• Lois Black, PhD and colleagues have been honored with four distinguished research grants for 2008-10. AUTISM SPEAKS has granted research funds for two projects, the first of which focuses on "Automated Measurement of Dialogue Structure in Autism.” The second focuses on a computerized interactive mechanism for remediation of prosody and social skills in children with autism. The Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation has funded two additional research grants from supporting research into “Expressive and Receptive Prosody in Autism,” and “In Your Own Voice: Personal Augmentative and Alternative Communication Voices for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Lois Black, PhD, is a Senior Scientist with the Center for Spoken Language Understanding at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and Senior Advisor and Faculty member with the ICDL.  http://cslu.cse.ogi.edu/projects/researchprojects.html#Biomedical_Projects
• Lois Gold, OTR, is being honored as the “Alumnus of the Year,” by the University of Florida’s Department of Occupational Therapy, in November. Lois has been on the faculty with the ICDL DIR® Institute since 2006.  Lois is the Director of the Center for Pediatric Therapy, in Coral Gables, Florida.
• Gerard (“Gerry”) Costa, PhD, was awarded the Christian Kjeldsen Champion for Children Award, by the Child Care Advisory Council of the Department of Human Services of the State of New Jersey last October.  Gerry is a Developmental Psychologist and the Director of YCS (Youth Consultation Services) Institute for Infant and Preschool Mental Health in East Orange, New Jersey and has been on the faculty with the ICDL DIR® Institute since 2002.
• The Lionheart School is pleased to announce that they have recently received accreditation from the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Situated in Alpharetta, Georgia, Lionheart was founded on the Developmental Individual Relationship-based Model (DIR®). Victoria McBride, M.Ed. C.C.C./SLP is Director of Special Services. Elizabeth Dulin, M. Ed., Director of Education and Admissions, at the Lionheart School. Both have served as Facilitators with the DIR® Institute.  www.thelionheartschool.com
• Molly Romer-Witten, PhD and Gerard Costa, PhD, have co-authored a chapter entitled Pervasive Developmental Disorders, in Evidence Based Practice in Infant and Early Childhood Psychology, B. Mowder, F. Robinson, & A. Yasik (Eds.), in press. It will be published by John Wiley & Sons, Publishers, in late 2008 or early 2009.  Molly has been on the faculty with the ICDL DIR® Institute since 1999, and is on faculty with the Erikson Institute in Chicago, where she has a private practice. Gerry is a Developmental Psychologist and the Director of YCS (Youth Consultation Service) Institute for Infant and Preschool Mental Health in East Orange, New Jersey and has been on the faculty with the ICDL DIR® Institute since 2002.

These awarded DIR/Floortime faculty will present very interesting seminars at the 2008 Annual ICDL Conference:

• Prosody in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Its' Importance for our Work With Children. Presented by Lois Black, Ph.D. Friday November 7, 2008, 4:00-5:30PM.
• Can You Outgrow the PDD Diagnosis? Presented by Gerry Costa, Ph.D. and Molly Romer Witten, Ph.D. Saturday November 8, 2008, 2:00-3:30PM.
• Utilizing Principles of Motor Control to Support relationships between an Infant and Mother within the DIR Model. Presented by Lois Gold, OTR/L, and Barbara Kalmanson, Ph.D. Saturday November 8, 2008, 2:00-3:30P.

To register for the 2008 Annual ICDL Conference click here