During the webinar, MindSpec scientists will present a tour of their new science outreach website, Autism Reading Room, designed to enhance public understanding of autism research.  They will highlight the Brain Biology section of Autism Reading Room, which introduces basic neuroscience concepts to the audience.  Using Brain Biology content, they will discuss the three core features of autism (social impairments, communication deficits, and repetitive behavior) from a neuroscience perspective.  Additionally, the MindSpec team will use the Trends section of Autism Reading Room to illustrate trends in autism research, including topics currently under investigation by the autism scientific community.

MindSpec Founder/President/Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Sharmila Banerjee-Basu will host the presentation, although the entire MindSpec team will be in attendance to enhance discussion.

About PEATC

The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center builds positive futures for Virginia’s children by working collaboratively with families, schools and communities in order to improve opportunities for excellence in education and success in school and community life. Our special focus is children with disabilities. We do this by providing:

• Services and support for families and professionals;
• Easy-to-understand, research-based information and training; and
• Opportunities for strategic partnerships and advocacy for systemic improvement.

Designed to enhance public understanding of autism research, Autism Reading Room is explains scientific advances in autism to a general audience. Its mission is to assist affected families in understanding their diagnosis, introduce the field of autism research to clinicians and practitioners, and promote public understanding of brain development.

Highlights:

• Risk Factors:  comprehensive summary of genetic and environmental factors
• Diagnosis:  compilation of all current tests and strategies
• Brain Biology:  overview of brain development
• Advances:  latest scientific developments in autism treatment
• Trends:  exploration of current and historical trends in autism research
• News in Context:  guide to autism news stories
• Misconceptions:  the facts about autism
• Autism Quiz (also freely available as an App for iPhone or iPad)
• Autism Dictionary

Features:

• Written by scientific experts
• Integration with social media, including Facebook, Twitter, RSS, Google Plus
• Automatic translation into 15 different languages
• Language targeted for general audience

This national festival allows visitors of all ages to explore science & engineering with 2,000 free, hands-on activities and over 100 stage shows and author presentations. Meet Science Celebrities, award-winning Science Authors and Nobel Prize winners from the past and present.

New this year: A Career Pavilion for high-school students and a Book Fair featuring over 30 science authors!

General Festival Description:

What is the universe made of? Why did dinosaurs go extinct? What do magic tricks and hip-hop have to with math? What will be the next medical breakthrough? What does baseball have to do with physics? Find out at the 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo on April 28-29, 2012! Explore science & engineering with 2,000 free, hands-on activities and over 100 stage shows and author presentations. The two-day Expo is perfect for teens, children and their families, and anyone with a curious mind who is looking for a weekend of fun and discovery. Meet Science Celebrities, award-winning Science Authors and Nobel Prize winners from the past and present. New this year: A Career Pavilion for high-school students and a Book Fair featuring over 30 science authors! For more information, visit www.usasciencefestival.org

MindSpec Exhibit:  Enhancing Public Understanding of Autism Research

   Booth #2606

Are you overwhelmed by conflicting news stories about autism spectrum disorders? Empower yourself with knowledge by exploring Autism Reading Room, a new online resource which explains the latest scientific advances in autism research. Learn about its risk factors, clinical profile, potential brain mechanisms, and rapid scientific progress in areas such as brain imaging, biomarkers, and stem cell research. Plus, share your autism knowledge with friends using our free Autism Quiz app!

Download PDF Announcement

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition diagnosed by deficits in three core areas:  social interaction, communication, and repetitive behavior.  We ask students to answer the following question:

How Can Technology Help People of All Ages with Autism Spectrum Disorders?

Your answers to this question may win you up to $250, plus online publication of your essay in Autism Reading Room.  Essays will be judged by creativity, logic, eloquence, and grammar.  MindSpec encourages contestants to address the needs of autistic people of all ages:  children, adolescents, and adults.

Key Details:

Deadline:

May 31, 2012.

Prizes:

First Place:  $250, Three Honorable Mentions:  $100

All prize-winning essays will be published online in Autism Reading Room

Eligibility:

High school students currently enrolled in grades 9-12.

Requirements:

600 word essay, typed using Microsoft Word (or equivalent word document software)

How to Submit:

E-mail essay to catherine@mindspec.org by midnight on Thursday, May 31, 2012

The evening program will feature an expert panel discussion followed by a networking reception.  To register, please contact our Project Coordinator, Sue Spence, at 703-288-4420 or sue@mindspec.org.

Our inaugural Autism Reading Room Forum aims to unite autism researchers with families, service providers, and clinicians in order to promote communication among these largely segregated branches of the autism community.  In this rising new era of personalized medicine, scientific outreach will assist families in making educated choices about clinical treatment options.

“Brain Biology” will be restructured to describe brains at different stages, comparing developing brains to those of adult brains.  Experience-dependent brain plasticity will be emphasized as a critical factor at all developmental time points.

Brain Awareness Week (BAW) was founded and is coordinated by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and European Dana Alliance for the Brain.  Important BAW facts:

• March 12-18, 2012 is BAW’s seventeenth annual celebration.
• The campaign’s goal is to make the public more aware of the benefits and promise of brain research.
• BAW is a global partnership of government agencies, scientific organizations, universities, hospitals, service groups, professional associations, schools, and others.
• Hundreds of BAW events take place each year, organized by partners to meet one or more of the following goals: scientific, education, or advocacy outreach.