2^nd European Autism Congress February 28-29, 2020 Budapest, Hungary

Biography:

Peggy has been an audiologist for more than 30 years.  She is the owner of The Sensory Center in Roanoke, VA where she uses sound, auditory and vestibular therapy combining the work of Masgutova, Pilker, RMTi, Vojta and others to provide customized individual therapy and interventions for infants and children exhibiting developmental delays. She has published in Audiology Today, The Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, and Hearing, Balance and Communication.  Peggy also has a grandson with developmental delays

Abstract:

Auditory training programs have been around for more than five decades, being used with individuals with peripheral hearing losses and well as central auditory processing disorders.

This lecture will review many of the auditory training and sound therapy programs both from the past and in current use.  The will include, but not be limited to Berard AIT, Tomatis, the Buffalo Model, Integrated Listening Systems (iLs) and Forbrain, Rhythmic movement training, and primary reflex integration. Information regarding criteria for recommended use, cost and availability will be addressed.

The work of Tony Wigram with vibro-acoustical therapy along with Kathy Johnson and the work of Vojta and Musgatova will also be discussed along with other vestibular neuro-motor programs in combination with auditory training

Biography:

Laura Lyman Debenham, L.M.S.W. is the coordinator/instructor for the UNR/GBC 3 + 1 Social Work Program. She is the past owner of TBA Think Before Acting where she taught Domestic Violence/Anger Management classes to mostly court-ordered clients in Elko Nevada and surrounding counties. Laura has worked in a variety of settings as a social worker and educator. She has been a school social worker, therapist and family advocate, specializing in autism spectrum disorder. Laura is the mother of a child on the autism spectrum. She is passionate about educating and empowering parents and professionals who deal with autism daily. Laura gives workshops to educators and other professionals on a variety of topics including autism spectrum disorder, marriage counselling, domestic violence and substance abuse.

Abstract:

This paper reviews the literature examining benefits of early diagnosis in children with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) and adult interaction from birth through elementary school years. The review highlights the disparity between children who go without a diagnosis and those who are diagnosed early and the efforts of parents, teachers and helping professionals to effectively interact and teach these children. Studies show that children with AS are best served by parents and professionals through early diagnosis. If adults understand symptoms of AS they will be better equipped to aid children who fail to be diagnosed.

Biography:

Rebecca McKenzie is a Developmental Psychologist and Associate Professor of Early Childhood Studies at The University of Plymouth in the UK. Professor Rudi Dallos is an Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology at The University of Plymouth and a family therapist.

Abstract:

Background: Alongside symptoms of autism and maladaptive behaviour, children with autism and their families also report mental health problems. SAFE is a new family oriented intervention drawing upon attachment theory, systemic practice, multi-family therapy and preferences of people with autism.

Biography:

Esther Jung is a rising high school senior attending from Southern California. Her motivation to support those with special needs, especially autism, has led her to dedicate time outside of school to autism-related activities. As the President of Autism Speaks student organization at her school, she aims to educate high school students and other people in her community about autism.

Abstract:

Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a neurodevelopmental disorder found in roughly 1 in 68 children. It is characterized by socio-communicative impairment and repetitive behaviors that interfere with an individual’s ability to function. Although it can be found within any racial and ethnic group, it is much less commonly diagnosed among females than males. Further insight shows that the diagnostic criteria for females across multiple diagnostic tools requires more severe autistic symptoms and greater cognitive and behavioral issues. This paper investigates the cause behind the gender gap between males and females diagnosed with autism. Through multiple studies and articles, it was discovered that a specific phenotype exists for most autistic females, the phenotype being the ability to mask symptoms and mimic social behaviors/cues of peers without autism. These traits commonly found in females causes autism to go unnoticed or misdiagnosed leading to detrimental mental health effects on girls and women. This founding called for more attentive observations from researchers, as well as revisions to current diagnostic tools for a clearly defined symptomology of autism in females.

Biography:

Britta Westerberg is a licensed clinical psychologist and PhD student at Orebro University, Sweden. She is clinically active at Orebro adult habilitation center, a team specialized in Autism, and involved in the research group of professor Susanne Bejerot whom has published extensively in the field of ASD.

