH Strategic Plan for Autism, a depressing display of the victory of politics over health. In response to these failures, a growing social movement is rising up, one that faces many enemies. Ultimately the autism epidemic is less a scientific than a moral issue and calls into question our most basic values as an advanced society.

Presenter Presentation
Kenneth Bock, MD

received his MD with Honor from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1979. A pioneer and leader in the field of integrative medicine for over two decades, Dr. Bock's expertise lies in bringing a comprehensive integrative medicine approach to complex medical problems, including the 4-A disorders - autism, ADHD, asthma and allergies. His Healing Program for the 4-A disorders is detailed in his latest book, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies, which has received international acclaim.
The Importance of Integrative Medicine for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Recognizing Subgroups and the Need for Individualizing Biomedical Treatment Approaches

Although ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and PDD (pervasive developmental disorder) diagnostic labels are given to an increasing number of children, they do not represent just one or two entities. In reality, there are many overlapping subgroups of ASD, including toxic, gut, brain, metabolic, mitochondrial, nutritional, immune and infectious. Thusly, individualizing each child's biomedical evaluation and treatment program is essential. Coupling behavioral, clinical and education interventions with a commitment to follow an appropriately tailored biomedical treatment program, frequently results in improvement in many affected children, and in an increasing number of them, even recovery (with a loss of their initial ASD/PDD diagnosis). This lecture will address these issues from an integrative medicine perspective, offering realistic hope to parents of children with ASD/PDD.

Presenter Presentation
Tom Bohager

has worked in the enzyme field for more than 10 years. He is the author of the books Enzymes: What the Experts Know and Everything You Need to Know About Enzymes. Tom was first introduced to alternative health care when his father was diagnosed with cancer in 1983. In 1998 Tom started Enzymedica. Since becoming educated on the use of enzymes as a therapy Tom has counseled thousands on its benefits and has made it his goal to educate as many people as possible on this topic. He writes articles, conducts lectures and is interviewed on radio and television about the importance of enzymes in maintaining and promoting optimal health. Tom is degreed in holistic nutrition from Clayton College.
Enzyme Therapy and Autism

Enzymes are instrumental in supporting all biochemical reactions in the body, everything from proper digestion to proper cellular function. Though some have overstated the benefits of these essential proteins, there is an abundance of evidence supporting their use as a way of overcoming some of the common issues and symptoms associated with Autism. Learn about the role enzymes play in healthy digestion, immune support, and overall health. The role of "Enzyme Therapy" will be discussed as a promising choice when combined with other well- known diets and therapies.

Presenter Presentation
Mika Bradford

Mika's journey into the world of autism began over a decade ago with the diagnosis of her youngest son. Mika is a certified nutritionist, outside sales associate, and customer service representative for the Kirkman Group where she provides technical support on the form and functions of supplements to customers across the world. In 2007 she established Natural Foods and Nutrition Consulting (which provides individualized nutrition counseling services to families and wellness programs for private businesses). Since 1999, Mika has supported the autism community by actively working with non-profits, developing resources and supports for parents and professionals. She is the director of community outreach of Families for Effective Autism Treatment - North Texas and is a board member for Community Now, a non-profit dedicated to the quality of life and long-term care of individuals with special needs. She is a veteran at communicating such topics as nutrition, dietary and behavioral interventions and how they relate to individuals with autism spectrum disorders. In keeping with her mission to encourage and support the autism community, Mika joined AutismSpot (a video based website) in 2008 as a content specialist providing information on interventions ranging from biomedical, education, self help, assisted living and family focused supports.
How to Supplement Their Minds without Losing Yours

Do you feel frustrated when trying to introduce supplements into your child's diet? Tired of endless crying and "wearing" the supplements that were meant for your child's stomach but somehow end up as unique accents on your clothing? There is hope! Learn how to lose the sippy cup concoction that takes 1/2 a day for your child to drink. Join Mika as she provides information on "How to Supplement Their Minds Without Losing Yours!" Learn what nutritional supplements can be mixed with as well as ways to successfully incorporate them into your daily lives. As a parent who has implemented special diets and nutritional supplementation plans for over a decade, Mika will share with you tips to avoid the proverbial pit falls when starting a special diet and supplement plan. Mika has supported parents and professionals from across the world with tools and techniques to make supplementing nutrients simple. Have you been doing this a while and now find your child is rejecting products that once were taken with ease? You too can walk away with a plan to get your child back on track to a healthy life.

Presenter Presentation
Mika Bradford

(see above)
The Urgent Need to Plan: The example of Texas

Participant: Residential Think Tank
The urgent need for forward thinking and planning for the care of individuals with disabilities has become evident across the world. Texas can be used as a point of referance for the perils and devastation that can lie ahead if future planning of housing and long-term care are not considered immediately. Mika will share statistics on the number of children with autism entering residential facilities and how the percentages of autism can be used as an indicator of the projected number of individuals with autism to enter state housing and services in the near future. Texas can be considered the canary in the coal mine for the following reasons:
Texas has more institutions than any other state. Currently, Texas institutionalizes more people with disabilities than New York State and California combined.
• About 5000 adults and children are warehoused in 13 state institutions.
• Texas has more children in institutions than any other state.
• The Department of Justice is investigating Texas state institutions after reports of horrific atrocities perpetrated against our most vulnerable Texas citizens.
• It costs more than twice as much in taxpayer dollars to warehouse people in institutions compared to community-based services.
• In Texas, state institutions for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities are titled "State Schools." This is a misnomer. These places congregate large numbers of people with disabilities, often against their wishes.
Many states like Texas are in need of transformation of services and care provided to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Join us as we come together for the common cause of developing a plan of action to provide humane and considerate environments that are safe and provide the quality of life our loved ones deserve.

