Call for Presentation Proposals
The Utah Valley University Colleges of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science and Health and School of
Education are pleased to present the 2015 Utah Valley University Conference on Autism. This single-day event will
be held on Friday, April 3rd from 9am until 4pm in the Sorensen Student Center on the Utah Valley University campus
in Orem, Utah.
Our keynote presenter for this year will be leading educational expert Dr. Peter Gerhardt. Dr. Gerhardt is the director of
education –upper school for the McCarton School in New York City. With over 30 years of experience in the autism field,
Dr. Gerhardt is a much sought after speaker and advisor to autism professionals around the world. We are honored and
pleased to be able to bring his expertise to this year’s conference. While still in the planning stages, the conference
program is also expected to feature over 20 concurrent presentations intended to help participants investigate various
aspects of ASD. The program will feature multiple-session tracks meeting the interests/needs of students, professionals,
educators, families and service providers. The conference also plans to feature informational booths sponsored by various
service and support vendors from throughout the state.
Last year, over 40 presenters participated in the symposium, representing community members, professionals and
educators specializing in research - all volunteering their time and insight. Nearly 400 participants attended. This year we
expect attendance to increase based-upon public interest and previous participation.
Conference Objectives:
We desire to be a forum for a broad and varied range of topics and/or research to be presented. We are seeking
presentations for three separate learning ‘tracks’, for both infants/children and adolescents/adults – with a focus on
practical, applicable information that can be immediately implemented in everyday life and practice:
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Professional– for those currently involved in professions serving the ASD community, and students wishing to
explore careers within the field;
Family and Community – designed for those seeking information and insight to help strengthen their families or
the community in general; provide information on the latest therapies, educational tools and research
Education – for teaching professionals seeking information on enhancing the learning environment for ASD students,
and education students wishing to expand their understanding of ASD in the classroom
Presentations are expected to fall into the following areas:
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Cutting-edge research on current and emerging treatments and trends (of particular interest – new research)
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Strategies for meeting the unique opportunities and challenges associated with ASD, including educational and
behavioral practices/therapies (special consideration will be given to sessions featuring hands on learning
activities which can be used at home and in the classroom to enhance positive behaviors and skills building)
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Pedagogies and best practices for educating families and individuals about ASD
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Identifying and meeting the challenges faced by families touched by ASD
There are two different presentation formats available. Please specify the format you prefer.
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General concurrent session presentations will be 50 minutes in length. These sessions are designed to be fastpaced and generally informational in nature. These sessions typically will not allow for in-depth coverage or group
discussion.
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Extended session time-slots will be available for those presentations which offer in-depth coverage of a topic –
and where group discussion is preferable. Typically these sessions will be 110 minutes in length. These sessions
should be heavily participative in nature, featuring hands-on skills training that transfers immediately to the
home, practice or classroom setting.
Classrooms will contain the following equipment/supplies.
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White boards and dry-erase markers
LCD Projector and screen
PC Computer
The following materials can be provided upon request:
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Chart pads and easels
Paper and pens
Soft-copy master files of session handouts (soft-copy master files must be provided prior to March 20,
2015 for inclusion on website)
Presenters are expected to provide:
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Jump-drive (for presentation back-up)
Printouts of presentation materials (if copies for distribution are necessary for use during session [i.e. worksheets,
questionnaires, etc.] - limit to 4 pages, 2-sided)
Lunch will be provided for all presenters and participants, and will be served from 12pm until 1:00pm. This will provide
the opportunity for networking with colleagues engaged in ASD education, research, and practice as well as those
attending from the ASD community.
To submit a presentation proposal, please provide:
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Brief bio [3-4 narrative lines] (complete with photo), please include any educational
designations
a brief description of your content (500 words or less), including the type of session you
prefer (50 minute, 110 minute extended session) and the completed Call form
any applicable reference information
A proposal submission form is provided below to make the application process easier. Email your proposal to:
harristo@uvu.edu, or fax to: 2015 Utah Valley University Conference on Autism Presentation Proposal, 801-863-7383.
Proposals must be received by Friday, December 12th 2014 in order to be considered. Since classroom space is
limited, we encourage you to submit your proposal as early as possible. Once all timeslots have been filled submissions
will no longer be considered (regardless of date submitted). Accepted proposals will receive confirmation by January 9th,
2015.
Presentation Proposal Submission Form 2015 UVU Conference on Autism
Submission Form and Presenter Bio must be received by December 12, 2014.
Target Audience
☐ Professionals
☐ Educators
☐ Parents
Focus Population
☐ Child
☐ Adolescence
☐ Adult
Level of Focus
☐ Foundational/Basic/Beginning
☐ Intermediate/Moderate/Some Experience
☐ Proficient/Advanced/Practiced
Suggestions for Target Audience Presentations:
Professionals: Presentations for professionals will be more advanced knowledge sessions. Assumes basic ASD understanding. Presentations
need to be focused toward advanced understanding and topics such as recent research, best practice literature and techniques, treatment
theory and empirically supported treatment techniques (e.g., PECS, PRT, VB-MAPP, Etc.). Key words: theory, usable tools, techniques, methods,
demonstration, hands-on, results oriented.
Educators: Presentations for educators may be diverse (regular education teachers, special educations teachers, administrators, special
school teachers or para-professionals) Classrooms may be from pre-school to college level. Knowledge of autism may be minimal or expert.
Presentations for educators will be focused on practical, hands-on application for classrooms. Presentations need to be focused toward
practical, applicable techniques for providing positive effective learning environments - including integrated classrooms or specialized ASD
classroom situations, educational technology, interactive strategies, hands-on activities, current successful practices, assistive equipment,
and behavior management techniques. Key words: effective classroom management, usable tools, methods, demonstration, integration,
pedagogy, learning strategy.
Parents: Presentations for parents will be focused on providing foundational understanding. The focus should be on immediately applicable
information and resources for families living with ASD. Topics may include interfacing with the education system, DSM5, available services,
self-care, understanding parent rights, understanding advocacy and accessing support. Key words: home, care-giver, parenting, family, usable
tools.
Presenter Name: _____________________________________________________________________________
Organization: _____
Address: __
City, State, Zip ___
Phone: __
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__________________ Email: ____
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Brief Bio of Presenter (5-7 lines maximum) and photo must be provided with proposal.
Description of Presentation:
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Please fax or email completed form and bio to:
Utah Valley University 2015 Conference on Autism
fax#: 801-863-7383
harristo@uvu.edu