October 31, 2009

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- A capacity crowd of 350 professionals from the disabilities, health care and education fields, as well as family members, packed the McGraw-Hill auditorium on Oct. 19 for a full-day autism conference featuring Dr. Tony Attwood. The conference was sponsored by the YAI Network and the YAI Autism Center.

The third annual autism conference, titled “The Complete Guide to High Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome: Making Friends and Managing Feelings,” featured the world’s top expert in this area and shared practical solutions to help individuals overcome social and emotional barriers.

“You don’t suffer from Asperger’s! You don’t lack empathy. You are just not able to read subtle signals. Being different isn’t being defective,” Dr. Attwood told attendees.

Dr. Attwood addressed a variety of issues, including relationships, encouraging parents to help their children build self-esteem and accept them for who they are. Employment was another key topic, as Dr. Attwood stressed that finding the right job is key to a happy adult life because it provides purpose and status.

Dr. Attwood is a clinical psychologist who has specialized in autism spectrum disorders. His book “Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals” has sold over 300,000 copies and has been translated into 20 languages. He has worked with over 3,000 people of all ages with Asperger's syndrome. Dr. Attwood presents workshops and runs training courses for parents, professionals and individuals with high functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome all over the world. He is also a prolific author of scientific papers and books on the subject. His most recent book “The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome” was published in October 2006.

“I came here today with other parents in search of answers,” said Rita Abraham, who has a child on the spectrum. “Dr. Attwood gave us more than answers; he provided ways to help our children with Asperger’s syndrome gain freedom!”

“This was a great workshop! It deepened my training and taught me real-life advice on how to help people with Asperger’s and autism,” said Jennifer Rosario a Medicaid Service Coordinator. ”I’m thankful to YAI for bringing us all together from different agencies as a community for a common purpose: helping people with disabilities.”

“Dr. Attwood is one of the greatest trainers and clinicians in the field,” said Dr. Philip H. Levy, CEO and President of the YAI Network. “It was an honor to have someone with that amount of expertise partner with the YAI Network to provide families and professionals with dozens of effective techniques and strategies."

For more information services and conferences relating to autism spectrum disorders, please visit the YAI Autism Center or call 1-866-YAI-LINK, TDD: 212-290-2787.