Presenter Presentation
Kerry Brooks

Kerry L. Brooks is the founder and president of Autism 2 Awesome Inc. Mr. Brooks developed the program Autism 2 Awesome: A Father's Love after his personal journey of helping his son recover from autism. A Father's Love is an early intervention guide created to educate, empower, and inspire fathers who have children diagnosed with autism. Mr. Brooks has been conducting A Father's Love seminars, workshops and personal consultation over the last 2 years. Mr. Brooks has been employed with the Department of Justice for over 18 years. He also served as a United States Diplomat in Nicosia, Cyprus. www.autism2awesome.com
Autism 2 Awesome: A Father's Love

Autism 2 Awesome is a health and wellness early intervention guide created to educate, empower, and inspire fathers and family members who have children diagnosed with autism. Mr. Brooks has been conducting Autism 2 Awesome seminars, workshops and personal consultation over the last 2 years. In addition, Mr. Brooks will speak on "Be First 2 Respond," which will outline what parents can do following the diagnosis of autism of their child.

Presenter Presentation
Gregory Brown, MD, Vicki Martin, RN & Jane Sparks, RN

Gregory Brown, MD
is a board certified internist with 18 years experience in Emergency Medicine. He has received Practitioner and Advanced Practitioner training from Defeat Autism Now! as well as ACAM instruction in Chelation Therapy and certification in Hyperbaric Medicine from UHMS. He currently serves as Medical Director of the Autism Recovery and Comprehensive Health (ARCH) Medical Center and A & M Hyperbarics in Franklin, Wisconsin.

Vicki Martin RN
is on staff at the ARCH Medical Center. She is the parent of an 11-year old daughter with autism who was a poor responder to biomedical intervention. Ms Martin has used the Defeat Autism Now! approach for over 10 years and specializes in helping parents negotiate the maze of available options to choose the most effective treatments. She is certified in multiple educational interventions for spectrum disorders and is a strong advocate for all individuals with autism, especially those more severely affected. Her own daughter, who is non-verbal, recently found her "voice" by using RPM (Rapid Prompting Method), and her health is greatly improved as a result of biomedical interventions.

Jane Sparks RN
has over 17 years experience as an ER and ICU nurse. She is the parent of two affected children. One of her sons is now recovered and her youngest, age 6, is recovering. She is co-founder and full-time biomedical practitioner at ARCH Medical Center.
A Parent's Survival Guide to Biomedical Therapy in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Juggling diets, supplements, IV treatments, educational therapies and the rest of life is taxing under the best of circumstances. We will provide tips and approaches for choosing which battles to fight and which to postpone; what therapies need to be addressed in which children and when to avoid the "cure of the week." We will also take a look at those biomedical interventions that can be started before you meet with a practitioner, how to initiate them safely and effectively and how to make the most of your therapy dollar. After the presentation the ARCH Medical Center staff will conduct mini-workshops in several difficult aspects of biomedical management.

Presenter Presentation
Jeff Cantor, DDS, Patricia Liston-Gannon, DDS, Pamela Johnson, DDS, Michelle Lancaster, DDS

Jeff Cantor, DDS
has 35 years experience as a pediatric dentist and has been involved in the dental care of patients with developmental disabilities since 1977. He graduated from Bowdoin College, went to dental school at Columbia University in New York, and received his training in pediatric dentistry from the University of Rochester's Eastman Dental Center. Dr. Cantor has been involved with dentistry for patients with developmental disabilities both as a private practitioner and through Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago's Dental Program. At present, Dr. Cantor is Director of the Easter Seals Dental Program, is Dental Consultant to Autism One, and practices part-time in the private pediatric dental practice of Dr. Patricia Liston-Gannon located in Orland Park, Illinois. He is also Attending Pediatric Dentist at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center; a Lecturer at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago and a contributor to the Autism File Magazine.

Patricia Liston-Gannon, DDS

Pamela Johnson, DDS

Michelle Lancaster, DDS
DENTISTRY AND AUTISM- A TROUBLED MARRIAGE

Proper diagnosis and treatment of the dental patient presenting with Autism Spectrum Disorder presents many challenges to the knowledgeable dental practitioner. The initial examination may be very difficult to perform, and the medical history may present a variety of issues that can impact on the materials that can be used to restore decayed teeth. The assessment of the patient's diet may also present a complex trade-off between adequate nutrition, medical complications, and prevention of tooth decay. The fact that controversy exists in some critical areas further muddies the waters. Pediatric dentists, Drs. Jeffrey Cantor and Patricia Liston- Gannon along with orthodontist, Dr. Pamela Johnson, and general dentist, Dr. Michelle Lancaster, will address the major issues patients and their caregivers face in obtaining dental care today from both the perspective of the patient and the professional. Please bring questions to the presentation since what the audience is interested in learning guides the discussion.

