Is Your Child’s Autism Diagnosis Correct?

It wasn’t autism that affected Julie and Dana Cadman’s son, after all. It was PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus), which mimics autism symptoms but is curable with antibiotics. The couple consulted with doctors and therapists across 14 states before finding the appropriate treatment.

Realizing that many families lack the time and resources to do this much research, they founded the non-profit A Resource Center of Hope, which is hosting its Spectrum 2013 Conference at the Troy Community Center on Saturday, October 19th. The conference features guest speaker Heidi Scheer, Ms. World International 2011, an autism health advocate, and runs from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $87/each through September 15, and $97/each thereafter, on sale at www.theARCofHope.org. Discounts are available when purchasing two or more tickets.

“According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 88 children has some form of autism. Families need help wading through all the information that is out there, to determine how to best help their children,” said Julie Cadman. “We are very excited to bring together a lineup of seven amazing speakers for this conference.” 

The one-day conference is designed for families and others working with children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ADD/ADHD, PANDAS, RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder), anxiety or depression, learning disabilities, and more. In one day, A Resource Center of Hope will present speakers on six topics designed specifically to provide parents with information that will help their child improve their ability to care for themselves, learn, and better integrate into society. The conference is a hybrid of traditional seminar-style conferences and the rapid-fire TED format. In the morning, each presenter will give a 15-minute overview talk in their area of specialty. In the afternoon, attendees will choose two hour-long seminars to get more detailed information about an area of particular interest.