Let's Get Fired Up!!!

REGISTER NOW!!! Registration for the 2011 Fired Up! For Down Syndrome statewide conference is now open and available online.  The conference date is nearing, so be sure to REGISTER NOW to take advantage of early registration discounts!  Join disability advocates, researchers, educators, family members, self advocates, and medical professionals in a two-day conference with sessions on important topics related to Down syndrome!    Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14, 2011 Brentwood United Methodist Church 309 Franklin Road | Brentwood, Tennessee 37027     To register online, click here. To download a PDF of the registration form, click here.  For area hotels, click here.  For an UPDATED schedule of presenters, click here. For even more information, visit www.dsamt.org KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Craig Garner, PhD Craig Garner is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the co-director of the Center for Research and Treatment of Down Syndrome at Stanford University. Dr. Garner is developmental neurobiologist interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the formation, stability and plasticity of vertebrate synapses. He is investigating not only the role of individual proteins in the functional assembly of synapses, but also how environmental and genetic insults to the developing nervous system impairs cognitive function in neurodevelopmental disorders such as Down syndrome, autism, and fragile X syndrome. Jo Ann Simons, MSW Jo Ann Simons, MSW, is well known in the area of intellectual disability and whose commitment has enriched the lives of countless individuals.  Currently the President/CEO of The Cardinal Cushing Centers, Inc. in Massachusetts and formally she was the Executive Director of the Arc of East Middlesex (1993-2008) . She holds positions on the Boards of the National Down Syndrome Society and of LIFE, Inc of Cape Cod.  Jo Ann also served as a consultant to Special Olympics, Inc. and lectures throughout the world on issues on transition and future planning. Jo Ann has gracefully blended the roles of parent and professional, who, as a leader, has challenged herself and those around her to turn problems into answers and challenges into opportunities. OTHER GREAT PRESENTERS AND MUCH MORE! The conference will kick-off on Friday with keynote speakers Dr. Craig Garner, Co-Director of the Stanford  Down Syndrome Center, and Jo Ann Simons, President/CEO of Cardinal Cushing Centers, Massachusetts, but there are many other excellent speakers presenting as well. Other national speakers include George Capone, Director of the Down Syndrome Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Terri Couwenhoven, Coordinator of the Down Syndrome Clinic at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Joe Meares, founder of Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome, and Renee Hill, TalkTools Therapy Level 6 Instructor and owner of Crossroads Therapy Clinic, LLC, who will all be presenting alongside many of our local experts.  Topics covered include medical research, speech & language, lifespan health, behavioral issues, employent, educaiton, family issies, mental heath, transitions, and financial planning.  We will be mailing a full schedule very shortly, so watch your mailbox! Saturday’s schedule begins with a Self-Advocate Panel Discussion, featuring presentations by individuals with Down syndrome and a lively question-and-answer session. Following, there will be a Medical/Health Panel highlighting various areas of interest including neurobehavior, ENT, sexuality and physical/mental health.  This year we are excited to host a two-day Teen and Adult Track with informative presentations as well as fun activities.  Participants should be able to follow instructions and care for their own personal needs. Due to the length of this conference, childcare will not be available. Fired Up! is your chance to see local and national experts on Down syndrome right in your own back yard. The next conference won’t be offered in Tennessee  until 2013, so make sure you don’t miss out. Register today!  If you have any questions concerning the conference, please contact us at 615.386.9002            615.386.9002       ordsamt@bellsouth.net. We hope to see you there!    This course is offered for a maximum of 1.2 ASHA CEU’s (intermediate level; professional area). Interested in Exhibiting or Volunteering? Is your business or organization interested in exhibiting at the conference? Setting up a booth to promote your product or service is a great way to reach families who might benefit!  Volunteers are vital to helping the conference run smoothly and will be greatly appreciated! Contact Beth Simmerman atbeth_dsamt@bellsouth.net or 615.386.9002 for more information on volunteering or exhibiting.

Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee • 111 North Wilson Blvd. • Nashville, TN 37205

http://www.dsamt.org