The renowned music critic and author Tim Page will speak about his experiences growing up with undiagnosed autism at the “Mind and Body in Autism” Conference at Teachers College on Saturday, April 17 at 2:15 p.m. Page, a professor of journalism and music at the University of Southern California, will close the two-day conference planned for April 16 and 17, at the Joyce B. Cowin Center, 120^th and Broadway, Manhattan.

Page was in his forties with a successful career when he discovered he had Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism. His memoir, “Parallel Play: Growing With Undiagnosed Aspergers,” published in 2009, tells his life’s story through the prism of his newfound diagnosis.

Page is one in a lineup of autism experts, including educators, psychologists, physicians, nutritionists and scientists, scheduled to speak at the conference, which is sponsored by the Center for Opportunities and Outcomes for People with Disabilities, in collaboration with the Leonard and Frances Blackman Lecture Series, at Teachers College.

The annual conference, first held in 2006, has something for everyone interested in autism, from parents to teachers to brain researchers. It was created to encourage collaboration and share information and strategies for addressing the challenges of autism spectrum disorders. It is also designed to promote integrated models for educational, psychological and medical interventions tailored to children with autism and related disorders, and their families.

On Friday from 5:45 to 8 p.m., participants will view a screening of “Temple Grandin,” an HBO biographical documentary. Grandin was diagnosed as autistic as a child but, defying the odds, went on to earn a doctorate degree and to design livestock-handling equipment. She has published six books about autism and her work with animals, and she is a professor of livestock handling at the University of Colorado. On Saturday at 11:15 a.m., Grandin will participate via conference call in a discussion, “Will This Television Special Help Make a Difference?”

Speakers in the Social Sciences include:

• Dorothy Siegel, MPA, and Shirley Cohen, PhD, on the “ASD Nest:  An Inclusion Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders within the NYC Public Schools”
• Ram Kairam, M.D., on “Autism in the South Bronx”
• Emily Abrams, a student in the Behavioral Nutrition program, on “Making Pleasant, Nutritious Meals for Autistic Kids”
• A panel discussion for parents and parent advocates, “Where Are We Now and Where do We need to Go: Family and Professional Perspectives,:” with Linda Meyer, Executive Director, Autism New Jersey; Lynette Quiles and Sharyn Ben-Zvi, parents; Miriam Luciano, Parent Coordinator at P.S. 811X, Bronx, N.Y.; and Laurie Yankowitz, Senior Director for Parent Services at HeartShare, N.Y.

 Brain and genetic scientists slated to speak include:

• Peter Mundy, PhD, the Lisa Capps Chair in Neuro-developmental Disorders and Education at the University of California at Davis, and director of education research at the M.I.N.D. Institute, on “Joint Attention, Neural Networks and Social Learning in Autism,” 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. on Friday. Mundy will deliver the 2010 Blackman Lecture.
• John Foxe, PhD, Professor and Director of Research at the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, on  “Sensory Integration in the Human Cortex and What Happens When it Breaks Down”
• Hakon Hakonarson, Director, Center for Applied Genetics and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, on “Genetic Underpinnings of Autism Spectrum Disorders”
• Researchers at the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program for  Autism and Related Disorders, Columbia Medical Center

For more information and a complete agenda, go to http://bit.ly/95eB96

Published Wednesday, Apr. 14, 2010