6th Annual Pathways to Hope Conference

By Sheila Edwards, Parent Liaison and Certified Health Coach

Cornerstone Autism Center is excited to host the 6th Annual Pathways to Hope Autism Conference!  This event will explore medical concerns often experienced in children with Autism. According to the National Autism Association, “Research shows that many individuals with autism spectrum disorders have underlying medical issues that frequently go undiagnosed and can cause or exacerbate symptoms of autism. These medical conditions include digestive disorders, vitamin deficiencies, food sensitivities, feeding disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, and sleeping disorders.”

The Pathways to Hope Conference brings parents and professionals together to explore recent research and practice in the field of medical treatment for these co-occurring conditions of autism. Our presenters come from various backgrounds, including occupational therapy, chiropractic care, health coaching, and MAPS practitioners (Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs).

MAPS practitioners have specialized training to treat children with autism and other special needs using a functional medicine approach. They use various tests to determine areas of need; the type of testing will depend on the child but could include blood panels, allergy testing, and urine samples. The information gained from this testing will help to determine the best course of treatment for each individual child. Potential treatments could include supplementation for vitamin deficiencies as well as special diets to address food allergies and sensitivities. Treating these issues can improve a child’s overall health, which can in turn lead to better communication, less aggression, and improvements in other aspects of their life.

“The goal of the conference is to bring people together to share ideas and information,” said Sheila Edwards, Cornerstone’s Parent Liaison and organizer of the conference. “We will have free resources, giveaways by local and national businesses and organizations, two talks to choose from each session, and vendors with items and books available for purchase. Attendees can add a boxed lunch to their registration, allowing them to stay on site to visit with vendors, ask questions, and make new connections with parents and practitioners. We hope that this event will help families to discover new resources available in our community for their children with autism.”

The 2019 Pathways to Hope Autism Conference will take place on Saturday June 8^th from 9 am to 3 pm at our 380 Polk Street location in Greenwood.

Visit our Facebook event page for updates on our speakers, vendors, and giveaways: https://www.facebook.com/biomedCAC/

Visit our registration page to register: http://getmeregistered.com/biomedforautism

Families with a child on the Family Supports Medicaid Waiver can ask their case manager about using part of their caregiver training budget to attend the conference. For more information, contact Sheila Edwards at 317-888-1557.

More information about medical treatments for autism can be found by visiting the following resources:
Autism Research Institute
The Autism Community in Action
The National Autism Association

Last updated by Morgan McClellan at May 6, 2019.