150 attend autism workshop

The Rainy River District Autism Group hosted 150 participants from across the region interested in learning more about the mysterious disability.
The group organized the two-day conference, which wrapped up today, at the Couchiching Bingo Palace to increase public awareness about coping with autism.
“The number of [autism] cases are growing in the north,” said Leanne Penney, one of the organizers.
Diagnoses of autism, Asperger’s syndrome, autistic spectrum disorder, and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) are on the rise. One-in-500 people are now thought to have some form of autism—previously, that figure was one-in-3,000.
Janette Seymour was the main presenter at the conference. She spoke about the causes of behaviour in people with autism and how to respond to their needs.
Workshop participants investigated the underlying causes of behaviour, including attention and arousal problems, movement disturbance, sensory perception, and neurological differences.
Seymour spoke in a conversational tone, and provided anecdotal evidence from her time working with people with developmental disabilities. She also discussed resources that would enable parents and educators to better cope with behavioural problems.
Seymour is a resource consultant at the Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto. She also has worked as a behaviour therapist with children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Day one consisted of a workshop on understanding behaviour in autism, entitled “Why Do They Do That?” The second day focused on teaching strategies for home and school—“Applying the Geneva Centre for Autism Model.”
Organizers were impressed with the turnout for the conference and the support they received from the district.
“We were really impressed with the interest from the communities. We received donations from the Kenora, Patricia, and Rainy River districts,” organizer Denise Rybeck said.
Financial support from the district enabled the group to waive registration fees for the workshop. Other sponsors were Couchiching First Nation, Beta Sigma Phi chapters, and the Rainy River District School Board.
On Jan. 25, the school board will be holding its own conference on autism and related disorders.