Abstract:

The number of patients diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing rapidly and psychiatric comorbidity is common. The health care system is failing in meeting their needs, contributing to low levels of general life quality, increased psychiatric illness and in the long run increased medical consumtion. The field is in great need of new and accessible treatment methods targeting general life quality among these patients. Internet based treatment options is rapidly making its way into health care, and much research supports the effectiveness and applicability of internet based methods. Even though young adults with ASD are a highly digitized group, some spending most of the day online, there are few internet based treatment options avaliable. The aim of this study was to develop, test and evaluate the utility and effectiveness of an internet based treatment method targeting life quality and psychiatric symtoms among Swedish adults with ASD. The method consists of 18 weekly distributed text-based sections including psychoeducation, behavioral and cognitive change strategies based on cognitive behavioral therapy, social skills training and internet based group discussions on subjects such as acceptance of difficulties, shared experiences and managing strategies. The method includes home exercises and weekly written therapist feedback. During spring 2019, 84 adults with ASD were recruited and randomized into intervention or control condition. 42 patients underwent the 18 week treatment, delivered through a swedish national platform for online health care. 31 patients completed the therapy and preliminary results of patient satisfaction are promising. The primary effects on life quality are currently (autumn 2019) being analyzed. If the intervention shows effect it would increase access to psychological treatment for a large group of patients with major difficulties in several areas of life.

Biography:

As a very fluent bilingual herself, May Wang is an emerging high school student based in Beijing, China. She has specific interests on the interaction of language development and autism. Particularly, she has read widely on how multilingualism and autism develop in a psychological perspective. As a future research interest, she is motivated to support those with autism through introducing the potential advantage of learning additional languages. As an active volunteer in her school’s campaigns for mental health education, she has constantly taken action to raise awareness of and provide solutions for adolescent mental health issues within and outside her school.

Abstract:

The presentation takes a novel psycholinguistic approach looking into autism, focusing on the interaction between bilingualism and autism research. It provides a combination of different dimensions, from social to cognitive and perceptual, to explain this relationship. In light of the complexity and variety of symptoms characterised in individuals with autism, this presentation aims to broadly categorise them into three areas - namely social interaction deficits, cognitive deficits, and perceptual irregularities – in order to pinpoint the specific explanations for the abnormalities. In particular, theoretical underpinnings of Theory of Mind (Baron-Cohen, 1989), Executive Functions (Poljac et al., 2010) and Central Coherence (Happe, 1996) will be compared and discussed in a heterogenous fashion. Multilingualism and additional language development have also attracted attention on the three areas mentioned above. Cognitively, multilingualism was argued to bring upon advantages on domain-general cognitive functions ranging from working memory to inhibition and task-switching (Bialystok, 2009). Theory of Mind and Central Coherence were also associated to how language switches interact with metacognitive awareness and semantics/pragmatics in linguistics. This presentation therefore argues that the theoretical overlap in autism and bilingualism on the Executive Functions domain could be critical in advancing the understanding of both populations in the cognitive perspective. More importantly, this argument posits that the adverse effect from apparent executive dysfunction along with other neurodevelopmental symptoms could potentially be reversed by the acquisition of new languages. Additional language learning could serve as effective practice strategies to compensate for the developmental deficits on social, cognitive and perceptual aspects. The focus of this presentation therefore critically evaluates research that relates the two psychological concepts, aiming to unleash the potential of a rather new area for autism treatment. Further, in light of the lack of research that links the two areas in the academia, this presentation also targets to encourage researchers to explore this multi-beneficial, multidimensional technique to autism intervention.

Biography:

Javier Pita de la Vega García has studied Nursing at the University of Valencia (2010-2014). He completed the mental health specialty at Consorci Sanitari del Maresme (2015-2017). He currently works in a child mental health center and partial income unit in Mataró (Spain), where he makes individual visits and psychotherapy groups.

