Experts to Share New Insights on Improving Autism Outcomes

Tyson's Corner, Virginia (PRWEB) November 5, 2007 -- 11th Annual Conference of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders to be held Nov. 9-11 . Leading experts on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and child development will discuss new advances in the screening, diagnosis, treatment, education, and family dynamics of autism and associated disorders, at a major conference on Nov. 9-11 at Tyson's Corner, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C.

Speakers at the 11th Annual Conference of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL) will unveil new screening tools for early detection, provide insights on how to read "red flags" that indicate risk factors for autism and related disorders, and report on successful intervention programs, including comprehensive treatment approaches to help children with autism learn communication skills.

More than 1,000 participants are currently registered for the conference, but spaces are still available, particularly for special pre- and post-conference workshops offered this year for parents and professionals.

The conference, titled "Critical Factors for Optimal Outcomes for Children with Autism and Special Needs," will include panel discussions on a wide range of issues related to autism and related disorders and will feature researchers and clinicians in the areas of neuroscience, pediatric medicine, developmental psychology, mental health, communication and language development.

Plenary panels include:

. Improving Educational Outcomes

. Looking Inside the Brain and Mind as Autism Develops: Why Some Children Learn to Develop Creativity, Empathy and Abstract Thinking

. Earliest Indicators of ASD: The Do's and Don'ts of Early Intervention

. New Understanding and Treatment of ADHD, OCD, Anxiety and Behavior Problems in Children with ASD

. The Stigma of Diagnosis

Speakers will include internationally renowned experts, including child psychiatrist Stanley Greenspan, pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, and educator Howard Gardner, among others."Hearing these international experts from different fields speak together in a panel about autism and special needs will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Serena Wieder, clinical psychologist and associate chair of ICDL. "They will share their experiences in improving educational outcomes for children with special needs and on the benefits of working with an interdisciplinary team to better understand this complex syndrome."

The conference takes place amid growing concern about the increase in autism and related disorders in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now estimates that 1 in 150 children in the United States have autism, a much higher rate than previously reported. Nearly 17 percent of U.S. children are diagnosed with developmental challenges that require early identification and preventive interventions, yet fewer than half are identified as having a problem before starting school. A new framework developed by the CDC and ICDL is aimed at identifying children at risk and facilitating early intervention and treatment, and will be presented at the conference.

As in past years, ICDL will offer pre-conference workshops on Thursday, Nov. 8, along with several new post-conference workshops designed to let participants delve more deeply into a range of topics raised during the conference, in areas including research, communication and language, sensory processing and regulation, parent interventions , and infant and early childhood mental health.

ICDL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of emotional and developmental disorders in infancy and childhood by promoting dialogue and integration knowledge form different disciplines. For more information, please visit www.icdl.com or contact Cecilia Breinbauer, M.D., M.P.H. at 301-656-2667.

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