Events are added to the M.I.N.D Institute's Web site as a courtesy to the community.  Please contact the organizations below for further information about their event or meeting.

Learn about the many ways First 5 Sacramento is impacting the community through events like the Children’s Celebration and by working with local businesses and agencies to provide services to children zero to five and their families.  More...

• Why do people act the way they do
• People miss-understand me
• I am unsure if people like me
• Conversations are stressful for me
• I don’t know what to say to people
• I feel so angry
• I don’t know what I did to make her mad

Social competence and emotional well-being go hand an’ hand. People with good social skills feel good about themselves and succeed in reaching their goals. The purpose of this group is to develop social awareness and to learn social skills that take the stress out of life. 

Facilitator: Marilyn L Perry, PhD.
Dr. Perry has over 20 years of experience working to improve social/communications skills with individuals and groups. She is in private practice and the Director of Sacramento Psychological Services.
 
For Males 17 years and older
The group will meet in 6 week cycles:
WEDNESDAYS: March 19, 26, and April 2, 9, 16, 23
Session 1.5 hours
7PM to 8:30PM. 
Cost is $55.00 a session. 
Please call for a brief interview before signing up. 916-284-6712.
Location: 7739 Oakshore Drive, Sacramento, CA 95831
 
For Females 17 years and older
The group will meet in 6 week cycles:
THURSDAYS:
March 20, 27 and April 3, 10, 17, 24 
Session 1.5 hours
5:30PM to 7PM
Cost: $55.00 a session.
Please call for a brief interview before signing up. 916-284-6712.
Location: 7739 Oakshore Drive, Sacramento, CA 95831

Spend a Day with an authority on asperger’s, Dr. Tony Attwood.  Dr. Attwood will be offering innovative techniques for teaching and caring for people on the spectrum.

Other topics will include:
Improving social skills, establishing friendships, along with understanding and expressing emotions.
Register Early- Seating is Limited!  More... 

The purpose of the meeting is to provide a forum for parents, doctors, nurses, and politicians to contribute their ideas about the critical areas of autism research that will be submitted to Congress in July. This meeting is free and open to the public. RSVPs are not required. English/Spanish translation will be available. Unfortunately, child care will not be available. For further information, please contact Melissa Rose, at 916-703-0219, or Rebecca Morrison, at 530-754-8157.
 
Town Hall Agenda - Cancer Center Auditorium

10:00:  Welcome - Isaac Pessah, Director, Center for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention, UC Davis

10:05:  Opening Remarks - Samuel Wilson, Acting Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

10:15:  Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Strategic Planning Process to date - Cindy Lawler, NIEHS IACC representative

10:30:  Introductory Remarks from Panel 1 Moderator - Michael Chez, Director of Pediatric Neurology, Sutter Neuroscience Institute, Sacramento, CA

Panel 1 (morning session): ASD treatment: developing research priorities for evidence-based practices
Goal: Stimulate discussion about the range of treatments being used; develop recommendations about research priorities including issues of efficacy and safety.

Description: A range of conventional and alternative/complementary approaches are being used by parents and clinicians to treat children with ASD, yet many have not been studied in controlled clinical trials.  How can a stronger evidence base be established to inform the treatment of individuals with ASD?

10:40:  Perspectives from panel members (5 members, 5-10 minutes each)

• Sally Rogers, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, M.I.N.D. Institute, UC Davis Medical Center
• Randi Hagerman, Professor of Pediatrics, Medical Director, M.I.N.D. Institute, UC Davis Medical Center
• Lynne Mielke, founder, Developmental Spectrums East Bay Medical Clinic, Pleasanton, CA
• Nancy Duley, parent/advocate
• Lyn Redwood, IACC public representative, cofounder Coalition for Safe Minds

11:20:  50 minutes for open dialogue with attendees

12:10:  Lunch (on your own)

1:10:    Introductory Remarks from Panel 2 Moderator-Isaac Pessah, Director UC Davis Center for Children’s Environmental Health

Panel 2 (afternoon session):  ASD interventions, beyond the young child.
Goal: Stimulate discussion about the differing needs of older children and adults with ASD and review the current state of science in this area; develop research recommendations for interventions that target this underserved population.
 
Description: To date, autism treatment research has been focused primarily on young children, with little attention directed at treatment/interventions for older children, adolescents and adults with ASD. Community views about treatments and intervention across the lifespan are needed to develop appropriate research questions.

1:20:  Perspectives from panel members (5 members – 5-10 minutes each)

• Pilar Bernal,  ASD Regional Director, Kaiser Permanente, Northern California
• Ruth Christ Sullivan, first president, Autism Society of America;  founder and first executive director, now president of Autism Services Center, Huntington, WV
• Dena Gassner, ASD advocate, Director, Center for Understanding, Franklin, TN
• Rick Rollens, parent cofounder UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute
• Lee Grossman, IACC public representative, president and chief executive officer, Autism Society of America

2:00:  Open dialogue with public/attendees

2:50:  Break

3:05:  Moderators--Summarize discussions

3:25:  Open dialogue with IACC and public

4:25:  Closing remarks--Samuel Wilson, Acting Director, NIEHS

Join Autism Speaks as we tackle Autism!  Raise money for autism research, bring autism awareness to Sacramento, create a family team and have fun in a kid-friendly enviroment!  More...