Geneva Centre for Autism

Tommy is a 15-year-old student in Grade 10 at Western Technical Commercial School.  Tommy was diagnosed at the age of 7 with "mild Autism Spectrum Disorder" (PDD DSM IV).  Tommy has always been more comfortable on stage than in a social situation.  He has always had a passion for music theatre (since age 2) and has been in a number of youth theatre productions.  Tommy has taken private vocal lessons for the past 5 years and piano lessons for over 1 year.  Tommy hopes to pursue a career in music theatre.

Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou is a child neurologist who has specialized in neurodevelopmental disabilities.  She completed medical school at McGill University in 1998 and her residency in child neurology in 2003.  She subsequently completed a research fellowship in neurodevelopment disabilities at the Seaver Autism Center in New York.  She is currently a Clinician Scientist at the Bloorview Research Institute and an assistant professor at the department of pediatrics at University of Toronto.

Tony is a clinical psychologist who has specialised in autism spectrum disorders since he qualified as a clinical psychologist in England in 1975. He works in private practice in Brisbane, but is also adjunct professor at Griffith University, Queensland. His book Asperger’s Syndrome – A Guide for Parents and Professionals has sold over 350,000 copies and has been translated into over twenty languages. He has worked with over 6,000 individuals of all ages with Asperger's syndrome or an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Dr Anthony Bailey became Professor and Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UBC in July 2010. He took a BSc in Experimental Pathology at the London Hospital Medical College, where he subsequently graduated in Medicine in 1982. After a year of Paediatrics he trained as a Child Psychiatrist at the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals and Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) in London. Following an MRC Training Fellowship he became an MRC Clinical Scientist and Head of the Autism Section at The MRC Child Psychiatry Unit at the IoP, subsequently the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre. In 2002 Dr Bailey was appointed to the Cheryl and Reece Scott Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford: the first medical chair devoted to the study of autism.

Dr. David Celiberti received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Rutgers University in 1993. Dr. Celiberti is currently the President of the Association for Science and Autism Treatment (www.asatonline.org).   In response to the increasing number of parents attending professional conferences to learn about applied behavior analysis, he also founded the Parent-Professional Partnership SIG in 2000 and is currently serving as its President (www.pppsig.org).  He has served as President of the Autism Special Interest Group (SIG) for the Association for Behavior Analysis from 1998 to 2006. He currently serves on a number of Advisory Boards in the area of autism, as well as early childhood education.

Dennis Debbaudt has authored or co-authored over 30 autism and safety related books including Autism, Advocates and Law Enforcement Professionals and articles including Contact with Individuals with Autism: Effective Resolutions for the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. Dennis developed training for the NYPD, consulted to ABC News 20/20 for a segment on autism and false confession, and contributed and consulted for over ten years to Autism Ontario’s autism safety initiatives and has presented in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon Territory.

Catherine Faherty created a model classroom in the mid-1980’s for elementary-aged students with ASD, before becoming a TEACCH psychoeducational specialist working with children and adults on the autism spectrum through the internationally recognized TEACCH program in North Carolina.  Since 1990, She works directly with children and adults with ASD, and their families and teachers. She facilitates a long-running social groups for adults with ASD, and support groups for their family members. She consults to, and trains teachers and other professionals nationally and internationally.

Dr. Nancy Freeman has dedicated her career to working with children and youth with autism, beginning as a university student 30 years ago.  For the past 12 years, Dr. Freeman has worked at Surrey Place Centre, first as a psychologist providing diagnostic services for children with autism, and then in the Toronto Partnership for Autism Services (TPAS).  At TPAS she has worked as a psychologist clinically accountable for children receiving Intensive Behavioural Intervention, and for the past 8 years, Dr. Freeman has been Clinical Director of TPAS.

Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC is a speech language pathologist who specializes in the treatment of students with social cognitive deficits, which includes diagnoses such as Autism, Asperger syndrome and non-verbal learning disorder.  She has a private practice in San Jose, California where she works with clients, consults with families and schools and she travels internationally giving workshops as well as being invited to train psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and state policy makers. She presents many different all day workshops and helps to develop programs for schools and classrooms.

Dr. Peter Gerhardt is President, and Chair of the Scientific Council, for the Organization for Autism Research, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding intervention research in support of individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. Dr. Gerhardt has over 25 years experience utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis in support of adolescents and adults with an ASD in educational, employment, and community based settings.

Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Ph.D., is an internationally renowned environmental epidemiologist who has published widely on environmental exposures, including metals, pesticides, air contaminants and persistent pollutants like PCBs, their interactions with nutrition, and their effects on pregnancy, the newborn, and early child development.

Tamara S. Kasper, MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA, is a Speech-Language Pathologist with 20 years of experience working with children with challenging behaviors. Tamara’s commitment to the children she serves led her to pursue treatment methods outside the field of Speech-Language Pathology. Under the mentorship of renowned Behavior Analyst Dr. Vincent Carbone and his protégé, Tamara became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has also completed advanced training in application of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior, Greenspan’s DIR approach, and Kaufman’s strategies for apraxia of speech.

Jennifer Krumins is a special education teacher in Peterborough, Ontario with more than 21 years of experience in special education and the regular classroom. In addition to her Bachelor of Arts Degree, Jennifer has studied with Queen’s University and Nipissing University on Special Education and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Currently, she is working on her Masters degree in Special Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She is married with three children (one of which has autism). Most importantly, Jennifer has been privileged to work with students with autism that have truly educated her.

Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.  Dr. Laugeson is the Director of The Help Group – UCLA Autism Research Alliance, which is a collaborative research initiative between The Help Group and the UCLA Semel Institute, dedicated to developing and expanding applied clinical research in the treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.  She is also the Founder and Director of the UCLA PEERS Program, which is an outpatient clinic providing parent-assisted social skills training for youth and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other social impairments.

CaroleAnn MacDonald is diagnosed with high-functioning Autism. She is a Mother, teacher, sister, daughter and most importantly a friend to the Autism community. She is an advocate for disabled individuals across North America. Ms. MacDonald holds 3 University degrees. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at York University and graduated with honours in 1995. She completed her Education degree at York University and graduated in 2003. She completed her Masters Degree in Education at York University and graduated in 2008.

Teresa A. May-Benson, Sc.D., OTR/L, Director of Research and Education at the Spiral Foundation at OTA-Watertown is a well-known lecturer and researcher on sensory integration theory and intervention. She has authored numerous book chapters and articles on praxis and sensory integration, and completed her doctoral dissertation on ideational praxis. Dr. May-Benson has a diverse background as a clinical practitioner having worked in private and public school settings as well as private practice.

Michael Moon is an award winning recording artist, composer, and performer with 5 internationally distributed CDs. He also works as a sound therapist, astrologer, photographer and teaches how to work with sound and music as a healing tool. Michael was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and has been blessed and challenged by its many symptoms all his life. Through understanding, support, and much inner work Michael has found a way to not only cope, but shine in his so called difficulties.

David Nicholas is the father of two terrific teens:  Joshua (14 years) and Allie (13 years).  He is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary.  Areas of research include family-based quality of life and the ‘lived experience’ in autism and other chronic disorders, with an increasing focus on vocational issues.

PhD from York University 1990, Registered Clinical Psychologist and Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. Associate Professor at York University, Department of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training, Graduate Program in Clinical-Developmental Psychology. Teaches Courses in: Psychological Assessment & Diagnosis of Childhood Disorders, Autism & Developmental Disabilities, Behavioural Intervention, and Supervision & Consultation

Dr. Cathy Pratt is the Director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community located at Indiana University.  Dr. Pratt is on faculty at Indiana University, and presents internationally.  Dr. Pratt serves on numerous Advisory Boards, including the Advisory Boards of Maap Services, Inc., the College Internship Program, and the Autism Society of Indiana.  In the past, she served on the Board of the National Autism Society and is the Immediate Past Chair.  Dr. Pratt also serves on the Panel of Professional Advisors for the Autism Society and is a member of NATTAP (Network of Autism Training and Technical Assistance Programs).

Dr. Dennis Reid has over 35 years of experience working with individuals who have autism as a clinician, program supervisor, and consultant. He has consulted with human service agencies in the majority of states in the United States as well as in Canada and New Zealand. Dr. Reid has published over 130 refereed journal articles and book chapters and has authored or co-authored eight books. In 2007 he was awarded Fellowship status in the Association for Behavior Analysis International and in 2006 received the American Association on Mental Retardation Research Award.

