6th Annual Autism Awareness Conference
Please join us for our 6th Annual Autism Awareness Conference on August 25th from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.. This is a free virtual event (Zoom call) in which experts will discuss various topics about autism.
To register, please call 410-641-9268 or email amarzola@atlanticgeneral.org.
If you would like to tune in to the discussion, please click the following link: https://atlanticgeneral.zoom.us/j/91685749302
Details
6th Annual Autism Awareness Conference
Thursday, August 25, 2022
8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Free to the community!
Location
This is a virtual event that attendees will join by video call (Zoom).
Guest Speakers
Dr. Kelly Coburn
Kelly L. Coburn, Ph.D., CCC-SLP (they/them)
TOPIC: Autistic Adults of Diverse Genders
Dr. Kelly Coburn is an Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology at Towson University. They have practiced speech-language pathology since 2011, specializing in language and communication assessment and intervention for pediatric clients with complex communication needs and/or autism. Dr. Coburn earned their Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The Pennsylvania State University in 2021, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychology at The University of Alabama. Dr. Coburn’s research centers the experiences and priorities of autistic people, using quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the language and communication of diverse autistic participants.
Melissa Copeland
Melissa Copeland, BSN, RN
TOPIC: Personal Experience of having a son with Autism
Melissa Copeland has been a nurse for twelve years with the majority of her experience being in the medical/surgical field and critical care area. Most recently, Melissa transitioned to a Quality Improvement Specialist role and previous to that, she was a nurse manager of a progressive care unit and Vascular access department for three years. For ten months during that period, Melissa also picked up a medical-surgical orthopedic department. She is happily married to her husband who is a DNP, and is a mother of three boys: Noah (8), Cooper (7- Chocolate Lab), and Isaiah (5). She is pursuing her MSN in leadership and management, and in her downtime, she enjoys traveling, playing volleyball, baking and game nights with her family and friends!
Maureen Van Stone
Maureen van Stone, Esq. MS, Director of the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute
TOPIC: Navigating the Special Education Process, Including Transition Planning
Maureen is the director of the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute and the founder of Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law), an MCDD community-based program. Project HEAL is Maryland’s only comprehensive medical-legal partnership, which provides advocacy and civil legal services to children with disabilities who receive services at Kennedy Krieger. Maureen is an associate faculty for the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, affiliate faculty for the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, and faculty for Kennedy Krieger's Center for Innovation and Leadership in Special Education. She is former adjunct faculty at Towson University and The University of Baltimore School of Law. Maureen is a member of Kennedy Krieger’s ethics program. Maureen earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in developmental psychology at The Johns Hopkins University, and a Juris Doctor at Whittier Law School, with a concentration on children’s legal issues
Dr. Menon
Deepa Menon, MD, Assistant Medical Director at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute
TOPIC: Transition Planning in Autism & Resources
Dr. Deepa Menon is an assistant professor in the Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Medicine Program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also the assistant medical director at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) and the director of the Telemedicine Committee at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Menon received her medical training at Madras Medical College in Chennai, India, graduating with the bachelor of medicine/bachelor of science (MBBS) degree in 1991. She subsequently completed pediatric residency training at the Cook County Children's Hospital in Chicago, IL, in 1997 and joined the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2003 as a resident in neurodevelopmental disabilities through the Johns Hopkins University. Since graduating from the residency program in 2007, she has been an active member of the medical staff at Kennedy Krieger Institute and works in the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) as the Associate Medical director at CARD. Since 2013 she has also been involved in staffing the joint Atlantic General Hospital/Kennedy Krieger Institute Telemedicine Clinic, serving the population on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She is currently serving as the Director of the Telemedicine Committee at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Menon's clinical research interests have included metabolic and mitochondrial disorders that are associated with autism spectrum disorders, regression in autism and early identification and treatment of autism and communication disorders.
Dr. Aaron Dallman
Aaron Dallman, Ph.D., OTR/L, Assistant Professor at Rutgers University
TOPIC: Neurodiversity; How to make Environments/Activities Autism-Friendly
Dr. Aaron Dallman is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He has worked as an occupational therapist in early intervention and in public schools. He specializes in assessment and intervention to support the participation of autistic children and other Neurodivergent adolescents and high schoolers in meaningful activities both during school and post-graduation. Dr. Dallman received his Bachelors of Music Therapy in 2013 from Appalachian State University. He received his Masters of Science and Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Dallman’s research aims to support well-being among neurodivergent (e.g., autistic) children, adolescents, and young adults. He employs qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand the connection between mental health and daily activity in this important group.