Presenter Presentation
Manuel Casanova, MD

made his residency training in neurology and then spent 3 years doing a fellowship in neuropathology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. During his stay at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Casanova was in charge of Pediatric Neuropathology, a fact which kindled his interest in developmental disorders of the brain. His clinical experience was enhanced by appointments as either a consultant or staff neuropathologist at Sinai Hospital (Maryland), the North Charles Hospital and the D.C. General Hospital. Dr. Casanova has had over twenty years of experience in the neurosciences. Although trained in the classical methods of neurology and neuropathology, his interest has gradually shifted towards the study of abnormalities of cortical circuitry. His research has focused on the cell minicolumn, a vertical conglomerate of 80 to 100 neurons having a common latency of response to stimulation. Using computerized imaging analysis he has established the anatomical validity of the cell minicolumn. More recently Dr. Casanova has reported interhemispheric differences in the morphometry of minicolumns that could provide for the speciation of hominids. Localized in Broadmann area 22 - part of Wernicke's language region - the morphometric difference may play a role both in the development of language and in its disorders. His most recent studies have looked for the presence of abnormalities of minicolumnar organization and lateralization in the brains of patients who exhibit language disturbances, including autism, Asperger's syndrome, and dyslexia. He has summarized his work on minicolumns and provided an overview of the field in recent reviews of the literature appearing in Brain and Brain, Behavior and Evolution. Dr. Casanova holds the Gottfried and Gisela Kolb Endowed Chair in Psychiatry, Associate Chair for Research, University of Louisville Department of Psychiatry.
Sensory Problems in Autism: Origins and Possible Intervention

Participant: Elias Tembenis Seizures Think Tank
Minicolumns are basic architectonic and physiological elements identified in all regions of the neocortex and in all mammalian species thus far evaluated. The minicolumnar circuit is an evolutionarily and ontogenetically conserved template adapted in the various cortical areas according to their specific developmental and functional requirements. The minicolumnar core comprises radially oriented arrays of pyramidal projection neurons (pyramidal cell arrays). At the core and periphery of the minicolumn combinations of Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) interneurons provide for a diversity of signaling properties that serve to dynamically modulate pyramidal cell inputs and outputs that perform area and task-specific information processing needs. Recently, computer image analysis studies by our group have reported abnormalities in the pyramidal cell arrays (minicolumns) of autistic patients. These studies have shown reduced horizontal spacing between pyramidal cell arrays and diminished neuropil space at the periphery of the minicolumn. This observation, a deficit of columnar surround inhibition, has now been corroborated by studies probing tactile resolution and habituation to stimuli in autism. Lack of minicolumnar surround inhibition provides for signal amplification and an overall increase in noise. The resultant inability to differentially process simultaneous sources of information provides for a deficit in selective attention, which in autism permeates all sensory modalities. In this model, a reduction in the peripheral neuropil space would result in smaller minicolumns which would coalesce into discrete, isolated islands of coordinated excitatory activity. These islands could serve as potential ictal (seizure) foci. Moreover, their autonomous activity would hinder the binding of associated cortical areas, arguably promoting focus on particulars as opposed to general features. Inhibitory cell elements at the periphery of the minicolumn have a bitufted axonal system that span several layers perpendicular to the pial surface. Our basic hypothesis is that the geometrically exact orientation of these cells and their location at the periphery of the minicolumn (inhibitory surround) makes them the appropriate candidate for induction to magnetic field applied parallel to the cortex. The principle of electromagnetic induction proposes that a changing magnetic field induces the flow of electric current in a nearby conductor. Maximal induction is proposed for conductors at 90 degrees to the magnetic field. Preliminary results using slow Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of autistic patients (an attempt to strengthen the inhibitory surround of minicolumns) have shown promising results. Due to the connectivity of this brain region we expect the intervention to generalize to other cortical areas.

Presenter Presentation
Charles Chapple, DC

earned his doctorate degree in chiropractic from National College of Chiropractic in 1991. Dr. Chapple holds post-graduate certifications in areas such as chiropractic pediatrics (Fellowship in International Chiropractic Pediatric Association), acupuncture, applied kinesiology, and spinal rehabilitation. He was selected for "America's Top Chiropractors" for the last three years. His practice is in Roselle, Illinois, and he is conveniently reached at WWW.drchapple.com.
Reaching Sensory Processing Disorders: Working to Benefit ADD/ADHD to Autism through Structure and Function

So frequently, sensory processing disorders, ADHD to autism, are addressed through a variety of behavioral and biochemical approaches; this can result in the significance of the biomechanical aspects of these conditions being underestimated. Experts state that if a cluster of irregular nervous system reflexes remain unaddressed they will prevent "sustained long term improvement."

