conferences

Get ready to have your hopes obliterated (my family at least). I did not watch the church conference. I am talking about another Autism conference. Florida Tech held their yearly Autism conference yesterday and today. It is so refreshing to listen to the leaders of the field discuss their most current findings. It is one of the many aspects of the field that I love- the constant pursuit of the most effective and efficient interventions. Science is knowledge to me. (I was initially drawn to Behavior Analysis because of the experimental side- rats and pigeons.) The idea that the pursuit of knowledge occurs through questioning the current theories is beautiful. Incessant critical thinking and doubting what you have been taught. Conducting research with the intent for others to find weaknesses in your study so that they can improve upon it and advance it further. Understanding that your answer is not really THE answer and putting your findings out there to be scrutinized by your peers for the betterment of the field... Refreshing, isn't it? Awe-inspiring. I heard so many new research areas this weekend and ideas for my current interventions that will help improve the lives of my client and her family.

For any of you who are interested in Autism interventions, Drs. Koegel from University of California Santa Barbara are genius. I was lucky to attend their workshop on Pivotal Response Training. An ideal form of intervention that includes parents and occurs in the natural environment.