Angelman Syndrome Foundation Biennial Conference 2011

The 2011 Angelman Syndrome Foundation Biennial Conference will be held at the Sheraton in Salt Lake City, UT, July 26 – 30, 2011. Salt Lake City is known as the Crossroads of the West, which helped determine the ASF Biennial Conference theme for 2011, Angelman Syndrome at the Crossroads. Not only are crossroads a place where roads intersect, but crossroads also mean a point at which a vital decision must be made. Your decision to attend the ASF Conference is vital to your child’s future. Not only is attending an opportunity to learn new ideas and information about caring for your child, but there are new opportunities to hear about the latest research in AS. It has been 20 years since the first ASF Conference in 1991 and much has changed in the AS world. Since that first conference the gene that causes AS was identified by Drs. Beaudet and Wagstaff. This discovery has led to new and exciting research in the neuroscience of AS.

The 2011 Conference will present summaries of current AS research and will allow attendees and supporters the opportunity to ask questions of the researchers in a first-time ever research panel on Wednesday. Dr. Ben Philpot will present a keynote session on current research projects and a summary of the presentations from the Scientific Symposium. Tim McCarty, ASF President, and Dr. Charles Williams, SAC Chair, will also present a state of the union address on the direction of the ASF and our research initiatives.

Previous conference attendees have spoken and we have listened. The Parent-to-Parent sessions will now kick-off the conference and be grouped according to genotype. The state-by-state breakfast has been moved to Thursday morning, July 28th. Both of these changes will allow attendees to bond with families with similar experiences. We are also running the more popular sessions twice. We plan on having a hands-on assistive technology lab where you can try out communication devices. Instead of our normal closing session, we will feature a keynote session by Robert Rummel-Hudson called Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords. Mr. Rummel-Hudson’s memoir, Schuyler’s Monster: A Father’s Journey with His Wordless Daughter, tells the story of raising a little girl with a disability and learning to become the father she needs. It was published in February 2008 by St. Martin’s Press.

In addition to all the sessions and activities above, session topics will also include ABA Therapy, seizures, seizure medications, communication, aggressive behaviors, special needs planning, the IEP process, sensory integration, and much more!

The cost of registration has increased just slightly this year. While we try to keep costs as low as possible, the registration fee does not cover the total actual cost to attend the conference. The Angelman Syndrome Foundation generously underwrites the cost difference through its fundraising and sponsorship efforts and we thank our generous donors and sponsors for their commitment and support of the ASF biennial conference.