This presentation introduces the importance of the nervous system with its biomechanical relationships to the spine and cranium, and the noninvasive approaches of chiropractic and craniosacral therapy for the benefit of individuals struggling with sensory processing concerns and retained primitive reflexes.

Presenter Presentation
Ved Chauhan, PhD

obtained his PhD in biochemistry from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, India. After finishing a postdoctoral training at University of Southern California, he joined New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities in Staten Island, New York where he is Head of Cellular Neurochemistry laboratory. Dr. Chauhan is the editor of the book titled Autism: Oxidative stress, inflammation and immune abnormalities to be published by Taylor and Francis group. In 2008, he served as an Associate Editor of the "Special Issue on Autism Spectrum Disorders" of the American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology. Dr. Chauhan has organized and chaired several Symposia on Neurobiology, Oxidative stress and Inflammation in Autism at various scientific meetings such as Annual Meeting of American Society for Neurochemistry (ASN), International Symposium on Advances in Neurosciences, and at the New York State Institute for Basic Research. He has published over 70 peer reviewed articles in Journals.
Abnormal REDOX system in autism

Membrane lipids play an important role in the control of cellular functions. Emerging evidence from our laboratory and other groups suggest that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are connected with abnormalities in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. We have reported previously altered levels of amino-glycerophospholipids (AGP) in the membrane and plasma in autism. Membrane fluidity, a marker of unsaturated fatty acids, was decreased in the erythrocyte membranes of children with autism as compared to typically developing siblings. Our results suggest increased peroxidation of lipids in the plasma, cerebellum and temporal cortex of autistic subjects as compared to control subjects. Decreased serum levels of ceruloplasmin (copper transporting protein) and transferrin (iron-transporting protein), major antioxidant proteins, were observed in autism that correlated with loss of previously acquired language skills in these subjects. Copper could selectively affect the levels of AGP in the membrane of lymphoblasts suggesting a potential role of copper in autism. Mitochondria are the main source of free radicals. We observed increased levels of free radicals in mitochondria, decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione reductase, and concomitant decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential in lymphoblasts from autism suggesting mitochondrial dysfunctions in autism. Taken together, our results suggest that REDOX abnormalities may account for some of the brain structural and cognitive deficits in autism.

Presenter Presentation
Lillian Chen-Byerley, MS, OTR/L, RCTC

has been practicing Occupational therapy, specializing in Pediatrics since 1978, with experience in the hospital, schools, and private practice (since 1983). Internationally credentialed and recognized in multiple neurodevelopmental specialties; including sensory integration, neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT), various listening programs, interactive metronome), and is the sole Tomatis provider in the Midwest. Lillian has gained recognition as a passionate advocate for those with autism and for her dedication to helping the underserved, was recently recognized by the Chicago chapter of Autism Speaks as an Autism Hero. A proud single mother of three, Lillian has first-hand experience with autism as her 19 year old son college sophomore son has Asperger's.
Recognizing the link between Central Nervous System Maturity and Sensory Integration

By integrating the salient values of multiple neurodevelopmental theories consistently into each of the child's autism therapies along with the school setting and the home, one has the opportunity to more directly impact the central nervous system, harnessing the developing brain's neuroplasticity and potentially producing a more positive overall therapeutic outcome.
In this discussion you will learn:
• the importance of developmental integration of primitive reflexes in terms of overall outcomes
• how the central nervous system is impacted by sensory integration theory
• critical role of auditory listening programs
• the importance of consistency across therapeutic, home, and school environments to maximize therapeutic gains

Presenter Presentation
Rob Coben, PhD

received his PhD in 1991 and has been a licensed psychologist in the state of New York since 1994. He is the Director and Chief Neuropsychologist of a private clinic in NY, which is also an affiliated research site with NYU's Brain Research Lab. His post-doctoral training in clinical and rehabilitation neuropsychology was done at the UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in California. Dr. Coben is board-certified in EEG biofeedback (BCIA Associate Fellow) and a Diplomat of the QEEG Certification Board. He is a member in good standing of the American Psychological Association, International Neuropsychological Society, International Society for Neurofeedback and Research, and the American Association of Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. He was recently bestowed the honor of Fellowship status from the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research, for which he is also on the Board of Directors, Committee Chair and Consulting Editor for the Journal of Neurotherapy. Dr. Coben recently received grant funding from both the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research and the American Association of Psychophysiology and Biofeedback to perform research into the efficacy of EEG operant conditioning for autistic disorders.
EEG Assessment and Treatment of Seizure activity in ASD

Recent analyses have estimated the prevalence of seizure disorders in autistic series at anywhere from 20 to 46%. Paroxysmal discharges occur in an even higher proportion of autistic children. The electroencephalogram has been used for decades to detect seizures and similar brain activity. This has chiefly been done via analysis of EEG raw wave form analysis. Newer quantitative techniques have emerged including seizure/spike detection algorithms, topographical mapping, independent components analysis, source localization, and coherence assessment. With such techniques, children with autism can be assessed and the underlying nature and sources of their seizure activity analyzed. Once the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are understood, effective treatment strategies are possible. Recent research from our clinic has demonstrated how connectivity-guided EEG biofeedback can be used to significantly reduce autistic symptoms. A series of cases will be presented demonstrating how this treatment can be used to treat and decrease seizure frequency and intensity with resulting improvements in functioning.

