2009 Conference
OKLAHOMA'S FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
During the first weekend in November there was an historic event in Norman, OK, and it had nothing to do with football. The Embassy Suites Norman-Hotel & Conference Center was the site of the first Oklahoma Statewide Autism Conference. This event was the culmination of 18 months of planning. Early in the planning process the acronym T.I.M.E. was adopted as the theme for the conference, indicating that folks from throughout Oklahoma and the United States would come Together to share and receive Information to build Momentum to create Empowered Oklahomans involved with Autism. During this two day event participants were given the opportunity to choose from a variety of presentations. More than 40 presenters from across the United States and Oklahoma covered a wide range of topics including medical and health, social skills and educational interventions, and family and advocacy. This gathering of more than 500 people included family members, educators, representatives of at least 115 agencies and businesses, and a multitude of professionals. Educators from 58 school districts in Oklahoma attended, representing approximately 48% of all the students being educated in Oklahoma*. This conference, by all accounts, was extremely successful. Plans are already under way for the 2010 Conference, as families, agencies, and professionals continue to work to improve the lives of Oklahoma individuals with Autism, their families, and all those who educate and provide services for them. *Data Services, State Department of Education, January 2009,Oklahoma Public School District Enrollment, October 2008