Dr. Celine Saulnier has been a presenter at the annual Converge Autism Summit presented by Springbrook Autism Behavioral Health. She joins us today to discuss the often rocky road of correctly diagnosing Austism Spectrum Disorder.

Dr. Saulnier obtained her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Connecticut, after which she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center under the mentorship of Dr. Ami Klin. After her postdoc, Dr. Saulnier joined the Yale faculty, where she became both the Clinical Director and the Training Director for the Autism Program, managing and supervising multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluations on individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from infancy through young adulthood.

At Marcus Autism Center, Dr. Saulnier is the Director of the Clinical Assessment Core for the NIH Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) grant, overseeing clinical and diagnostic evaluations on infants and toddlers with and at risk for ASD. In addition to her research on early detection, Dr. Saulnier’s research focuses on profiles of adaptive behavior in autism spectrum disorder, particularly on the discrepancy between cognitive ability and the application of functional skills to daily contexts and routines.

Tune in we interview Amy Perry discussing how using technology such as the iPad with certain apps can be so beneficial for those on the Autism Spectrum.

Amy Perry is an Autism Resource Specialist for the Autism Society of North Carolina covering the Fayetteville / Fort Bragg community and 8 surrounding counties. Amy is a former military spouse with three daughters; ages 23, 21 and 16. Her 21-year-old daughter was diagnosed with autism before the age of two; she also has two nephews with ASD. Because of her own experiences 7with her daughter, she is passionate about empowering families to help their children and family members succeed with autism. She connects parents and individuals with autism to community and school resources. She educates parents on receiving an autism diagnosis, special education services and IEP’s and often attends IEP meetings with families. She conducts monthly workshops for parents of Newly Diagnosed children with autism. She speaks regularly in her community to a variety of schools, universities, professional groups and parents on a wide variety of autism related topics. Amy regularly attends conferences to stay educated on best practices and emerging research for autism. Professional Development has included (but not limited to) sessions with Peter Wright, Jed Baker, Tony Attwood, Sally Rogers, Barry Prizant, Michelle Garcia Winner, Brenda Smith Myles, and Temple Grandin. Amy was trained by the National Academy of Child Development to create a home-based program for her daughter, she has trained and mentored support staff for 18 years. Amy is the Co-Founder of The Autism Parent Retreat with Sallie Nowell from the Frank Porter Graham Institute. The retreat’s purpose is to strengthen families living with autism by caring for the caregivers and empowering them to support their children in new and creative ways. Amy attended Asbury College where she studied Broadcast Communications. Amy ‘s special interests include assistive technologies like the iPad that can educate and enhance the lives of individuals with autism.

Autism : Is There an App for That?

iPads and mobile technology have become increasingly popular for individuals on the autism spectrum. Are these devices truly helpful for people with autism, and if so, why. This workshop reviews the four core areas of autism: communication, social skills, behavior/sensory, and thinking and learning, and demonstrates a variety of apps that help to build skills in these areas. Parental management and supervision of electronic devices is also discussed along with a list of websites and ways to search for suitable apps for your child.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand why iPads can be helpful for individuals with autism
• To understand the difference between iPads and other types of devices and the pros/cons
• To discuss the four core areas that autism affects and demonstrate apps that address those areas
• To discuss parental limitations on the iPad to keep it as an effective tool
• To discover websites and other ways to search for apps to meet your child’s needs

She will be one of the speakers at the March 2019 Springbrook Converge Autism Summit held in Greenville, South Carolina.

www.springbrookautismbehavioral.com
www.convergeautism.com

Kerry Magro is an award winning national speaker who is on the autism spectrum. A recent Masters graduate from Seton Hall University, he is CEO and Founder of KFM Making a Difference, a non-profit corporation focused on disability advocacy and housing. Kerry, a professional member of the National Speakers Association, has spoken at more than 400 venues across the country and Canada since starting college in 2007. One of his recent accomplishments was consulting for the 2012 motion picture hit “Joyful Noise” starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton. The film earned over 30 million dollars in theaters worldwide! Kerry is now consulting for two more films set to come out in 2015 including “Jane Wants a Boyfriend” and “Don’t’ Foil My Plans.” What makes this achievement exceptional is that he was diagnosed with autism at the age of 4 and was largely nonverbal till he was 2 and a half. Today Kerry writes about his experiences on the autism spectrum from the heart to help others overcome obstacles. Kerry wanted to write this book to help show his passion and his heart to others while trying to make people understand that autistic people deserved to be loved. Kerry credits most of his progress to the undeniable love of his two parents Robert and Suzanne Mack-Magro.

