Annual Distinguished Guest Lecture Series

CARD Guest Lecture Series 

Join the University at Albany's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities along with experts in the field of autism for a livestream lecture.  For more information on the lecture, registration information, and presenter information please see below.

Annually, CARD Albany invites distinguished autism experts to present on the latest cutting-edge research in the field, in areas such as genetics and brain imaging.

 

Nurturing Sleep for Children with Autism: Strategies for Healthier Bedtimes

Dr. Kolu

Presenter:
Whitney Loring, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center TRIAD

Livestream
Thursday, May 15, 2025
11am-12:30pm

This presentation will share the reasons why sleep difficulties may be more common in autistic individuals, evidence-based strategies to address the common challenges of difficulty falling asleep, night wakings, or overall reduced sleep, and available resources to continue to learn more about these strategies.

Objectives:
1. Attendees will be able to understand why sleep may be more difficult in autistic individuals
2. Attendees will be able to apply evidence-based strategies to address common sleep concerns
3. Attendees will be able to identify additional resources for continued learning
 

Dr. Whitney Loring's Bio:

As part of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) for 15 years, Dr. Loring’s responsibilities include developing and conducting training and consultation for parents, educators, and providers regarding evidence-based assessment and intervention strategies for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and related disabilities. Her research interests include developing and evaluating intervention strategies that address behavioral pediatric concerns for children with autism spectrum disorders (e.g., sleep concerns, toileting difficulties) and the effectiveness of various models of parent training and consultation. Regarding sleep, Dr. Loring has been a sleep educator, co-investigator, and principal investigator across several studies examining behavioral sleep education for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities and sleep concerns, as well as models for training providers in the use of these strategies. She developed VUMC's Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic in 2017 in the Department of Neurology where she sees pediatric patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities in conjunction with their medical sleep provider to address behavioral needs related to insomnia and CPAP adherence.


Registration Link

Registration Fee:

$5 for New York State Residents
$20 for Out-of-state Residents

Credit/Debit card payment and purchase orders are accepted on the registration form. Please make PO/check payable to:

The Research Foundation for SUNY

c/o Center for Autism and Related Disabilities

1535 Western Avenue

Albany, NY  12203
 


Handouts

Download PowerPoint Handout

Supplemental Handouts:

Sleep Data Sheet

Sleep Action Plan

Parent Evening Habits Sheet

Parent Daytime Habits Sheet

Understanding Sleep and ASD


Continuing Education Credits

This presentation is  eligible for a total of 1.5 contact hours.

Please NotePartial credit will not be awarded. Participants must attend the entire session to receive credit. 

Late arrival due to difficulties you may have logging into Zoom may not be used as an excuse for partial attendance. Please attempt to log in a few minutes early to allow for any possible technical issues.
 
School Psychologists

CARD Albany is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer continuing education for school psychologists. CARD maintains responsibility for the program.


Licensed Mental Health Counselors

University at Albany, SUNY, Center for Autism and Related Disabilities 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-0194.


New York State Social Workers

Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, SW CPE, is recognized by the New York State Education Department State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed master social workers # 0292.


New York State Psychologists

Center for Autism and Related Disabilities is recognized by the New York State Education Department State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists in NYS #PSY-0083.

 

The Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD Albany) offers these seminars to participants living in New York State through a grant from the New York State Education Department. The funding is administered by The Research Foundation for SUNY.


Download Flyer


General certificates of attendance will be provided to all participants who attend the full session.


Past Lecturers and Topics

2024 Guest Lecturer: Camille Kolu, PhD, BCBA-D

CEO and Owner, CUSP Emergence

Lecture Topic: We Are Buffers, We Break Barriers: What If There Was Something Preventative We Could All Do?

2023 Guest Lecturer: Jean B. Mankowski, PhD

Clinical Assistant Professor
UNC Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities

Lecture Topic: Considering Trauma and Treatment

 

2022 Guest Lecturer: Nirbhay N. Singh, PhD

Medical College of Georgia
Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Augusta University

Lecture Topic: Mindfulness and Autism

 

2020 Guest Lecturer: Christopher McDougle, MD

Director, Lurie Center for Autism
Nancy Lurie Marks Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

 

2019 Guest Lecturer: Lawrence Scahill, MSN, PhD

Professor of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine
Director of Clinical Trials, Marcus Autism Center

Lecture Topic: Autism and Anxiety

 

2018 Guest Lecturer: Katarzyna Chawarska, PhD

Yale University School of Medicine

Lecture Topic:  Advances in Early Screening and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders

 

2017 Guest Lecturer: Matthew Siegel, MD

Spring Harbor Hospital and Maine Medical Center, and Tufts University School of Medicine

Lecture Topic: Medication Management for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

 

2016 Guest Lecturer: Kevin Pelphrey, PhD

Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, George Washington University

Lecture Topic: Searching for Neuroimaging Targets for Interventions in ASD

 

2015 Guest Lecturer: Michael Cuccaro, PhD

Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami

Lecture Topic: The Genetics of Autism Spectrum Disorder

 

2014 Guest Lecturer: David Amaral, PhD

UC Davis MIND Institute

Lecture Topic: What Neuroimaging has Taught Us About the Brain in Autism and Progress in Understanding the Neurobiology of Autism

 

2013 Guest Lecturer: Warren R. Jones, PhD

Emory University School of Medicine, and Marcus Autism Center

Lecture Topic: Understanding How Children with ASDs Experience the Visual World

 

2012 Guest Lecturer: Ami Klin, PhD

Emory University School of Medicine, and Marcus Autism Center

Lecture Topics: New Research on Social Engagement Deficits in Young Children with Autism: Implications for Clinical Practice; DSM-V, Definitions, Realities, and Real Science We Need.

 

2011 Guest Lecturer: Robert T. Schultz, PhD

Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Lecture Topic: Progress in Identifying the Biological Foundations of the Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence from Genetics and Brain Imaging

 

2010 Guest Lecturer: Stephen J. Sheinkopf, PhD

Brown Alpert Medical School

Lecture Topic: Autism in Infants and Toddlers: Implications for Families and Policy

 

2008 Guest Lecturer: Anthony Malone, MD

Department of Pediatrics, Albany Medical Center

Lecture Topic: Identification and Evaluation of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

 

2007 Guest Lecturer: Loisa Bennetto, PhD

University of Rochester

Lecture Topic: Communication in Autism: A Neuropsychological Perspective

 

2006 Guest Lecturer: Luke Y. Tsai, MD

University of Michigan Medical School

Lecture Topic: Rational Use of Medications in Autism Spectrum Disorder

 

2005 Guest Lecturer: Michael Cuccaro, PhD

Duke University and Medical Center

Lecture Topic: Autism: Risks & Etiology, The Integration of Clinical and Genetic Heterogeneity