A Spectrum of Community Connections: Autism Conference 2021

505 South Chestnut Street,Champaign IL 61820

09 December, 2021

Description

Join us for A SPECTRUM OF COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Autism Conference 2021. This conference bridges together individuals with ASD, local organizations, agencies, and essential workers to provide our community with a better understand of ASD and how we assess and implement those strategies and what resources are available to utilize. Also, this conference supports of Champaign Urbana Autism Network's mission to support persons on the autism spectrum, their families, caregivers, educators, other professionals, and the public by providing opportunities for support and networking, education, training, and advocacy, along with promoting awareness and acceptance. This conference has been brought to you in collaboration by The CU Autism Network and The Champaign County Farm Bureau. About this event: A SPECTRUM OF COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Autism Conference 2021 Due to COVID 19 precautions we are breaking the conference up in two sessions: Morning Session 8:00-11:30am Afternoon Session 12:30-4:00pm Featuring keynote speaker, *Dr. Temple Grandin and guest community speakers, **Julie Ann Palermo, M.Ed, Dr. Karen Eisenmenger, MD, Lt. Corey Koker and Officer Paige Bennett. This CE event is pending approval by ASHA, PT, OT, Social Workers and Educators Masks are required.Business casual attire.Lunch is NOT provided.Limited seats available.Resource Tables available from local Businesses, Agencies and Organizations If you're interested in donating to the CU Autism Network, click here. Premium Sponsor: Green Street Reality Event Sponsors: Total Spectrum, Social Champaign, Behavioral Perspective Inc., USD 116, Carle Foundation Hospital, TAP * Dr. Grandin is a designer of livestock handling facilities and a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. Facilities she has designed are located in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. In North America, almost half of the cattle are handled in a center track restrainer system that she designed for meat plants. Curved chute and race systems she has designed for cattle are used worldwide and her writings on the flight zone and other principles of grazing animal behavior have helped many people to reduce stress on their animals during handling. She has also developed an objective scoring system for assessing handling of cattle and pigs at meat plants. This scoring system is being used by many large corporations to improve animal welfare. Other areas of research are: cattle temperament, environmental enrichment for pigs, reducing dark cutters and bruises, bull fertility, training procedures, and effective stunning methods for cattle and pigs at meat plants. She obtained her B.A. at Franklin Pierce College and her M.S. in Animal Science at Arizona State University. Dr. Grandin received her PhD in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1989. Today she teaches courses on livestock behavior and facility design at Colorado State University and consults with the livestock industry on facility design, livestock handling, and animal welfare. She has appeared on television shows such as 20/20, 48 Hours, CNN Larry King Live, Primetime Live, 60 Minutes, the Today Show, and many shows in other countries. She has been featured in People Magazine, the New York Times, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, Time Magazine, the New York Times book review, and Discover magazine. In 2010, Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people. Interviews with Dr. Grandin have been broadcast on National Public Radio and she has a 2010 TED Lecture titled "The World Needs ALL Kinds of Minds." She has also authored over 400 articles in both scientific journals and livestock periodicals on animal handling, welfare, and facility design. She is the author of "Thinking in Pictures", "Livestock Handling and Transport," "Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals," "Guide to Working with Farm Animals," and "Humane Livestock Handling." Her books "Animals in Translation" and "Animals Make Us Human" were both on the New York Times best seller list. "Animals Make Us Human" was also on the Canadian best seller list. Her latest book, Calling All Minds, was a New York Times best seller for middle school students. Her life story has also been made into an HBO movie titled "Temple Grandin, staring Claire Danes," which won seven Emmy awards and a Golden Globe. The movie shows her life as a teenager and how she started her career. In 2017, she was inducted into The Women's Hall of Fame and in 2018 made a fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. ** Julie Ann Palermo is the current President of the Champaign Urbana Autism Network. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1998 and a Master Degree in Reading Education with an additional Reading Specialist Certification from The University of Pittsburgh in 2014. She began her teaching career as a Title I Reading Specialist within the Kiski Area School District, Vandergrift, PA. and stayed for 8 years in this district before moving back home to Hermitage, PA - - where she continued her teaching career at Greenville Area School district, Greenville, PA. She resigned in 2010 and moved with her family to Urbana, IL - - (her husband, Mark, and two boys Paulie (14) and Eddie (6) and their beautiful chocolate lab, Lena). This is where she began her journey as a parent of a young child who was newly diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While Julie continues to advocate for her son, Paulie, she has also gone onto providing leadership in the greater autism community by helping to re-organize the Champaign Urbana Autism Network into a local non-profit organization. Through the CU Autism Network, Julie, along with her dedication board members, have collaborated with various organizations, agencies and businesses and helped create and implement the Community Out-Reach Autism Education Program, CUAN Cares Program, as well as The Autism Aware Program. These programs provide training, education and out reach to our local schools, businesses, organizations and agencies on diversity and how to include and support people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Julie has been presented with Community Foundation of Eastern Illinois Hearts of Gold Award and hopes to continue her philanthropy work through upholding the mission and vision of the CU Autism Network. **Dr. Karen Eisenmenger was born at Carle in 1973, Karen Eisenmenger has lived in Central Illinois for most of her life. She completed her... MD, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, 2000 BS in Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 1996 BA in The History of Philosophy of Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 1996 Family Medicine Residency at Southern Illinois University in 2003 Dr. Eisenmenger joined Carle in July of 2003, working at Convenient Care until 2014. She has also worked at Carle's Pre-anesthesia Assessment Center from 2003 until present. The personal interaction with patients has always been an interest of Dr. Eisenmenger's. She joined Carle Experience Team in 2018 as an advisor. As a mother of three boys, two on the autism spectrum, she has given presentations to students at the University of Illinois, at local schools and other various groups regarding autism advocacy and general education. ** Cory Koker is a Lieutenant with the Urbana Police Department and Division Commander of the Patrol Division. He has 24 years of experience in various Law Enforcement capacities, almost 22 years exclusively with UPD. Cory is an adjunct Professor for the University of Illinois Police Training Institute and instructs recruit Officers in various subjects, most notably in communication skills and de-escalation techniques. He is the coordinator for the Urbana Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team and the Champaign County CIT steering committee. Cory was also in the first class of Champaign County Police Officers to receive training as a CIT Officer in 2004. UPD will be implementing a Crisis Co-Response Team (CCRT) collaborating with Rosecrance this fall, which he will oversee. Originally, from Indianapolis, he graduated from Mac Murray College in Jacksonville, IL with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. Cory is actively involved with CU One to One mentoring program and has been a volunteer coach for youth sports for the Champaign Park District, YMCA, and CIYFL. **Paige Bennett: (bio to follow)