Multidisciplinary Care of Autistic Children Conference

Alycia Halladay is the Chief Science Officer for the Autism Science Foundation, where she oversees the scientific activities, grants, and initiatives of ASF. The Autism Science Foundation focuses on investments in early career researchers to both improve scientific discovery while training the next generation of scientists using cutting edge technologies. These awards include a variety of mechanisms intended to support early career researchers as well as larger scale projects such as the Autism Sisters Project, the Baby Siblings Research Consortium and the Alliance for the Genetic Etiologies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Autism. She also produces a weekly podcast aimed specifically at explaining scientific information to the public. Prior to joining ASF in 2014, she served as the Senior Director of Clinical and Environmental Sciences at Autism Speaks. There, she helped lead the “Early Access to Care” Initiative, which aimed to lower the age of diagnosis for autism and improve access to evidence based services. She also managed the environmental science portfolio and the worked closely with events to communicate science to the public. She has authored over three dozen peer reviewed papers in science journals. Alycia also serves as the secretary of the Board of Directors for the Phelan McDermid Syndrome Foundation, co-chairs the Research Workforce Development working group of the HRA and is a member of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee of the NIH. She received a PhD in biopsychology from Rutgers in 2001 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pharmacology and toxicology at the Rutgers University 2004. She still holds a faculty appointment at Rutgers. She has a 13 year old daughter with ASD.

Alycia Halladay, PhD has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Dr. Cynthia Martin is the Senior Director and a senior psychologist in the Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute. She is a nationally recognized expert in autism, neurodevelopmental disorders and rare genetic conditions that affect development and behavior. Dr. Martin is an international trainer on gold standard assessments used in autism evaluations and she specializes in the comprehensive evaluation, early detection and evidenced-based treatment of autism and related disorders.

Dr. Martin often works with children with complex presentations of autism, including very young children and girls. She provides assessments to comprehensively evaluate for autism, recommend specialized supports, and highlight the child’s inherent strengths. Dr. Martin provides initial evaluations for infants, toddler, and preschool-age children and follows children for repeat evaluations into early adulthood. She has extensive experience treating delays in communication and development, social skill deficits, challenging behavior, food refusal with restrictive eating, delayed toilet training and sleep difficulties. Dr. Martin is a certified trainer for the Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2). She has advanced training in the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and is certified provider for the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS).

In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Martin is dedicated to training, clinical-research integration and dissemination of knowledge in the field of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. She has expertise in neurodevelopmental and behavioral phenotyping and she provides consultation on neurodevelopmental testing batteries for studies on rare genetic and medical disorders. Dr. Martin is the lead psychologist on a multi-site, NIH-funded study examining neurodevelopment and behavior in preschool-age children with Down syndrome. She also provides research evaluations on a longitudinal study of autism symptom trajectories in preschool children with autism, a NIMH-funded protocol in the Autism Research center. Dr. Martin has published in peer-reviewed journals, authored book chapters, and presented at regional, national, and international conferences

Cynthia Martin, PsyD has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Wendy Silver is a child neurologist and Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Her expertise is in child development and behavior. In particular, she is interested in treating children with autistic spectrum disorder, ADHD, and in behavioral neurology, including neurological outcomes of children who had COVID-19 and TBI. In addition to completing a fellowship training in child neurology, she also completed a LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) fellowship. With this background and expertise, she has participated in several NIH supported studies related to the COVID-19 pandemic as has co-authored the chapter on ADHD in the latest edition of an important child neurology textbook.

Wendy Silver, MD has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Dr. Arezou Heshmati, MD, has served as an Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) within the Department of Neurology, specializing in Child Neurology.  Board certified in Pediatrics, Sleep Medicine, and Neurology with special qualification in Child Neurology, Dr. Heshmati offers comprehensive care to both inpatient and outpatient pediatric neurology patients. She is actively involved in the development and expansion of the Pediatric Neurology Sleep Program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, demonstrating her commitment to advancing clinical care and research in pediatric sleep disorders.

