Mother & Son Present at ND Autism Conference with MSUM Inspiration
Dr. Caitlin Johnson (Dept. of Leadership & Learning) and her son, Sage (11), were invited to present to a classroom of MSUM pre-service teachers this past fall about their experiences as a parent and child affected by autism spectrum disorders. Students in the course generated their own questions for ice-breakers, classroom/social experiences, and ways to support students with autism to help inform their own future practice prior to Dr. Johnson and Sage’s visit. The guest lecture was MSUM student-led, as the student generated questions were the focus of the duo’s presentation.
After Sage’s visit to MSUM, he felt empowered and when the ND State Autism Conference organizers asked for the duo to make a similar presentation, he jumped at the opportunity. Dr. Johnson and Sage are slotted to present their session titled, “Living with Autism: Perspectives of Mother & Son” on April 18, 2023 in Bismarck, ND at the Ramada Hotel. Their conference presentation will continue to use MSUM inspiration using the same questions generated by MSUM students before opening up the floor for a Q&A session.
More information about the conference and its speakers can be found here: North Dakota Autism Spectrum Disorders Conference (annecarlsen.org)