USAAA's Regional Conference in New Jersey

Vaccines, Mercury and Dietary Interventions Discussions Scheduled

Apr 1, 2009 Melissa Hincha-Ownby

Reverend Lisa Sykes will provide the opening keynote address at the conference co-sponsored by the U.S. Autism & Asperger Association and CoMeD.

The U.S. Autism & Asperger Association (USAAA) was founded in 1994 with a goal of helping families affected by autism spectrum disorders. The autism conferences sponsored by the organization provide an opportunity for families, professionals and educators to network with one another while obtaining the latest in autism information.

The USAAA has two conferences scheduled in 2009: an international conference from July 9-12 in Los Angeles, California and a regional conference from April 30-May 3 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

General Conference Information

The theme of the 2009 USAAA Regional Conference is Whole Health and Wellness: Challenges and Opportunities for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, and Learning Disabilities.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Coalition for Mercury-free drugs (CoMeD). According to the CoMeD website, the organization is a 501(c)3 that focuses on reducing “the level of mercury in all drugs, and end the knowing addition of mercury, in any form, to vaccines and other drugs.”

Speakers

Reverend Lisa Sykes, president of CoMeD, Inc, will be presenting the keynote address at the New Jersey USAAA conference. Reverend Sykes is a minister as well as a child who is both on the autism spectrum and has been affected by mercury poisoning.

Other speakers scheduled to attend include USAAA Chairman and CEO, Lawrence P. Kaplan, PhD and Philip DeMio, MD, father of a child on the spectrum and a host on Autism One Radio.

Discussion Topics

Understanding the importance of hearing from individuals on the autism spectrum, Stephen Shore, EdD will be the opening speaker on Friday, May 1. He will be speaking on the topic of Personal Experiences on the Autism Spectrum and Challenges Surrounding Communication and Socialization.

Parents that attend the conference will have a unique opportunity on Friday evening. USAAA has arranged for an open panel discussion with autism experts. Parents of children on the spectrum will want to take advantage of this one-on-one discussion opportunity.

Saturday discussion topics include a look at vaccinations, mercury toxicity, and dietary intervention. The conference ends on Sunday with more discussion about the mercury issue as well as a look at the hormone/autism connection.

Continuing Education

Conferences provide an opportunity for autism professionals to obtain required continuing education credits. There are two hours available on Thursday, six each for Friday and Saturday, and three for Sunday. A Certificate of Attendance (COA) will be provided to professionals that have registered in advance for the conference.

Registration Information

The Crowne Plaza Hotel on Marlton Pike in Cherry Hill, New Jersey will host the USAAA Regional Conference and a special room rate of $99.00 has been reserved for conference attendees.

Early registration for the event ends on April 15, 2009 and registration fees begin at $55 for a one-day student pass to $235 for a full conference professional pass. For registration information, contact the U.S. Autism & Asperger Association at 1-888-9-AUTISM.

The USAAA is also accepting registrations for its July conference in Los Angeles. The conference format will be similar to that of the regional event in New Jersey and will mark the fourth anniversary of the organization’s international, annual conference.

The copyright of the article USAAA's Regional Conference in New Jersey in Autism/Asperger's Syndrome is owned by Melissa Hincha-Ownby. Permission to republish USAAA's Regional Conference in New Jersey in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Mercury and Vaccines to Be Discussed.