Arezou Heshmati, MD has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Dr Lakshmi Mehta is a Clinical Geneticist and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Dr Mehta’s early training in Pediatrics and Medical Genetics was in India and the UK, followed by fellowship training in Medical Genetics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. In New York, now almost 30 years, Dr Mehta is a well-known clinical geneticist and educator, and has trained many geneticists and genetic counselors. She is a fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and an active member of several committees and workgroups. As a clinician she is committed to bringing the advances made in genomics to patients and families. She is consistently recognized and nominated as a NY Super Doctor, Castle Connolly top doctor, America’s Top Doctor and Exceptional Women in Medicine awards. Her clinical research is focused on rare genetic disorders, gene discovery and elaborating the phenotype and natural history of these conditions. After many years as Professor of Genetics, Genomic Sciences and Pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dr Mehta is currently Clinical Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Clinical Genetics at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Lakshmi Mehta, MD has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine. Director of the Pediatric Motility Program, the oldest and most comprehensive motility center in the tri-state area.  Dr. Ciecierega specializes in diagnosis and treatment of complex motility disorders. He specializes in complex esophageal, gastric, intestinal, colonic, and anorectal motility testing. He co-directs multispecialty clinics at the Weill Cornell Pediatric Sub-Specialty Practice, including the Pediatric Aerodigestive Clinic. He is co-chair of international PAAFIS (Pediatric, Adolescent and Adult Foregut Interdisciplinary Symposium ) society, and has been involved in national and international meetings and conferences. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Ciecierega is an active researcher and educator.  

Thomas Ciecierega, MD has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Jennifer Kissel has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services

After befriending a neighbor who was an occupational therapy student in her f irst NYC apartment building post-college, Kaori Nakamura changed her career in publishing to become an occupational therapist. After receiving her Master’s degree from Columbia University’s OT program, she went on to work in a variety of rehabilitation settings and with multi-/transdisciplinary teams in sub-acute, in-patient (orthopedics, neurology), out-patient and homecare, as well as supervise and manage OTs and COTAs throughout her 27+ year career.  Following her specialization and training/certification in NDT (NeuroDevelopmental Technique) and biVABA (Brain Injury Visual Assessment) to treat the brain-injury population, Kaori sought supervision and training in SI (Sensory Integration) from colleagues in pediatrics due to having a personal goal of achieving true competency to treat the lifespan. Finding a number of her pediatric patients having sensory-based issues with feeding, she became an SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Feeding Specialist with additional training in this approach specific to the ASD population. She joined the NY Presbyterian family in 2018 as the OT at CADB (Center for Autism and the Developing Brain) on the Westchester Behavioral Health campus, where she is the sole OT treating the lifespan and dividing her time servicing patients in the Early Intervention classroom/program and the clinic.  Kaori is the mother of 2 adult student-athletes Mia and Christopher DiChiara and an 8-year old rescue dog Fern. Mia will be entering her senior year at Cornell University and Chris will be entering his sophomore year at San Diego State University in the fall. Outside of work, Kaori enjoys empty-nester life, being a class writer for Colgate Magazine, cheering for Cornell Women’s Lacrosse and loving San Diego sun! 

Kaori Nakamura has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services

Cristine is a registered dietitian-nutritionist graduating from the College of Saint Benedict’s coordinated dietetics program.  She has training in Culinary Arts with a degree from Johnson & Wales University. This allows her to offer a unique food forward approach to her clinical work. She also holds a specialty certification as a certified diabetes education specialist. She has been providing nutrition services in the acute care setting for over 20 years with the majority of her work in pediatric and adolescent nutrition care. For the past 6 years her work has focused on the field of behavioral health nutrition.  In partnership with The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain she has been providing individualized nutrition assessment and counseling services for individuals with ASD. 

Cristine Del Pizzo has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services

Dr. Pankhuree Vandana is a dually board-certified pediatric and adult psychiatrist who is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and a Research Psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. She serves as the Service Chief of the NYP Center of Autism and Developing Brain’s Neurodevelopmental Conditions inpatient consult service at and as the Medical Director of the CADB Translation Medicine Research Program. She specializes in clinical care and program development for individual with neurodevelopmental conditions and severe psychiatric comorbidities . She serves on multiple national committees including the AACAP Autism and Intellectual Disability Committee, Intellectual Dev Disorder Subcommittees, National Council for Severe Autism and the ECHO-Autism project. She has presented at several national and internal level conferences on important issues that touch the lives of children and families touched by autism and other developmental conditions. 

Pankhuree Vandana, MD has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose but DOES INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Kelly is a speech-language pathologist with nearly 10 years of experience working with autistic individuals. Her clinical experience includes working in residential, outpatient, inpatient, and home-based settings for autistic individuals across the lifespan. Currently, Kelly provides individual and group outpatient services to school age, teen, and adult patients at the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain. Kelly serves as a member of the CADB Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) team, a multidisciplinary consultation service that provides quality improvement initiatives for autistic/IDD patients on inpatient psychiatric units at NYP. She earned her B.S. in Communication Sciences/Disorders at the University of Rhode Island and her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology at SUNY New Paltz.