Presenter Presentation
Ken Cook

is president and founder of the Washington, DC-based Environmental Working Group (EWG). EWG is a public interest research and advocacy organization that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment. Mr. Cook and EWG's research and analysis are major forces in national policy debates over toxic chemicals, pesticides, air and water pollution, and the ecological impacts of modern agriculture.
10 Americans

Sure, you suspect there's bad stuff in the air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat and things you touch. But do you know how many industrial chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals and known carcinogens have already invaded your body? The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) has found 287 chemicals in the blood of 10 Americans: toxins linked to cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, reproductive problems, immune disorders and other serious health problems. Who are they and how were their bodies contaminated? What can you do to protect yourself and those who depend on you?

Presenter Presentation
Laura Lum Corby

is the Founder/CEO of the Autism Solution Center, Inc. in the Memphis, Tennessee area and the Vice President and Educational Director for FAIR Autism Media. She is the parent of two children affected by ASD, as well as having an ASD herself. Ms. Corby is currently working towards her PhD in Psychology and plans to return to medical school when completed. She is actively involved in disability advocacy (local, state and national); legislative issues and awareness; autism research, education and treatments; building community relationships and inclusion with those affected by autism and their families. Her vision is to provide an Autism Solution Center, similar to a St. Jude's, but not related, for Autism that can address the multi-faceted needs of those affected by autism, accessible to everyone, at no cost. Ms. Corby is also a graduate of the Partner's In Policymaking Leadership Institute, a division of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities. She speaks often at conferences on biomedical/dietary intervention, behavior modification, IDEA rights and advocacy, understanding Asperger's Syndrome, and more. www.autismsolutioncenter.org
IEP Strategies: Navigating School Meetings

While most IEP workshops focus on the IDEA federal mandates, this workshop is dedicated solely to the navigation of the actual school IEP team meeting and the strategies necessary to ensure a successful outcome for the child. Our focus will center on the appropriate questions to be asked when services are denied or when the parent is in disagreement with the team decisions. We also cover the importance of accountability for the team. Who is holding their decisions accountable, and what recourse is available besides mediation or due process if you disagree? This workshop is designed to teach you how to put the ball back in the parentﾒs court and successfully secure the necessary services with the least amount of stress and emotional involvement.

Presenter Presentation
Mark Corrales, MPP

is an environmental policy analyst with over twenty years of experience assessing the health risks and economic impacts of air pollutants and regulations designed to limit air pollution. Mr. Corrales currently serves in the US Environmental Protection Agency's policy office, where he is the lead analyst reviewing major regulations focused on transportation-related emissions, as well as ambient air quality standards. Mr. Corrales also conducts research on emerging issues including the role of environmental factors in autism, risk analysis of sensitive subgroups, and environmental policy applications of bibliometrics, bioinformatics, and probabilistic uncertainty analysis. Prior to joining the EPA, Mr. Corrales managed a high-tech startup, following several years directing an environmental policy consulting practice in Washington, DC. His graduate degree is from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and his undergraduate degree in biology is from Harvard College. His many publications and presentations include "Environmental Genomics of Autism," with Martha Herbert, chapter in Autism Research, Oxford University Press, 2009.
The importance of research on environmental factors in a highly heritable disorder

A growing body of evidence suggests various environmental factors are associated with autism. Over time, it should be possible to translate scientific discoveries into widespread adoption of biomedical interventions or appropriate changes in environmental regulation. However, there is a disconnect between the scientific data needed and the data available. The scientific research on autism has focused almost no resources on environmental factors in autism until very recently. While a wide range of environmental factors have been mentioned in the autism research literature or in the popular press, almost none have been thoroughly investigated. This research gap has been partly due to a widely held assumption that environment plays almost no role in causing or treating autism -- which in turn relies on a misunderstanding about autism's high heritability, or the idea that autism is simply a genetic disorder. In fact, high heritability does not mean environmental interventions can play only a minor role in prevention or treatment. Genes and environment work together in several basic ways to increase the risk and severity of complex diseases such as autism. Research focused on these areas will be essential for progress in autism treatment and prevention.

Presenter Presentation
Dorinne Davis, MA, CCC-A, FAAA

President/Founder of The Davis Center, Succasunna, NJ, is the author of 4 books, including Sound Bodies through Sound Therapy® and Every Day A Miracle: Success Stories with Sound Therapy®. She has demonstrated the scientific principles behind the Voice-Ear-Brain Connection in The Davis Addendum® to The Tomatis Effect, and established The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy® from which her Diagnostic Evaluation for Therapy Protocol (DETP®) provides the correct administration of any sound-based therapy. She is credentialed in 20 different sound-based therapies and her background as an audiologist, educator and sound therapist provides the foundation to The Davis Model of Sound Intervention®.
The Davis Model of Sound Intervention: Combining Sound and Science for Positive Change

Sound therapy makes foundational change within the body using the connections between the Voice, the Ear, and the Brain as well as the body's cellular response to sound vibration. The Davis Model of Sound Intervention® incorporates these connections and utilizes The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy to determine the best protocol for administering any sound-based therapy. Dorinne Davis, author of Sound Bodies through Sound Therapy, is credentialed in 20 different sound therapies and will discuss how the major sound therapies, such as AIT, Tomatis, and BioAcoustics are best administered as related to The Tree analogy.

