10TH ANNUAL ANN ARBOR/YPSILANTI READS EVENT
The 10th annual Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event will be held Thursday, January 19 in the Towsley Auditorium of the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College.
Focusing on the 2012 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book selection "Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Mind Of An Autistic Savant" by Daniel Tammet, the evening will feature nationally-known Autism Consultant Dr. Julie Donnelly and (via Skype) Dr. Darold Treffert, one of the world’s leading experts on Autistic Savant Syndrome.The public program will occur from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
Doors will open at 6 pm to offer the opportunity to connect with community agencies and representatives who will be staffing information tables in the lobby. Many of these organizations will center on autism and local related services. There will also be time following the event to interact with these local organizations. Copies of the book will also be for sale
Dr. Darold Treffert will discuss Extraordinary Savant Syndrome highlighting recent developments in research on this remarkable condition, including acquired savants and genetic memory that hint at the hidden potential--a little Rain Man perhaps--within us all. He will also discuss and show videos from his interactions with Daniel Tammet (the author of "Born On A Blue Day") and Kim Peek (the original Rain Man).
Dr. Treffert wrote the forward for the original U.K. version of "Born On A Blue Day" and served as the consultant for the Oscar-winning film Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman. He has appeared on numerous television and documentary programs including 60 Minutes, Oprah, Today Show, CNN and the Discovery Channel in the U.S. and in foreign documentaries in Japan, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Korea and many other countries. He met his first savant in 1962 after developing the child-adolescent unit at Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and has been engaged in research on savant syndrome since that time. He was a technical consultant to the movie Rain Man which made ‘autistic savant’ household words.
Dr. Julie A. Donnelly will focus on A Mother’s Story: The Account Of Jean-Paul Bovee, her child who was born with classic autism in a time when the advice of medical professionals was to put the child in an institution. Julie was told that autism was “incurable by definition” and that his disability was her fault. Despite these opinions, she worked with her son in her home and, with the help of his step-father and three siblings, he progressed and attended school. His school years were difficult, but he continued to improve. People were surprised when he graduated from high school, but he went on to finish college with two master’s degrees. He later married and currently has a two-year-old son to whom he is a devoted father.
Julie, his mother, became a teacher of children with autism, then an autism consultant. She is is currently Associate Director of the Missouri state autism agency for the Dept. of Education. She has helped to initiate an online Master’s Degree in Autism Program for the University of Missouri-Columbia and teaches the autism classes in this program. Julie has taught and consulted in the public schools for over 30 years and publishes and presents nationally and internationally.
This is a key event for the 2012 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads program, which this year focuses on the theme of "Language: How We Communicate." For information on the event, call 327-4555
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OTHER EVENTS
Events at University of Michigan
University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) is also exploring the theme of language for their winter, 2012 semester. Find an event to attend on campus as it ties in well to this year's Ann Arbor/Ypsi Reads theme. Search UM's LSA event calendar to find which events you'd like to attend!
Sunday, January 08, 1:00 pm-03:00 pm
Hands-On Workshop: Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event: Comic Artists Forum With Guest Artist Rob Stenzinger For Adults And Teens (Grade 6 And Up)
Learn how to communicate YOUR ideas through innovative comic storytelling techniques in this January edition of Comic Artists Forum, featuring (via skype) guest artist Rob Stenzinger, the creator of Art Geek Zoo: The Way of Sound, a music fantasy adventure online at artgeekzoo.com, collected in print, and available as an eBook. Rob will show you how to publish your serial comic one page at a time, keep your readers interested, and have it all link together as one big story. In this interactive workshop via Skype, he will share comic storytelling techniques, the importance of the dramatic reveal, and why comics are the perfect home for your serial story. We'll even work as a group to chain together a few short comic strips into a serialized comic! Drawing supplies will be provided.
Ann Arbor District Library - 4th Floor Meeting Room
343 South Fifth Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Details: call 327-8301 or visit aadl.org
Wednesday, January 11, 7 pm
Community Reads Program: Introduction to Deaf Culture and Language
Receive a general orientation to deafness, deaf culture, and communication strategies including basic survival sign language from Terri Flanagan, an interpreter with Deaf and Hearing Impaired Services, Inc.