Kelly Mickler has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Hannah has worked in the field of behavior analysis supporting autistic children, young adults, and their families for over 10 years. She worked as a direct support provider, special education teacher, and BCBA supervisor for home services before her role at CADB. Her experiences in schools included working in ABA classrooms at the NYC Autism Charter Schools in East Harlem and the Bronx as well as a BOCES public school. Her time at NYCA included behavior analytic research in behavior intervention plans, staff training, reading instruction, and feeding interventions. Hannah's work as a behavior analyst includes supporting children at age 2 up until adulthood with varied support needs, including moderate to severe challenging behavior. As a BCBA at CADB, she conducts parent training and is part of the PBS consult team on the inpatient campus. Her parent training programs include Research Units in Behavior Analysis (RUBI) and Project Impact.  

Hannah Miller has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Lissbeth Santos is the Lead Family Navigator at the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain. She earned her Bachelors in Sociology at the City college of New York. She has 7 + years of experience working in the social service. Lisbeth’s has primarily worked with families with children and adolescents doing Case Management/Case Planning work and providing resources. She was trained and certified as a SafeCare provider and provided parent training modules to parents of children 0-5 years old. She has worked with children with Autism in the past, and assisted parent with obtaining the appropriate services. Lissbeth has been working at CADB for 3 year and 5 months, and is passionate about helping families and assisting with navigating outside as well as internal services.  

Lissbeth Santos has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Ivelisse holds a bachelor’s degree in public health and a master’s degree in health care administra on form Monroe College. I have been employed at the Center for Au sm and The Developing Brain on the role of Family Navigator for one year. Prior to my current posi on, I served as an Assistant Program Director for New York City – funded evic on preven on program, Home ‐Base, for 11 years. I have been working in the social service field for approximately 17 years. 

Ivelisse Ferreira has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Dr. Gutman is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Assistant Attending Pediatrician at New York-Presbyterian David Komansky Children’s Hospital at Weill Cornell Medical Center. She is board certified in Pediatrics, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.

Dr. Gutman earned her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies at Cornell University and then received her medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. She completed a residency in Pediatrics at NorthShore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY, and a fellowship in Developmental Pediatrics at the Rose F. Kennedy Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Following her fellowship, Dr. Gutman worked in the Division of Child Development at New York- Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center for six years. Dr. Gutman then worked as an Attending in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) for 22 years. Dr. Gutman helped establish the fellowship training program in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at CCMC and participated in the training of numerous fellows in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. She was the Medical Director of the Reach Out and Read program in the neonatal follow-up clinic and the Gun Safety Champion of the Division. While at CCMC, Dr. Gutman developed and led a quality improvement project of suicide screening in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Additionally, Dr. Gutman designed and implemented a research study examining patterns of diagnosis disclosure to youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders which was published in 2020 in the Journal of Developmental& Behavioral Pediatrics.

Alyson Gutman, MD has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Dr. Kanne is a Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Director of the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain at Weill Cornell Medical School. Prior to this, he was the Executive Director of the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders and a Professor in the Department of Health Psychology. He received his bachelor’s degree and his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Washington University. He completed a clinical internship at the University of California, San Diego, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He then worked for 5 years at St. Louis Children’s Hospital as a pediatric neuropsychologist followed by 4 years in the at the University of Missouri specializing in autism and pediatric neuropsychology, before becoming the Director of the Autism Center at the Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital. He returned to the University of Missouri in 2012 as the Executive Director of the Thompson Center, and transitioned to Weill Cornell in 2020. Dr. Kanne’s current research interests focus on children with autism, targeting diagnostic tools, outcome measures, behavioral phenotyping, co-occurring symptoms, evidence-based therapies, and subthreshold symptoms. In addition to publishing in the areas of autism, Dr. Kanne has also published in the areas of cognitive neuropsychology, history of neuropsychology, and pediatric traumatic brain injury. Dr. Kanne is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology. He also loves to teach and train, providing workshops nationally and internationally in autism.

Stephen Kanne, PhD has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DOES NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.

It is the policy of Weill Cornell Medical College to adhere to the ACCME Criteria, Policies and New Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education and to ensure all content is valid in order to ensure fair balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all its provided activities.  All speakers, Course Directors, Co-Course Directors, planners, reviewers, and staff members participating in provided activities are expected to disclose relevant financial relationships pertaining to their contribution to the activity.  Relationship information is analyzed to determine whether conflicts of interest exist.  All conflicts of interest are resolved prior to participation in the planning or implementation of this activity. Presenters and authors are also expected to disclose any discussion of (1) off-label or investigational uses of FDA approved commercial products or devices or (2) products or devices not yet approved in the United States.

WCMC CME activities are intended to be evidence-based and free of commercial bias.  If you have any concerns, please call the Office of Continuing Medical Education at 646-962-6931 to anonymously express them.

