Three speakers headline this year's University of Arkansas Autism and Developmental Disabilities Symposium on April 2 and 3. Early bird registration ends at 9 a.m. Monday, March 5.

Speakers for the two-day event at the Fayetteville Town Center will be Erik Carter, a professor of special education at Vanderbilt University; Valerie Mazzotti, a researcher and technical assistance provider for the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition; and Jawanda Mast, mother of a young woman with Down syndrome and an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.

The discounted cost of $165 for professionals expires at at 9 a.m. March 5, when the price will go up to $190 for professionals. The cost for family members and students is $50. More information and a registration link are available on the symposium website.

Professional development credit is available.

This year's theme is "Collaborative Strategies for Successful Learning in Inclusive Settings." The symposium is presented by the special education program in the College of Education and Health Professions at the U of A in partnership with Arkansas State University.

Carter's research and teaching focus on evidence-based strategies for supporting access to the general curriculum and promoting valued roles in school, work and community settings for children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism and multiple disabilities. He has published widely in areas such as education, transition services and faith-based inclusion for children and youth with disabilities, including nearly 200 articles and chapters as well as six books.

Mazzotti's work with the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition includes knowledge development to identify secondary transition evidence-based practices and predictors of post-school success. She also provides technical assistance to states, including Arkansas, on implementation of evidence-based practices related to transition supports and services. She is a member of the instructional faculty in the special education program at the University of Oregon.

Since the birth of her daughter, Mast has become an advocate for the rights of people with Down syndrome and other disabilities. Formerly, she was the manager of Grassroots Advocacy for the National Down Syndrome Society and executive director of Down Syndrome Association of Memphis and the Mid-South. Mast is an appointee to the Kansas Legislative Emergence Safety Intervention Task Force and serves on the work group for the Post-Secondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities at the University of Kansas and for the University of Arkansas EMPOWER program.

The conference is appropriate for families, early child-care providers, special education teachers, paraprofessionals, general education teachers, behavior analysts, related service providers, and anyone else interested in promoting evidence-based inclusive practices for children, youth and young adults with ASD and other developmental disabilities. Participants will take advantage of national, state and local expertise by learning effective practices for school, home and community and applying these practices in their own contexts. 

Carter will lead two sessions on systematic peer supports across ages and inclusion of people with disabilities in communities of faith. Mazzotti will discuss evidence-based practices that are most likely to make a difference in adult outcomes for people with disabilities.  In addition to these speakers, local and state university faculty, educators and other leaders in the field will speak about effective practices to promote inclusion through co-teaching, positive behavior support, social skill development, sexuality education, partnership with families, and many others.