Ypsilanti District Library,
5577 Whittaker Rd.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Details: 482-4110 ext. 1377
Wednesday, January 11, 7:00 pm-08:30 pm
Lecture: Ann Arbor /Ypsilanti Reads Event: How To Achieve Student Success For Adults And Teens (Grade 6 And Up)
Join us for this session, presented by the UM Center For Human Adjustment, which offers tips to help middle and high school students with language-based learning disabilities, including dyslexia, improve the way they tackle reading and writing assignments, as well as organize themselves and prepare for tests. Do not miss this informative presentation by Karen Wasco, M.S., CCC-SLP.
Ann Arbor District Library - Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room
343 South Fifth Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Details: 327-4555 or visit aadl.org
The following lecture series from The Judson Center Autism Connection of Washtenaw County has two topics that occur on alternating Thursdays with a starting date of Jan 12th and ending date of April 19th. ALL community members and interested individuals are invited to attend. You must register beforehand to attend by contacting Colleen Huysman at colleen_huysman@judsoncetner.org or calling at (734) 528-1692, ext. 23222. Space is limited.
Series 1: January 12, 7-9pm (and continues every other Thursday until April 19th)
Transition to Adulthood
This is one of two series that the Judson Center Autism Connections of Washtenaw County has started that acts as a support group for parents and caregivers of children on the Autism spectrum. The series will explore the best care and services available to individuals on the Autism spectrum. The “Transition to Adulthood” series will empower parents to meet the challenges that face adolescents on the Autism spectrum as they age into independent adults. Each session is $5 per family and childcare is provided. There is a reduced rate of $25 for all seven sessions. Remember to register (information above).
Full schedule for Transition to Adulthood Series:
January 12: ABCs to Academic Success Dr. Geri Markel
January 26: E. Explore D. Develop U. Understand C. Create A. Advocate T. Transition E. Evaluate Susan Rogers, LMSW
February 9: Adult Social and Life Skill Development Dr. Suzi Naguib, Sunfield Center
February 23: Washtenaw County Services Daryl Greenleaf
March 8: TBD
March 22: Parent Advocacy Ann Telfer
April 12: Sexuality and Relationships for Individuals on the Spectrum Susan Rogers, LMSW
Location for Series:
Judson Center Autism Connections of Washtenaw County
3840 Packard Rd. Suite 110 Ann Arbor, MI 48108.
Series 2: January 19, 7-9pm (and continues every other Thursday until April 19th)
Parenting Children on the Autism Spectrum
This is one of two series that the Judson Center Autism Connections of Washtenaw County has started that acts as support group for parents and caregivers of children on the Autism spectrum. “Parenting Children on the Autism Spectrum” will educate and guide parents of young children with ASD on how to cope with new diagnoses, establish a therapeutic plan and help children succeed in developing peer relationships and entering school on a positive note. Each session is $5 per family and childcare is provided. There is a reduced rate of $25 for all seven sessions. Remember to register (information above).
Full Schedule for Parenting Children on the Autism Spectrum Series
January 19: The 10th annual Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event (this event will not be held at the Judson Center - it will instead be held the Towsley Auditorium of the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College at 4800 Huron River Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105). You will not need to register for this event but will need to for the others. Details about the event are at the top of this page.
February 2: Understanding ABA Therapy Emily Besecker, M.S. BCBA, and Shannon Leveille, M.A. FLC, Judson Center
February 16: P.L.A.Y. Project Kathie Klingensmith, M.A., CCC-SLP
March 1: TBD
March 15: The Diagnosis of Autism Dr. Fiona Miller
March 29: Integrating Therapy Goals Dr. Suzi Naguib
April 19: YOGA for the family
Location for Series:
Judson Center Autism Connections of Washtenaw County
3840 Packard Rd. Suite 110 Ann Arbor, MI 48108.
Sunday, January 15, 2:00 pm-03:30 pm
Film: Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event - Film: Brain Man: The Boy With The Incredible Brain
This year’s Read focuses on the book Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Mind Of An Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet - a journey into one of the most fascinating minds alive today—guided by the owner himself. Gain insight into the mind of this extraordinary individual - one of the world's 100 living geniuses – when you join us for this intriguing documentary, first broadcast in Britain in 2005. The Boy With The Incredible Brain is Daniel Tammet’s breathtaking story. A twenty-something with extraordinary mental abilities, he is one of the world’s few savants. He can do calculations to 100 decimal places in his head, and learn a language in a week.This documentary follows Daniel as he travels to America to meet the scientists who are convinced he may hold the key to unlocking similar abilities in everyone. He also meets the world’s most famous savant, the man who inspired Dustin Hoffman’s character in the Oscar winning film Rain Man.