Abstract:

Specialty of Mental Health Nursing are post-university studies in which specialized training is acquired for two years. To access this training, you must make an opposition and access a place through this exam (art.21 law 44/2003). This mental health specialty does not exist in other European countries and its functions are unknown. To describe the functions that mental health nurses can carry out in patients diagnosed with ASD, a bibliographic review of the needs of patients and the legal framework existing in Spain has been carried out. The functions performed as a specialist nurse are: 

• Obtaining the ADOS-2 / ADI-R certificate.
• Psychoeducational groups for parents of children diagnosed with ASD.
• Legotherapy. Multidisciplinary groups. 
• Evaluation of mentalism and guidelines related to their difficulties.
• Guidelines for emotional management and frustration tolerance.
• Assessment of tolerance to drug treatment and improvement of medication adherence.
• Visits at the home of the child with ASD and address difficulties from there.
• Work difficulties in eating habits and sensory difficulties related to food.

The increase in patients diagnosed with ASD in the last three years is 20.5% (Catalonia, Spain) with an average of 9 visits per year. The functions performed by skilled mental health nurses allow early diagnosis of children and improve: children's adaptation in the school environment and help parents understand the difficulties..

Biography:

Peggy has been an audiologist for more than 30 years and presently has a private practice focusing on the early intervention and remediation of children exhibiting developmental delays.  She has published articles most recently in Audiology Today and Hearing Balance and Communication.  Peggy has done hundreds of hours of research regarding hearing/vestibular and other processing issues spurned on my her grandson, who has significant developmental delays.

Abstract:

There are both symptomatic and electrophysiological indices that support abnormal auditory and vestibular processing in children with a host of educational and psychological labels.  In addition, there is a plethora of historical evidence of retained primitive reflexes in children with educational and  reading problems.  Recently, the work of McPhillips , Blythe and Goddard, and Moller , and classically the work of Hallowell Davis, taken in combination  have suggested: 1. hat the phylogenetically older and sometimes referred to as the non-classical or “lower” auditory pathways are operative in children but not in adults, 2. That this ‘lower” pathway can be modulated by somatosensory input, 3. That many children with labels of all sorts harbor retained primitive reflexes that are modulated by the brainstem, and 4. That physical movement activities have been shown to “calm down” and integrated these primitive reflexes with concomitant observed amelioration of symptoms associated with autism, ADD, ADHD and other similar educational and  psychological labels

Biography:

Dr Charkey-Papp has been living and working in Perth, Western Australia, since 1991. She completed her basic medical training in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She trained as a Psychiatrist in Australia and worked across many settings as a General Adult, Adolescent and Developmental Psychiatrist. In 2001, she completed a theoretical dissertation on the subject of adolescent suicide, entitled ‘The Death of the Self’. She has been working in full-time private practice since 2004. Between 2005-2007, then from 2012 till 2015, Dr Charkey-Papp was the Medical Director of the Perth Clinic Adolescent and Young Adult Program, a service she had helped develop, arching over outpatient and inpatient settings. Thereafter, she has been focusing mostly on the assessment and management of youth and adults ‘on the spectrum’ of autism. Her current great interest lies in the detection of ASD traits in females, in the broader phenotype and in the concept of a ‘latent’ diagnosis. To date, she has assessed, diagnosed and treated over a thousand individuals on the spectrum of ASD.

Abstract:

Biography:

Professor Damian Riviez, Ph.D., is the Dean of the Abu Dhabi School of Management in the UAE. His research interests include innovative platforms of human learning and development in business, communities and education. Damian has a passion for studying new applications for learning to address diversified learning challenges in human development. Professor Riviez holds a Doctorate in Educational Organization, Administration and Policy, a Master’s of Science in Special Education, and a Graduate Certificate in Autistic Spectrum Disorder, all from the USA. Dr. Riviez has a child with additional learning needs.

