Autism - Australia to Host Asia Pacific Autism Conference

ADELAIDE, Australia, Feb. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the world's biggest and most important international conferences on autism will be held in Adelaide in August this year.

The Asia Pacific Autism Conference - featuring experts and attendees from more than 20 countries - occurs every two years. It will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on August 8, 9 and 10.

Autism South Australia, in conjunction with the Australian Advisory Board on Autism Spectrum Disorders, is hosting the conference.

The conference will showcase the latest expert information and research, and remarkable and inspiring personal stories across three streams:

• Early Years; early detection, diagnosis and intervention, causes, genetics and neurobiology
• School Years; innovations in education, challenges in adolescence, critical life transitions
• Adult Years; self advocacy and self determination, relationships and sexuality, neurodiversity, workforce and social participation.

Keynote speakers include:

• Brenda Smith Myles Ph.D, who has made more than 500 presentations globally and authored more than 150 articles and books. Brenda has received the Autism Society of America's Outstanding Professional Award and the Burton Blatt Humanitarian Award from the international Council for Exceptional Children.
• Eric Courchesne, one of the world's leading experts on the neurobiology of autism. He is Director and principal investigator of the UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence and its world-leading MRI Project on early brain development in autism. His research is dedicated to uncovering the brain bases and genetic causes of autism.
• Ari Ne'eman, President and co-founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network in the US. President Obama nominated Ari to his government's National Council on Disability, which advises the President and Congress on disability policy issues. Ari is America's first autistic Presidential appointee.

APAC 2013 will also showcase:

• Australia's first Future Leaders program, empowering young people with autism to play a leadership and advocacy role on key autism boards and committees.
• Company@, the world's first autism theatre group. Company@ is Adelaide based.
• Tutti, a group of disabled and professional artists, who create extraordinary events, exhibitions and performances, revealing a "different view of the world".

To register for APAC 2013 Media Alerts please go to www.apac13.org.au/media.

Further conference details at www.apac13.org.au.

Media inquiries:
Michael Gillies Smith
+61 402 011 503
michael@gilliessmith.com