Convenor's Welcome
We are delighted to be hosting the 43rd ASSID Conference in Melbourne in November 2008. As Convenor of the Conference Organising Committee, I invite you to experience the colour and excitement of Spring in Melbourne and enjoy in the beautiful surrounds of the University of Melbourne. A perfect venue to explore our conference theme: Principles, Policies and Practices: The Search for Evidence.
The theme emphasises the importance of knowledge to inform policies and practices that impact upon the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The 43rd ASSID conference aims to achieve ASSID's goals, namely to;
- Promote research and understanding of intellectual and developmental disabilities,
- Bring together people with an interest in the field of intellectual and developmental disability, and;
- Promote high standards of practice
By achieving these goals, ASSID aims to enhance the quality of the lives of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. An important role of ASSID and the Regional conference is to provide a forum where knowledge is shared and used to form the basis of evidence-based practices. The beneficiaries of the knowledge presented through ASSID include individuals, self-advocates, family members and other carers, workers, service providers, Government and non-Government organisations and policy makers.
As the conference theme suggests, knowledge and evidence will be a key focus. In this focus we are asking the question ''what is the evidence that you are using to support your beliefs and practices?” It is recognising that a narrow "scientific" definition of evidence is inadequate in human services delivery, yet so are approaches that are unvalidated or are based on ideology alone. The conference will be embracing the various types of knowledge that are available to us; service user and carer knowledge, practitioner knowledge, and knowledge that is generated by policy and research communities. As evidence and knowledge can come from many sources such as, personal experience, observation, interviews, and research (in the traditional sense) we are encouraging contributions from the various stakeholders in the intellectual and developmental disability field.
The Conference Program Committee will develop an inclusive program with highly regarded speakers in their field locally, nationally and internationally. We are thrilled to introduce a number of international and local guests as keynote speakers for 2008. Professor James Mulick (USA) will discuss Fad, Fashion and Science in Professional Practice. Bruce Tonge (AUS) will talk about a Longitudinal study of behaviour and emotional problems in ID and
Laraine Masters Glidden (USA) will discuss Families and Disability: Evidence for Positive Outcomes. More details about our keynote speakers and other presenters will be posted on the conference website via www.assid.org.au as it develops.
We hope that you take the opportunity to participate in the 43rd ASSID Conference and look forward to welcoming you to Melbourne in November 2008.
Associate Professor Karen Nankervis
Conference Convenor