Ann Arbor District Library - Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room
343 South Fifth Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Details: 327-4555 or visit aadl.org
Thursday, January 19, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
10th Annual Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event At Washtenaw Community College - Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College - Morris Lawrence Building
This 10th annual event focuses on the 2012 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book selection Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Mind Of An Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet, and will feature nationally-known Autism Consultant Dr. Julie Donnelly and (via Skype) Dr. Darold Treffert, one of the world’s leading experts on Autistic Savant Syndrome. Arrive early (door open at 6 pm) and spend time interacting with local organizations, many of will center on autism and local related services. Copies of the book will also be for sale.
Washtenaw Community College
4800 Huron River Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Details: 327-4555 or visit aadl.org
Tuesday, January 24, 6:30 pm
Community Reads Program: The Oral Tradition in Native American Cultures
What’s the purpose of oral tradition in traditional and contemporary Native communities? Using material from noted American Indian scholar and poet Paula Gunn-Allen and others, EMU Professor Lori Burlingame will talk about the importance of oral tradition.
Ypsilanti District Library,
5577 Whittaker Rd.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Details: 482-4110 ext. 1377
Tuesday, January 31, 7:00 pm-08:30 pm
Lecture: Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event: Dr. Rick Solomon Discusses Autism: The Brain-Mind Connection
Find out more about autism in this informative lecture by developmental and behavioral pediatrician Rick Solomon MD. In this lecture Dr. Solomon will update participants on the most recent scientific evidence related to autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). His talk will cover the brain science and genetics of ASDs; demonstrate the diagnostic criteria with video examples; discuss possible causes for the large increase in prevalence, including the controversial relationship between ASD and immunizations/mercury; and overview the evidence for behavioral, developmental, educational and dietary/alternative interventions. His PowerPoint and a list of scientific references will be provided.
Ann Arbor District Library - Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room
343 South Fifth Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Details: 327-4555 or visit aadl.org
Thursday, February 2, 10:30 am
Thursday Morning Book Discussion: Born On a Blue Day
Everyone is invited to join in the discussion and share your thoughts about the author Daniel Tammet, autism, genius, and more.
Ypsilanti District Library,
5577 Whittaker Rd.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Details: 482-4110 ext. 1377
Monday, February 6, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Monday Evening Book Discussion
Join in the discussion of the book selected for Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2012 "Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Extraordinary Mind Of An Autistic Savant" by Daniel Tammet . Anyone is welcome to attend.
Traverwood Branch
3333 Traverwood Drive (at Huron Parkway)
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Details: 327-4555 or visit aadl.org
Wednesday, February 15, 7-8:30 pm
Community Reads Program: The Spectrum of Communication
People with autism often have difficult communication with others. Did you know that there’s now an app to help with that? YDL and the Autism Collaborative Center of Eastern Michigan University present a timely and topical discussion of communication issues for people with autism. Listen to moderator Dr. Sally Burton-Hoyle plus a panel of local speakers discuss these issues and how they can be addressed.
Ypsilanti District Library,
5577 Whittaker Rd.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Details: 482-4110 ext. 1377
Wednesday, February 15, 12:10-1:00pm
Wednesday Book Discussion: Born on a Blue Day
Everyone is invited to join in the discussion and share your thoughts about the author Daniel Tammet, autism, genius, and more. Bring your lunch, refreshments provided.
Tanner Philosophy Library - UM Campus
1171 Angell Hall
435 S. State
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Monday, March 12, 7:00 pm
Monday Evening Book Discussion: Born On a Blue Day
Everyone is invited to join in the discussion and share your thoughts about the author Daniel Tammet, autism, genius, and more.
Ypsilanti District Library,
5577 Whittaker Rd.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Details: 482-4110 ext. 1377