Weekend Autism Forum Planned

“Autism Speaks - It’s time to listen” is the mantra expected to resonate before a large gathering at the Saturday Lowcountry Autism Forum, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., at Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant.

Nearly 200 have registered for the forum via the South Carolina Autism Society’s website according to local organizers Dr. Frampton Gwynette, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina and Dr. Rob Scharstein, a retired radiologist and father of two adult sons with autism spectrum disorders. Carolyn Murray, WCBD TV-2 News Anchor will host the morning session. The forum is free and open to the public.

Keynoting the forum are Dr. Joe Horrigan, assistant vice president and head of medical research and Leslie Long, director of housing and adult services, both from Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization.  Horrigan, who is based at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, will talk on “Advances in Autism Research.” Long, who works in Princeton, New Jersey, will report on an autism think-tank meeting she attended in New York City this week on June 12 and 13.

The forum is co-hosted by MUSC’s Project REX, an outpatient treatment program for children with autism, and the Lowcountry Autism Consortium, a network of 20 local autism help groups. Gwynette and Scharstein are the groups’ respective founders.

“Reaction to the forum thus far suggests that we can accomplish more by working together as a consortium of national, state and local autism practitioners,” said Scharstein.   Gwynette attributed the forum’s draw to “the growing number of families dealing with autism and how they share news of hopeful events,” he said.  “Since the CDC report, clinicians and parents alike are increasingly concerned.”  The Center for Disease Control released a study in March showing that one in 88 children have some form of autism, a 23 percent increase since their last report in 2009.

Other forum workshops include topics such as  “Issues in Education,” “Intervention Practices,” “Maximizing Community Life”  and “Today’s Technology” led by autism experts from MUSC,  the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and several local autism service providers.   The forum also features a bookstore operated by the S.C. Autism Society and software demonstrations by companies associated with the iTaalk Autism Foundation.

To register for the June 16 forum, visit www.SCAutism.org click on Lowcountry Autism Forum.

Call Family Resource Center for information at 843-266-1318. Free lunch provided at the forum courtesy of Kickin’ Chicken.