Recently, I discussed some tips on traveling without your autistic child. I specifically discussed how I had attended my annual writer’s conference in San Francisco and how I dealt with leaving my child for several days.
This time, I went away for one night to attend a two-day autism conference. The conference was called the “All Ages and Abilities Autism/Aspergers Conference.” It was a two day conference that took place in Huntington Beach, California.
Why do I attend autism conferences?
I may have discussed this in past blogs, but I feel the topic is important.
I attend conferences for two reasons.
Reason number one is that in California EVERY parent of a regional center client is entitled to one free conference a year.
I have discovered over the years that not every parent of a client knows this little tidbit. I do not think regional centers go out of their way to advertise this all that much. Why? Well, it does cost a regional center money at a time when money is tight. That’s what I think.
So why do I go?
Because I know I can ask for my one conference and they will still pay for it. You do have to ask, though.
What’s the worst that can happen? They can – one day – tell me that regional centers no longer fund one conference per year for parents of clients.
What is my second reason for attending conferences?
I also attend conferences in order to stay connected to the autism community. I find that attending a conference is a fantastic way to do this.
I get to stay connected to the latest information and topics and issues that concern me. I get to listen to many different speakers who are professionals in the autism world.
All of this directly affects my child, so I feel I need to do it.
Now, while attending a conference, I am not a newbie so I no longer write down every little thing. I do not “know it all,” but I do know a lot.
Still, I go because I feel I need to keep connected with current trends and research and have discovered that a conference is a great way to do this.
Is every conference out there worth attending?
I have attended some conferences that were not very well organized and the professionals they brought in to speak were rather mediocre.
Not every conference is successful. I am been to enough to know the difference.
In my next blog, I will discuss conferences more specifically – the positive and the negative.
To Find Kimberly Kaplan:
www.kimberlykaplan.com
www.smashwords.com or Amazon Kindle ebook “A Parents’ Guide to Early Autism Intervention”
Twitter: @tipsautismmom
