Child Care Providers Conference in Weslaco to address autism

EDINBURG  —  Information on identifying and caring for autistic children will be among the many timely topics to be discussed at the 2015 Child Care Providers Conference to be held from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. July 11 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco.

The center is located at 2415 East U.S. Highway 83.

“Child care providers play a vital role in the lives of children in the U.S.,” said Joanne Ureste, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service family resources agent for Hidalgo County. “Many times, they are among the first professionals outside the home to encounter autistic children. This conference will help them identify childhood autism and learn how to better meet their needs.”

The conference, hosted by AgriLife Extension in Hidalgo County, is designed to provide child care providers of South Texas with helpful information and the opportunity to earn state-required continuing education credits, Ureste said.

Early bird registration is $35 before June 26 and $45 thereafter. There is an additional $25 fee for those wishing to earn six continuing education credits from Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Topics and speakers include:

—  Childhood Autism, Terri McGinnis, autism specialist, Region One, Edinburg.

—  Early Childhood Intervention, Norma Guerrero, early childhood interventionist, Region One, Edinburg.

—  Special Education, Christine Clifford, instructor, Lower Rio Grande Valley public schools.

—  Child Abuse and Neglect, Nancy Bejarano, investigator, Texas Department of Family Providers, Edinburg.

—  Minimum Standards, Christina Gonzalez, investigator, Texas Child Care Licensing, Edinburg.

—  Hands-on Music Activities, Dr. Catherine M. Tu, assistant professor, Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

The conference will end with a survey and closing comments.

For more information, contact Ureste at 956-383-1026 or [email protected].