Course Director

Monica Pozzuoli, MD, MPH

• Has no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies to disclose.
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Course Co-Director

Jennifer Bain, MD, PhD

• Consultant at Grin Therapeutics, Neurvati, Guidepoint Consulting, COMBINED Brain, and Health Advances.
• All of the relevant financial relationships listed for this individual have been mitigated.
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or service.

Planning Committee

Wendy Silver, MD, MA

• Has no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies to disclose. 
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Cynthia Martin, PsyD

• Has no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies to disclose.
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Alyson Gutman, MD

• Has no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies to disclose.
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Tara Maloney, LMHC

• Has no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies to disclose.
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Monica Pozzuoli, MD, MPH

• Has no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies to disclose.
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Jennifer Bain, MD, PhD

• Consultant at Grin Therapeutics, Neurvati, Guidepoint Consulting, COMBINED Brain, and Health Advances.
• All of the relevant financial relationships listed for this individual have been mitigated.
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or services.

Course Coordinator

Monica Fortsch

• Has no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies to disclose.
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or services.

CME Staff

• Has no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies to disclose.
• Will not be discussing the off-label or investigational use of products or services.

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:

1. Identify co-occurring medical conditions in autistic children, which will enhance the ability to provide care to this patient population
2. Manage the co-occurring medical conditions commonly seen in this population
3. Understand the multidisciplinary team that is often a part of the comprehensive care of autistic children
4. Identify when referral to a subspecialist or therapeutic provider is clinically indicated

7.0 online CE contact hours will be awarded to licensed psychologists, social workers, and mental health counselors who have met the attendance requirements below.

Psychologists: Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) Department of Psychiatry, 525 E 68th St. New York, NY 10065, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0192. WCM is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. WCM maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 

Social Workers: The New York Presbyterian Hospital Department of Social Work is recognized by New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers # SW 0155. Social workers from other states, please confirm with your state licensing board. Please note that we do not specify type of credits (general, cultural competence, clinical, etc.)

LMHCs: WCM Department of Psychiatry is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0302. LMHCs from other states, please confirm with your state licensing board. Please note that we do not specify type of credits (general, cultural competence, clinical, etc.)

CE Certificate Requirements

Please note that in order to receive your CE certificate for the 7.0 credit workshop, you must attend the entire workshop LIVE, and complete the evaluation in accordance with NYSED and APA requirements within 30 days of the event. Please plan accordingly to sign in with your full name, log-in on time, and remain for the duration of each session. There is a 10 minute grace period at the start OR end of the webinar- no more than 10-minutes total can be missed. Participants who do not meet the attendance requirements will not receive a CE certificate or refund. No partial credit will be given.

The conference will begin promptly at 8:30am EST. Please plan to be physically present or logged in by 8:40am EST at the latest OR leaving no earlier than 4:20pm EST.

CE Distribution: Evaluation forms will be distributed via email following the event to those meeting the attendance requirements above. There will be one feedback evaluation and certificate awarding 7.0 CE hours for the event. 

Complaints: The Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Psychiatry (WCM) is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. WCM will comply with all legal and ethical responsibilities to be non-discriminatory in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of program participants. The monitoring and assessment of compliance with these standards will be the responsibility of the members of the Continuing Education committee in consultation with the CE Chair. While WCM goes to great lengths to assure fair treatment for all participants and attempts to anticipate problems, there will be occasional issues which come to the attention of the program staff which require intervention and/or action on the part of the program staff or an officer of WCM. 

To submit a complaint to the WCM CE committee, please see the WCM CE website: https://psychiatry.weill.cornell.edu/education-training/continuing-education-committee-members

Accreditation and Credit Designation Statements

Weill Cornell Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Weill Cornell Medical College designates this live activity for a maximum of 7.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Evaluation

The CME Evaluation will be distributed following the conference. We encourage you to complete the Evaluation Form as this will allow us to assess the degree to which the activity met its objectives.  It will also guide the planning of future activities and inform decisions about improving the educational program.

WCMC is accessible for individuals with disabilities or special needs.  Participants with special needs are requested to contact the Office of CME at 646-962-6931.

This course is classified as beginner to intermediate, intended for primary care providers, clinicians, researchers, medical providers, and allied health professionals involved in the multidisciplinary care of autistic children.

If you need to cancel your ticket after registration please send written notification to Angela Constantine at anc4021@med.cornell.edu. Refund requests will be processed according to the following guidelines:

• Before Monday, September 2, 2024: Refund minus $10 fee
• Between Monday, September 2 and Monday, September 9, 2024: Refund minus $15 fee
• Between Tuesday, September 10 and Monday, September 16, 2024: Refund minus $20 fee
• After Monday, September 16, 2024: No refund
• Refunds will not be provided to those not meeting the CE attendance requirements.

For more information, please contact Angela Constantine at anc4021@med.cornell.edu.