Our Keynote Speaker, Barry Eggleston, shared his struggle with the acceptance of his son's autism. Barry and his wife Jami are parents to their only child, Garrett, who is diagnosed with severe autism. Barry was a speaker at the 2008 Pilot International Convention, and we were fortunate to bring him from Rowlett, Texas. He is a paralegal with the Dallas law firm Schell Cooley LLP. He has been actively involved with Autism Speaks and has presented at a number of conferences on a variety of topics related to autism.

Also at the parent/caregiver workshop sessions on the following topics were presented:

• Parents in Partnership: Bridge Building Between the Home and Classroom, Barry Eggleston
• Protecting Your Child with Special Needs, Protecting Their Benefits, Scott Adams
• Panel of Regional Resources & Providers
• Keeping Teeth a Lifetime, Jodi Shupe
• Better Communication Through Puppets, Sally Bailey and Christina Cherry
• Panel of Parents
  

  Professional Track
  This two-day workshop was for professionals who work with children in the Autism Spectrum.
  
  Drs. Ruth Aspy and Barry Grossman highlighted the Ziggurat Model, which is a framework for designing comprehensive interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The Ziggurat Model is a research-centered system that capitalizes on strengths in order to address underlying deficits. It is assessment driven and provides a framework that guides parents and professionals to ensure that complex needs are fully addressed. This workshop incorporated discussion of characteristics of autism spectrum disorders as well as the latest research based interventions.