S. Wendy Roberts is a Developmental Paediatrician at HollandBloorview Kids Rehabitilitation Hospital and Co Director for the Autism Research Unit at the Hospital for Sick Children. She has been a leader in the development of Autism Services in Ontario, including participation in the GTA Child Health Network developmental implementation committee, as well as in numerous teaching events for pediatricians across the province, nationally, and internationally. She has led the first Canadian site of the Autism Treatment Network (ATN) whose goal is to provide evidence based care and to particularly improve the medical care which is offered to individuals with autism and their families.

Dr. Scherer holds the GlaxoSmithKline-CIHR Endowed Chair in Genome Sciences at The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto (UofT) and he is Director of the UofT McLaughlin Centre. He has made numerous contributions to medical genetics including mapping sequencing and disease gene studies of human chromosome 7. In 2004, his team co-discovered global gene copy number variation (CNV) and has since shown that CNV is the most abundant type of genetic variation of human DNA.

A young leader in the bid to raise awareness of Autism will be taking part in the 2012 Geneva Centre Symposium this fall.  Daniel Share-Strom is a professional public speaker who has addressed audiences at Queen’s University, York University, Centennial College, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Southlake Regional Health Centre, York Region’s public and separate school boards, Kerry’s Place Autism Services, and Autism Ontario.  He was a featured speaker at the provincial government’s Autism Symposium, and stages his own speaking events to raise awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders in the GTA.

Diagnosed with "Atypical Development and strong autistic tendencies" and "too sick" for outpatient treatment Dr. Shore was recommended for institutionalization. Nonverbal until four, and with much support from his parents, teachers, wife, and others, Stephen is now a professor at Adelphi University where his research focuses on matching best practice to the needs of people with autism.

 

Ms. Simone lectures regularly at Autism/Asperger conferences, and has been keynote speaker at large conferences such as Long Island's AHA Conference 2011, and the AANE Adult Conference 2011. She had an extensive and successful tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2011 and a tour of the UK is planned for 2012. Ms. Simone has shared the bill with Temple Grandin, Tony Attwood, Eustacia Cutler and Liane Holliday Willey, among others. Her talks are lively, engaging and informative, and extremely well-received, particularly by others on the spectrum and those personally touched by autism.

Margaret Spoelstra, C.M., has worked for 35 years with individuals with a variety of learning needs, but particularly with people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. As an educator she has worked with children, teens and adults, their families and the professionals and community leaders who support them in the U.S. and Canada in educational, residential, and community settings. Prior to joining Autism Ontario as Executive Director in 2001, she worked in clinical and resource services for Geneva Centre for Autism, providing behaviour and communication supports and ASD training across North America. She is a team member of the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Canadian American Research Consortium, an Advisory Member for Autism Pro.

Dr. Peter Szatmari has worked in the field of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) for 30 years. Dr Szatmari is Professor and Head, Division of Child Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, where he holds the Chedoke Health Chair in Child Psychiatry. He is Director of the Offord Centre of Child Studies.

Dr. Bridget A. Taylor is co-founder and Executive Director of Alpine Learning Group. She has specialized in the education and treatment of children with autism for the past twenty-four years. She holds a Doctorate of Psychology from Rutgers University, and received her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Columbia University. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Taylor is active in the autism research community and has published numerous articles on effective interventions for autism. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Interventions, and Behavior Analysis in Practice.

Master in Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences at the University of Leuven, Belgium (1985) and PhD in Social Sciences at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands (2002).

From 1987 till 1998 working for the Flemish Autism Association, first as home trainer for families with a child with autism, later as director of the home training centre and finally as trainer / lecturer. Since 1998 working as autism consultant / lecturer at Autisme Centraal.

Dick is a step-father to Alec Glen, a 26 year old man with Autism.  Alec is involved with Special Olympics bowling and ice skating and continues to learn new skills such as taking the bus on his own.

Dick, his wife Jean Winters and Alec's brother Adam have had the support of many others to help Alec enjoy life to the great extent that he does.  Like many families, Dick & Jean have participated in genetic studies as well as attending many autism and genetic conferences.

 

Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum completed his pediatric training at Queen’s University, and his clinical fellowship in developmental pediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. He completed a research fellowship and Masters degree in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University, where he was on faculty for 8 years prior to moving to the University of Alberta in 2006. Dr. Zwaigenbaum’s research focuses on the early development of children with ASD.