Participants Of Chicago's National Autism Town Hall Meeting Eligible For Continuing Education Credit

Oct. 27, 2009 - PRLog -- From:   ADVANCING FUTURES FOR ADULTS WITH AUTISM (AFAA) CHICAGO

  The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP)
  Mark Schmidt ♦ 217-588-7660 (O) ♦ 217-306-6123 ♦ mschmidt@thehopeinstitute.us

The Autism Program of Illinois has announced that Illinois participants at the Chicago location of the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting will be eligible for continuing education credits.  Illinois-licensed Speech Language Pathologists (SLP), Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Social Workers will be eligible for up to 5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for their participation in the symposium.  Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPC)will also be eligible for 5 CEU’s for social workers.  In addition,  Illinois Educators attending the symposium will be eligible for up to 5 Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs).  Under state guidelines one unit will be awarded for each contact hour.

The Advancing Futures of Adults with Autism National Town Hall Meeting will bring together more than 1,000 adults with autism, family members, caregivers, educators, advocates and community leaders to discuss and make recommendations for developing a national policy agenda for addressing the needs of adults with autism.  The event will be orchestrated from a central hub at the University of Illinois Chicago Forum on November 13, 2009.  The town hall meeting is designed to attract necessary attention to the issues relevant to adults with autism and to the future of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.  

Adults with autism, family members, caregivers and educators are encouraged to register or apply for a limited number of scholarships at The Autism Program’s dedicated website, http://autismtownhall.blogspot.com.

The AFAA National Town Hall Meeting offers the once in a lifetime opportunity for participants with a broad range of backgrounds, including adults with autism, family members, caregivers, advocates and community leaders, to participate in developing a national policy agenda for adults with autism. In addition, participants will receive lunch, a 24 page participant guide, and The Autism Program of Illinois will provide a copy of our TAP Autism Resource Directory and a complimentary subscription to Tapped In, our monthly email newsletter for adults with autism, parents, caregivers and providers.

In order to maintain diversified program objectives, scholarships will be awarded on an individual basis. If you would like to apply for a scholarship to attend the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting please complete visit http://www.autismtownhall.blogspot.com .

About AFAA

Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) is a national consortium seeking to create meaningful futures for adults with autism that include homes, jobs, recreation, friends and supportive communities.   This unique national consortium has united to set national priorities for adults on the autism spectrum and to transform public policy and programming for teens and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Throughout 2009, AFAA will collect information, develop strategic solutions and advance the national agenda.
 
Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, and the New York Center for Autism are the AFAA organization chairs.  The AFAA partners are: Global Communities of Support; Alpine Learning Group; The Autism Program of Illinois; The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation; Easter Seals; Hallmark Community Solutions; Organization for Autism Research; Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center; and the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities.

About The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP)

Created by the Illinois General Assembly in 2003, The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) is the largest statewide autism resource network in the nation.  With 12 satellite locations across the state, TAP impacts more than 16,000 Illinois families each year.
For more information, please visit http://www.theautismprogram.org or http://autismtownhall.blogspot.com .