Fostering Educational and Vocational Success for Young Adults with Disabilities March 9, 2020 Governors State University, University Park, IL

Conference Program and Schedule

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2020
Monday, March 9th
7:30 AM

Registration and Volunteer Check-In

College of Health and Human Services, Governors State University

D Building, Main Entrance - Hall of Governors

7:30 AM - 4:00 PM

8:00 AM

Exhibitors - Refreshments Available

Hall of Governors (Building D Atrium)

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Click on "Download" for a list of exhibitors and Community Resource Roundtables.

Visit the Exhibit Hall and visit exhibitor tables to learn about resources. Refreshments will be available, courtesy of the Friends of the University Library, and College of Health and Human Services.

8:30 AM

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Engbretson Hall

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Welcome from Dr. Catherine Balthazar, Dean, College of Health and Human Services, Governors State University

Opening Remarks by State Representative (30th District) William "Will" Q. Davis, Assistant Majority Leader, Illinois General Assembly

9:15 AM

Concurrent Session I

9:15 AM - 11:15 AM

Evidence-based Practices Supporting High-School Transition and Adulthood: Self Management and Goal-Setting

Brianne Tomaszewski Ph.D., University of North Carolina

Lecture Hall F1622

9:15 AM - 11:15 AM

As individuals with disabilities transition to adulthood, they may have difficulties with interdependence. This session will discuss evidence-based-practices for adults with autism including using self-monitoring to attain goals. Video samples will illustrate both successes and challenges during goal as well as how to modify supports based on individual support needs.

Starting or Strengthening Your Program to Facilitate College and Career Success for Students with Autism

Jane Thierfeld-Brown Ph.D., Yale University School of Medicine

Engbretson Hall, B1200

9:15 AM - 11:15 AM

Many programs for students with autism are looking for unique ways to provide supports. This presentation will describe the variety of supports used in colleges and universities around the country. Topics will include 1) establishing a campus wide response, 2) transition programming, 3) developing a support program, and 4) developing skills for employment.

11:00 AM

Grab-N-Go Box Lunch

Hall of Governors (Building D Atrium)

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Included in registration fee.

11:15 AM

Community Resource Roundtables

Hall of Honors

11:15 AM - 2:00 PM

Click on "Download" for a list of roundtables and Exhibitors.

Sensory Break Space Demo

E Wing 1st Floor Hallway (Route to F Wing)

11:15 AM - 2:00 PM

12:45 PM

Concurrent Session II

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Empowering Families to Successfully Navigate Early Transitions

Chelsea Guillen M.S., Early Intervention Training Program, University of Illinois

Sherman Music Hall

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Service providers in early intervention play an important role in preparing families for successful transitions. Good preparation provides the best opportunity for realizing positive outcomes for children with disabilities. Utilizing practices that empower families to anticipate and make informed decisions when children are young sets the stage for successful navigation throughout school and life.

Panel Discussion: Life After High School

Engbretson Hall, B1200

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Join a panel of adults with disabilities and their supporters as they discuss their experiences after high school. Moderator Jeanette Elliott, Physical Therapy program, Governors State University will lead the discussion, focusing on information, resources, ideas, and connections that empower and assist adults with disabilities and the families and caregivers who support them.

Promoting Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Student and Environmental Strategies

Caren Schranz DrOT, Governors State University

Lecture Hall F1622

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Self-regulation in the classroom is essential for learning. The student needs to be able to adjust their level of alertness for learning to meet the demands of the environment. Environmental modifications need to be considered to support the student.

2:00 PM

Concurrent Session III

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Panel Discussion: Life After College

Engbretson Hall, B1200

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Join a panel of adults with disabilities and their supporters as they discuss their experiences after college. Moderator Theresa Carroll, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago will lead the discussion, focusing on information, resources, ideas, and connections that empower and assist adults with disabilities and the families and caregivers who support them.

Preparing Students for Life with Transition Assessment and Planning

Brianne Tomaszewski Ph.D., University of North Carolina

Lecture Hall F1622

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Postsecondary outcomes for students on the autism spectrum are bleak. The Center on Secondary Education for Students with ASD is research and development center tasked with creating and implementing a multi-component intervention designed to enhance student outcomes during high school and beyond. Learn more about key transition intervention components.

Strategy Workshop for Facilitating College and Career Success for Students with Autism

Jane Thierfeld-Brown Ph.D., Yale University School of Medicine

Hall of Honors

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

This workshop is a follow-up to the morning presentation on the same topic. Activities and discussions will assist participants in planning creative supports for facilitating college and career success for students with autism, using examples from colleges and universities around the country.

3:00 PM

Health and Self-Care for Adults with Disabilities: Challenges and Resources

Kristy Kirschner M.D.

Sherman Music Hall

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Adults with disabilities are at heightened risk for poor health outcomes such as abuse and neglect, substance use, suicide, and cancer. Educating health service providers about the needs of people with disabilities, and teaching young adults about self-care and self-advocacy, can help connect young adults to resources such as appropriate health and social services and improve these outcomes.

4:00 PM

Meet and Greet Dr. Temple Grandin (limited attendance, RSVP required)

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

5:00 PM

Dinner and Town Hall Meeting (ticketed separately)

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

7:30 PM

Dr. Temple Grandin (ticketed separately)

The Governors State University Center for Performing Arts

7:30 PM - 8:15 PM

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, is one of the first on the autism spectrum to publicly share her personal experiences of and insights on autism.

Dr. Grandin is a celebrated author and autism expert. She also designs livestock handling facilities and is a consultant on animal behavior and animal welfare to the livestock industry. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human, as well as Thinking in Pictures, Humane Livestock Handling, Improving Animal Welfare, and The Autistic Brain. Dr. Grandin credits autism with allowing her to connect with and understand animals.

“Autism helped me understand animals because I think in pictures. Since animals do not have language, their memories have to be sensory-based instead of word-based,” Grandin said in an interview with Stanford Medicine.

She has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, named to the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and is the subject of an Emmy Award-winning film starring Claire Danes.

Dr. Grandin maintains that autistic brains are a gift to the world.

8:15 PM

Book signing with Dr. Temple Grandin

8:15 PM - 9:00 PM