FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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JOHN L. WINN
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
LINDA K. TAYLOR
October 8, 2004
M E M O R A N D U M #04-61
TO:
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Exceptional Student Education Administrators
FDLRS Associate Center Managers
District Autism Contact Persons
FROM:
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Bambi J. Lockman
SUBJECT:
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12
th
Annual Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)
Conference, January 14-16, 2005, Orlando, Florida
The Florida Department of Education (DOE) is aware of the need for quality staff development
opportunities for school personnel who work with individuals with autism. To help fill this need, the
Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS) has partnered with the Center for Autism
and Related Disabilities (CARD) to implement a variety of staff development activities. We are pleased
to provide you with information about two special DOE activities that will precede the 12
th
Annual
CARD Conference in Orlando, Florida.
BEESS, through a project with CARD, is sponsoring a Pre-conference Day for Educators on Friday,
January 14, 2005. This day is specifically designed to provide educators with information about innovative
and effective classroom practices. Dr. Mary Beth Doyle, Associate Professor of Special Education at St.
Michael’s College, will be the keynote speaker for this event. We encourage you to send as many teachers
as possible to this important staff development opportunity. While there is no fee for the pre-conference
day, participants must complete and submit the registration form for the CARD/DOE Pre-conference Day
for Educators, which may be accessed by calling (888) 558-1908 or on-line at
http://www.ucf-
card.org/news/CARD_Conference_2005.pdf.
You can make your hotel reservations directly with the Florida Mall Hotel, 1500 Sand Lake Road,
Orlando, Florida 32809 or call (800) 588-4656. To receive the conference rate of $121.00 per room,
identify yourself as a CARD conference participant.
BAMBI J. LOCKMAN
Chief
Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 614 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0475 • www.fldoe.org
Memo #04-61
October 8, 2004
Page Two
In addition, BEESS staff will be hosting a meeting for district autism contact persons that will also be held
on January 14, 2005. This meeting will provide district staff with an opportunity to receive information
about statewide issues related to serving students with autism as well as provide participants with an
opportunity to discuss issues specific to their district. A draft agenda for this meeting is attached. District
autism contact persons are asked to complete the attached response form and fax it to (850) 245-0955 no
later than
January 7, 2005.
Participants attending this meeting must also complete and submit the
registration form for the CARD/DOE Pre-conference Day for Educators, available on-line at
www.ucf-
card.org/news/CARD_Conference_2005.pdf.
Accommodations for participants who have special needs will be made available upon request. To ensure
appropriate accommodations during the conference, please indicate special requests on the registration
form at least
one week
before the meeting.
We would like to encourage those people who are attending either of these events to consider attending
the CARD conference as well. If you would like more information about the conference, please contact
Ms. Judee Samuels-Podvin, Community Relations Director, University of Central Florida, Center for
Autism and Related Disabilities (UCF-CARD), at (407) 737-2566, x19. Conference brochures, including
the registration form, are available on-line at
www.ucf-card.org/news/CARD_Conference_2005.pdf. If
you have questions about either of the DOE events, please contact Ms. Sheryl Brainard, Program
Specialist, at (850) 245-0478 or by electronic mail at sheryl.brainard@fldoe.org.
MP/sbr
Attachments
cc: Donna Casella,
dcasella@fmhi.usf.edu