Presenter Presentation
Dennis Debbaudt

is father to Brad, a young man who has autism. Since 1993, Dennis has authored over 25 autism safety and risk-based articles and books including Autism, Advocates and Law Enforcement Professionals: Recognizing and Reducing Risk Situations for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dennis's training video is in use by the Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Dennis consulted and contributed to the Chicago Police Department's autism training block; he is a cited Subject Autism & Emergency Preparedness Subject Matter Resource at the Department of Homeland Security website and Lessons Learned Information Sharing. Dennis consulted to ABC News 20/20 for a segment on autism and false confession, and is a consultant for the Autism Society of America's Safe and Sound initiative.
First Responders Training

This special day of training is suitable for law enforcement, fire rescue, public safety, emergency medical response teams, hospital ERs, 911 dispatchers, social services, and criminal justice agency personnel. The general public is also welcome. (Law enforcement credits are available.)

Presenter Presentation
Richard Deth, PhD

is a molecular neuropharmacologist and Professor of Pharmacology at Northeastern University in Boston. His research efforts are directed toward elucidating the molecular events causing neuropsychiatric disorders in which oxidative stress and impaired methylation are prominent features. These include autism, ADHD, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. His laboratory was first to discover the novel signaling mechanism of D4 dopamine receptor-stimulated phospholipid methylation, which appears to be important for neuronal synchronization during attention. A key aspect of his work is regulation of the folate and B12-dependent enzyme methionine synthase, which supplies methyl groups to the D4 receptor and is inhibited by oxidative stress. Dr. Deth is the author of the book titled Molecular Origins of Human Attention: The Dopamine-Folate Connection.
Unique Aspects of Redox Regulation in Human Brain and Their Implications for Autism

Since oxidation is a threat to all cells, control over levels of the antioxidant glutathione provides a powerful mechanism for cell regulation. Methylation reactions and activity of the folate and vitamin B12-dependent enzyme methionine synthase are highly sensitive to redox status, and their inhibition appears to be an important factor in autism. Human brain maintains a unique environment that serves to optimize redox signaling, but this also increases vulnerability to heavy metals and toxic substances which interfere with redox status. Our recent studies have revealed brain-specific structural variants of methionine synthase, along with an age-dependent decrease of about 100-fold in its mRNA level across the lifespan. The latter decrease in methionine synthase activity appears to reflect an increased demand for glutathione synthesis to offset age-related increases in oxidative stress. Levels of methionine synthase mRNA in the brain are significantly lower in autistic subjects compared to control subjects, especially at a younger age. This pattern is consistent with presence of neuroinflammation, which other researchers have documented in autism. An improved understanding of redox regulation in human brain should assist in identifying the factors which cause autism, and should be helpful in guiding effective treatment.

Presenter Presentation
Lisa M. Dietlin

With more than 25 years of experience Lisa has come to believe acts of philanthropy should be strategic and thus transformational to both nonprofit organizations and individuals. Serving as a philanthropic agent, her expert advice, structured counsel and major gift program results are becoming the prime model for philanthropic leadership. Lisa is a frequent speaker on the subjects of entrepreneurial giving, major gifts fundraising and moves management, as well as board development. In 2007 CBS 2 Chicago named Lisa their permanent "Charity Contributor". Lisa was also interviewed for her expertise on Oprah & Friends Radio by Jean Chatzky and Better TV in NYC. Lisa holds a Master's Degree in Philanthropy and Development from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. She is an adjunct faculty member at North Park University in Chicago in its nonprofit management degree and certificate programs. Lisa has also served as the Assistant Dean of Development for the College of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago as well as Senior Advancement Director at Michigan Technological University for the College of Sciences and Arts. Additionally, she holds seats on several nonprofit boards throughout the country. www.lmdietlin.com
Transformational Philanthropy

Lisa M. Dietlin and Associates, Inc. (LMDA) assists entrepreneurial individuals and nonprofit organizations in developing transformational philanthropic strategies. Serving as a philanthropic agent, our expert advice, structured counsel, and major gift programs results are becoming the prime model for philanthropic leadership. We believe that acts of philanthropy should be strategic and thus transformational to both nonprofit organizations and individuals. Put simply&we help find and focus major acts of philanthropy. Whether you are currently building your organization or thinking about starting one, not only is it imperative to build an infrastructure that is transformational for all participants, but sustainable, as well.