www.kerrymagro.com

www.springbrookautismbehavioral.com

www.convergeautism.com

Maggie Moore has been a Speech Language Pathologist since 2007. After graduating from Michigan State University with a bachelor of arts degree in Audiology and Speech Science, she attended the University of South Carolina where she obtained her Master of Speech Pathology (MSP) degree with a specialization in neurogenic speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Maggie was accepted to the neuroscience specialization track and completed an optional thesis entitled “Visual Speech Perception in Acquired Apraxia of Speech.” Her passion for speech pathology, hard work ethic, and diligence allowed her to maintain one of the highest GPAs in her class while working full time. Maggie’s ability to connect with all types of people and easily adapt to any environment has allowed her to work in a variety of settings with people of all ages and diagnoses across the country. Her specific area of interest is the brain and the neurological processes involved in communication. She has held full time staff, supervisory, and director positions in a variety of settings throughout her career. Maggie has extensive experience working with severely neurologically impaired or atypical including diagnoses of traumatic brain injury, stroke, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. In 2017, Maggie began working at a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility with in-house special education programming to further specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders in children with severe and complex needs. Additionally, she established a private practice to continue to serve the demand for her outpatient and in home services.

www.convergeautism.com

www.springbrookautismbehavioral.com

The face of autism is changing. And more often than we realize, that face is wearing lipstick. At the age of thirty-five, Jen­nifer Lynn Cook O’Toole, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, and for the first time in her life, things made sense. Now, Jennifer exposes the constant struggle between carefully crafted persona and authentic existence, editing the autism script with wit, candor, passion, and power. Her journey is one of reverse-self-discovery not only as an Aspie but–more importantly–as a thoroughly modern woman. Beyond being a memoir, Autism in Heels is a love letter to all women. It’s a conversation starter. A game changer. And a firsthand account of what it is to walk in Jennifer’s shoes (especially those iconic red stilettos). Whether it’s bad perms or body image, sexuality or self-esteem, Jennifer’s is as much a human journey as one on the spectrum. Because autism “looks a bit different in pink,” most girls and women who fit the profile are not identified, facing years of avoidable anxiety, eating disorders, volatile relationships, self-harm, and stunted independence. Jennifer has been there, too. Autism in Heels takes that message to the mainstream. From her own struggles and self-discovery, she has built an empire of empowerment, inspiring women the world over to realize they aren’t mistakes. They are misunderstood miracles.

www.asperkids.com

www.springbrookautismbehavioral.com

Join our guests Chase Bailey and his mother, Mary Bailey, for a wonderful show about living and thriving with autism. Chase is a food enthusiast, TV host and filmmaker, who loves great entertainment, meeting fun and interesting people, traveling to amazing places, and helping others achieve their own dreams. He also happens to have autism. You can learn more about his challenges with autism in The Official Chase ‘N Yur Face Cookbook. Chase hosts his own YouTube cooking show featuring prominent chefs and other food enthusiasts; speaking at various events and conferences; and establishing his Chase Yur Dreams Foundation. He has been featured in GE’s Our American Kitchen series, radio interviews, numerous magazines and newspapers worldwide; and made appearances on The Meredith Vieira Show and The Chew. He was even honored with the 2017 Legacy Champion Award for his ambassadorship on behalf of the autism community.

Mary Bailey is an Executive Producer, Consultant, Keynote Speaker, Co-Founder & President of Chase Yur Dreams Foundation, & Writer, who has contributed to HuffPost on the subjects of parenting, autism, and diversity & inclusion related topics. Mary’s teenage son Chase Bailey was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. Together they have been keynote speakers for special events; featured in radio, magazine interviews & newspapers worldwide; & on The Chew & The Meredith Vieira Show, where they have shared their journey to success with autism.

www.springbrookautismbehavioral.com

www.convergeautism.com