Abstract:

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopment and immunological condition encompassing various biological aspects of the human being. These aspects include challenges to cognition, behavior, sensory processing, and communication. This is a global issue, as ASDs’ become increasingly prevalent, and societies struggle with general educational awareness and effective treatment of such disorders. The healthcare and educational community finds addressing the needs of families and individuals with ASD extremely challenging. There is a lack of genuine consensus and; general understanding in creating new thinking and comprehensive approaches to treat ASD. Hence, parents are left on their own with a fragmented road map, a puzzle, to solve in creating a better life for their children. Research has shown that efficacy of treatment programs for individuals with ASD reduces significantly when administered in a singular manner. Fragmented therapeutic approaches toward ASD have a tendency to have minimal effects due to a lack of integration in assessment and programming. The model aims at providing a genuinely comprehensive, systemic and integrative approach to treatment that encompasses several aspects of human development. The attributes of the model will be presented and discussed.

Biography:

Xandria Louw holds a MA(Counselling Psychology) degree from the University of Stellenbosch. She is a registered psychotherapist in private practice and has a special interest in working with children and their families, assisting in the process of unfolding their fullest potential. In depth individual psychotherapy in treating emotional difficulties forms the main focus of her practice. Other areas of interest includes assessment of barriers to learning, parental guidance and public presentations. She is dedicated to and passionate about community service. She leads the Youth Committee of Raising Hope SA, a Non-Profit Organisation which aims to promote inclusion and provide opportunities, counselling care and education for families and individuals impacted by disability. She also works closely alongside the multidisciplinary team of The Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation, offering service in the form of assessment and parental guidance.

Abstract:

This presentation reports on the work of the Goldilocks and The Bear Foundation  as the first initiative in South Africa to offer non-profit ADHD screening and early intervention in underprivileged communities. The Foundation was founded by psychiatrist Renata Schoeman (Goldilocks) and entrepreneur/athlete Nic de Beer (The Bear) and aims to remove mental health barriers to education through screening, early referral, diagnosis and treatment – thereby improving the quality of life of the children they serve. Although mental health clinics exist in the public sector, children with ADHD often never reach this point of diagnosis and treatment due to a lack of awareness and knowledge in their communities. They are never screened for ADHD, and may be labelled as naughty, or “stupid”, or just silently fall out of the educational system and only come to our attention when absorbed in the criminal justice system. These children never have the opportunity to flourish. The Foundation focuses on raising awareness of ADHD, increasing the knowledge of and providing training to parents, teachers, and healthcare workers, providing screening and early identification of children with ADHD at schools, referring them for timely intervention and treatment, and capturing statistics on the prevalence and management of ADHD in South African children. Their model is one that can successfully be implemented in underresourced communities – through collaboration with volunteer healthcare professionals, as well as public sector stakeholders.

Biography:

Prof. Mr. Sci. Enver Cesko, Licensed Clinical Psychologist and certified body psychotherapist and positive transcultural psychotherapist, international trainer and supervisor. President and founder of the Kosovo Association for Psychotherapy. He is a Board Member of European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP); a Board Member of World Association of Positive Psychotherapy (WAPP); a Board Member of World Council of Psychotherapy (ECP); a Council Member of the European Association for Body Psychotherapy (EABP); and a holder of the ECP, WCP and is also an accredited therapist from Mind-Body Medicine, Washington DC. He used to be a former university lecturer, currently he is working in his own private practice in Pristina, Kosovo, and conducting international training workshops on positive and body psychotherapy, as well as coaching, stress management, leadership and team building. Since 1999 he presented his workshops and lectures, in more than 20 World and European Congresses for psychotherapy. He published more than 150 different kind articles in professional and weekly journals.

Abstract:

This presentation is based on new methodologies that are recently present in different psychodynamic approaches who are multidimensionally combining in one, offering integrative view in understanding and serving treatment for autism spectrum disorders(ASD).

Today many definitions (Abrahams & Geschwind, 2008; Bailey et al., 1995; Baron-Cohen et al., 2009; O’Roak & State, 2008; Veenstra- Vanderweele & Cook, 2004, Cullinane, 2016,), show that Autism Spectrum Disorders(ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorder which are characterized by symptoms manifested in mostly four areas; communication skills, social interaction skills, different types of behavioral skills, and general cognitive skills.  Because of that, many clinical and etiological symptoms are heterogenous, that’s why diagnostic symptoms variate from many different components.     