Presenter Presentation
Stephen Edelson, PhD

is the director of the Autism Research Institute. He has been active in the field of autism for over 30 years, and he had worked closely with Dr. Bernard Rimland for over 20 years. Dr. Edelson has conducted research in a variety of areas including biomedical, behavioral, sensory and cognition. He is a Board member of the Autism Society of America (ASA) and the Autism Society of Oregon. Dr. Edelson also participates on ASA's Panel of Professional Advisors. He is the editor of the Autism Research Review International quarterly newsletter, co-edited with Dr. Rimland the book Recovering Autistic Children, and has produced several videos on autism.
Elias Tembenis Seizures Think Tank Participant

Presenter Presentation
Mayer Eisenstein, MD, JD

is a graduate of the University of Illinois Medical School, the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Public Health, and the John Marshall Law School. In his 33 years in medicine, he and his practice have cared for over 75,000, children, parents, and grandparents. He is the founder and Medical Director of the Homefirst® Autism Recovery Clinic. He is board certified by the American Board of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians. He is a member of the Illinois Bar. Dr. Eisenstein is the author of: Give Birth at Home With The Home Birth Advantage; Safer Medicine, Don't Vaccinate Before You Educate, 2nd Edition; Unavoidably Dangerous - Medical Hazards of HRT and Unlocking Nature's Pharmacy. Some of his many guest appearances include: "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Hannity and Colmes". His weekly syndicated radio show "The Dr. Mayer Eisenstein Show", airs on XM Satellite Radio as well as multiple affiliates. He has formulated natural pharmaceuticals which can be used to treat many chronic medical conditions. One of his goals is to lower the use of pharmaceuticals in the American population.
Immunization Facts and Accusations: Are They Worth the Risk?

All vaccine programs carry risk and benefit. Therefore, the goal should not only be the prevention of a specific disease by vaccination, the benefits must outweigh any potential long term negative side effects. For example, as a public health measure, if children do not get polio because of the polio vaccine but later die of a cancer caused by the SV40 virus received as a contaminant in the vaccine, the risk may outweigh the benefits.

Vaccine proponents claim that the benefits of childhood and adult vaccination are undeniable. However, vaccine opponents point out that the incidents of autism, diabetes, and other chronic immune and neurological dysfunction have increased dramatically in the last 30 years. This points out the difficulty in making an informed decision to vaccinate or not to vaccinate.

Presenter Presentation
Michael Elice, MD & Barbara Fischkin

Michael Elice, MD
is a board certified pediatrician who has been in practice for 30 years, most recently with Dr. Marvin Boris, the renowned, pioneering Long Island allergist. Together at Autism Associates of New York in Syosset, doctors Boris and Elice minister to several thousand patients with autism and/or allergies and estimate recovery rates of 65%. According to Dr. Elice, "biomedical treatment of autism and ASD is based on the idea that autism is actually a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with genetic, epigenetic, metabolic and autoimmune origins." Dr. Elice is a graduate of Syracuse University and the Chicago Medical School. He completed his pediatric residency at the North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, and has academic teaching and staff positions of North Shore University Hospital and Schneider Childrenﾒs Hospital. He is an associate professor of pediatrics at the New York University Medical School and the Albert Einstein School of Medicine. Additionally, he is on the medical advisory board of the New York Families for Autistic Children (NYFAC) and is a member of the National Autism Association New York Metro Chapter. He has lectured at Defeat Autism Now! Conferences around the country. www.autismny.com/index.htm

Barbara Fischkin
is known to autism parents as the host of "Maverick Mama," the Autism One Radio Internet program and as the author of mom.notcalm, a weekly column posted on Spectrum Magazine's online edition. She is the author of three books - fiction and narrative nonfiction - and is an award-winning journalist who has published in major national and international publications for more than three decades, reporting from Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Long Island. Her first book Muddy Cup: A Dominican Family Comes of Age in A New America (Scribner 1997) has been hailed as a landmark work on immigration and the Dominican Diaspora. Ms. Fischkin's satiric journalism novels, the first offerings in her Lost Tribe of Ronkonkoma Series, are titled Exclusive and Confidential Sources (Bantam Dell 2005/6). Confidential Sources also depicts a family's struggle with autism. Ms. Fischkin's literary agent Frank Weimann is currently presenting proposals by Ms. Fischkin for book, film and television projects related to autism. www.barbarafischkin.com & www.spectrumpublications.com
Biomedical Interventions with Older Children: How to Begin -- and Persevere

In a rare physician-parent presentation, Dr. Michael Elice, a prominent Long Island DAN Protocols pediatrician and Barbara Fischkin, an author, journalist, Autism Mom and advocate will report on the bio-medical interventions which Fischkin's severely autistic son, Daniel Mulvaney began in January 2008 at the age of 20. These interventions targeted Daniel's auto-immune system and acquired environmental toxicity and are based on medical findings that revealed, metaphorically speaking, a body that functioned as a "garbage truck that was not dumping." Ms. Fischkin and her husband Jim Mulvaney are -- as patients of Dr. Elice, themselves -- on bio-medical interventions, as well, and their case histories will be included as will comparative videos of Daniel at his work sites. Dr. Elice will also speak in detail, more generally, about the benefits and challenges of beginning bio-medical treatments with older children. young adults and adults -- and will discuss systematic methods for modifying the most disturbing of autistic symptoms, as children with autism grow up and prepare to lives distinguished by as much independence as possible.

Presenter Presentation
Lark Eshleman, PhD

is a child and adolescent psychotherapist. She is a certified school psychologist in Pennsylvania and board certified in domestic violence by the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. An expert in working with children who have experienced early emotional trauma, attachment difficulties, neglect and abuse, Dr. Eshleman is the founder and director of the Institute for Children and Families (ICF) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a leading treatment center for children who suffer from the effects of early trauma. Her international work is highlighted by her development of a treatment and training program to help children and families devastated in the war in the former Yugoslavia; that program continues to be used today in areas of crisis around the world. She is the author of Becoming a Family: Promoting Healthy Attachments with Your Adopted Child (Taylor Publishing Company) as well as other publications and has contributed family and professional magazines and journals.
Healing the Wounded Child: (re)-integrating the child into the family

This presentation will give an overview of normal, healthy attachment development and what happens if attachment development goes awry. Healthy attachments are formed between infant and parent when the child learns that his or her needs will be met in a predictable way by a loving, trusted adult. What happens if attachment does not develop in a positive way? What if adults are faced with parenting a child who has needs they cannot meet? Many children on the autism spectrum are isolated not just by the nature of the disorder, but also by the fact that loving parents may lack the tools and support needed to help them function on a day-to-day basis, much less make progress over time. Families often feel shame, fear, and frustration in not knowing how to parent an autistic child or keep others in the family safe. Here are practical suggestions and insights that can help on a day-to-day basis.

Presenter Presentation
Seyyed Hossein Fatemi, MD, PhD

current research focuses on the neurodevelopmental mechanisms that contribute to normal structure and function of the brain and which, under certain circumstances, cause neuropsychiatric disorders. He has authored 81 articles, 22 book chapters, and edited three books. Specifically, he is interested in studying the potential roles of several proteins (Reelin, GAD 65/67, GFAP, Bcl-2, P53, SNAP-25, PDE4A, PDE4B, COMT) which have been implicated in the pathology of schizophrenia and autism. His research has been conducted on two levels: one at the level of human brain dysfunction (postmortem studies involving schizophrenic, depressed, bipolar, and autistic patients) and secondly on development of an animal model to mimic schizophrenia and autism (prenatal viral infection in mice). He has also investigated the effects of various psychotropic agents, e.g., olanzapine, clozapine, fluoxetine, valproic acid, haloperidol, and lithium, on expression of genes of interest in rats following chronic administration of each drug. Dr. Fatemi received his Ph.D. in Human Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Following receipt of his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1991 and completion of his residency in psychiatry at University Hospitals in Cleveland in 1996, Dr. Fatemi was appointed Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Cell Biology and Neuroanatomy at University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Fatemi was promoted to full professor of psychiatry and adjunct professor of neuroscience in 2006. In 2007 he was also promoted to adjunct professor of pharmacology.
Gaba A and Gaba B receptor abnormalities in autism

Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits, language abnormalities and repetitive behavior. A limited number of reports have demonstrated abnormalities involving the glutamate and GABAergic systems in brain, blood, and platelets of subjects with autism. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. There are three classes of GABA receptors: GABAA, GABAB, and GABAC. GABAA receptors are ligand-gated ion channels responsible for mediation of fast inhibitory action of GABA in the brain. GABAB receptors are present in the thalamus, cerebellum, hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and interpenduncular nucleus and are coupled via G proteins to membrane K+ and Ca++ channels and to adenylate cyclase in humans. Our laboratory has performed a comprehensive investigation of GABAA and GABAB receptor subunit expression in cerebellum, parietal cortex (Brodmannﾒs Area 40 (BA40)), and superior frontal cortex (BA9) in brains of subjects with autism vs. matched controls via qRT-PCR and western blotting techniques. We have found widespread changes in GABA receptor expression in brains of subjects with autism. In particular, two receptor subunits demonstrated a concordance between mRNA and protein in cerebellum (GABRA1, GABBR2) and three demonstrated concordance in BA9 (GABRA4, GABRA5, GABRB1). Importantly, each of these 5 subunits have previously been demonstrated to be associated with autism. We suggest widespread GABAergic dysfunction in the brains of subjects with autism

Presenter Presentation
Barbara Loe Fisher, Vicky Debold, PhD, RN & Louise Habakus, HHP, AADP

Barbara Loe Fisher
is co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center (www.NVIC.org), a non-profit founded in 1982 by parents of vaccine-injured children to prevent vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and defend the informed consent ethic. Co-author of the landmark 1985 book DPT: A Shot in the Dark and author of the 2008 book Vaccines, Autism & Chronic Inflammation: The New Epidemic, she is editor of the NVIC Vaccine E-newsletter and a blogger at www.VaccineAwakening.blogspot.com and, she has served on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, Institute of Medicine Vaccine Safety Forum, FDA Vaccines & Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, Vaccine Policy Analysis Collaborative, and Consumers United for Evidence Based Healthcare - U.S. Cochrane Collaboration. The mother of a DPT vaccine-injured son and a vaccine safety advocate for more than 27 years, Barbara has defined and debated the vaccine safety and informed consent issue on every national