Children with ASD have unique symptoms, they need to receive treatment that meets their specific needs. In earlier decades, where treatment focus was on cognitive and behavioral changes. In now days, approaches as play therapy, behavioral therapy, applied behavioral analysis(ABA), relationship development intervention(RDI), speech therapy(Logotherapy), and occupational therapy, are competitive to each other by trying to have primate in social media environment. One approach may play incredible efforts to show dominant position among others.  

In recent days new developments of different modalities in psychotherapy, offers new approaches that are not focusing only in “old” symptoms and manifestations, but also having a new developments in neuroscience and medical technology. These results are emphasizing on human personality as a whole structure of capacities not only to know but also and to love. These two basic capacities are integrate in one, where as a whole will develop an integrative psychotherapy approach in treatment of ASD.

The focus in this presentation will be on new facts that neuroscience, medical technology and psychotherapy approaches offer new dimensions in treatment of ASD by using the variety of methods and techniques how children will feel in present time his own personality and being accepting in the social environment.

Particularly, in this presentation will be used two main psychodynamic and humanistic approaches; body-psychotherapy and positive psychotherapy. In these two approaches the symptoms and manifestations are not focal emphasizes, but a person, as human being with his/her capacities to do something, and not necessary to change something.

Key words: autism spectrum disorder, neuroscience, medical technology, psychotherapy approach, integrative, psychodynamic, humanistic, body-psychotherapy, positive psychotherapy.

Biography:

Mary Klinkradt has a MSocSci degree from Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. She is a mother of 3 children, 2 of whom have disabilities, including autism.  She started a Special Needs ministry through Durbanville Baptist Church in 2013 which caters for the inclusion of children and adults with various disabilities.  She continues to oversee this programme.  In 2016 she took on the role of CEO of Raising Hope South Africa, a Non-Profit Organisation which aims to promote inclusion and provide opportunities, counselling care and education for families and individuals impacted by disability

Abstract:

This paper examines a community support program run in Cape Town, South Africa.  The programme known as the UP Family Days was started by a parent of a child with multiple disabilities, including autism, for families impacted by disabilities. The implications, effects and impact of the program will be considered from two perspectives: that of the parents (families) who participate in the program, and that of the volunteers who work with the disabled children and their parents, but who are not otherwise themselves impacted in any way (personally or within the family unit) by autism. The importance of community programmes, community awareness and the need for connections between families, support groups and the greater community will also be considered within the context of this particular programme.  The need to strengthen and empower families who are impacted by autism and other disabilities within the community is explored through these two opposing perspectives.

Biography:

As a former Speech and Language Therapist and Audiologist, Rosalie spent most of her working career in the field of ASD. She has travelled to various countries to study many approaches that parents reported to be effective, compiling a desk directory of  this information entitled ‘Autism, Options Galore’. She developed a Whole-Person approach to intervention named Neuro-Cognitive Mobilisation. She is an international trainer of practitioners of the Berard Method of AIT, having developed several devices for AIT including the computer-based and tablet-based systems called Filtered Sound Training. She has presented on CAPD, AIT and Autism at many conferences in the UK, Ireland, and South Africa.

Abstract:

Since the 1980’s there has been an acceleration of interest by neuroscientists in the Auditory Problems of Children with ASD. The focus of study has largely shifted from attempting a differential diagnosis between the symptoms of ASD and of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), towards an improved understanding of APD and its impact on the lives and wellness of people with this disorder. A large amount of research data has accumulated, and sheds light on the manner in which auditory brain potentials of children with ASD differ from those of the neurotypical learner. This presentation will offer a summarised overview of this data, and will discuss how this body of evidence is informing and directing our intervention strategies, both clinical and educational. The presenter will further summarise the most recently published research papers on the impact of Auditory Integration Training (AIT)– the Berard Method (also named Filtered Sound Training - FST), as well as my own two unpublished research projects. The statistical significance or otherwise of this intervention on the auditory problems of children with ASD will be discussed, as well as the unexpected discoveries. Many of these have brought new insights into the breadth of the impact of auditory processing problems on the social, emotional, learning, language and well-being of children with ASD.