Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Mental Retardation in Developmental Disabilities
Date: 3/15/2006 - 3/17/2006 Location: The Westgate Hotel, San Diego, CA Theme: Risk and Protective Factors in Developmental Disabilities: The Role of Environment and Culture Conference Co-Chairs: Marsha Mailick Seltzer, Ph.D. & Leonard Abbeduto, Ph.D. Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison The 39th Annual Gatlinburg Conference continues its tradition as one of the premier conferences in the United States for behavioral scientists conducting research in intellectual and related developmental disabilities. The theme for the 2006 Conference is "Risk & Protective Factors in Developmental Disabilities: The Role of Environment and Culture." Developmental theories and methods have increasingly recognized the array of influences on development and the complex interactions between organism and environment that characterize the developmental process. Moreover, there has been an increased appreciation for the multiple settings and interrelated systems that constitute the developing individual's environment. These systems include everything from the parent-child relationship to the family's culture of origin and the physical settings in which the child lives. This year's theme for the Gatlinburg conference reflects this broader view of the environment, with the invited speakers considering environmental variables that serve as risk or protective factors in developmental disabilities. We encourage presentations on this theme from all disciplines relevant to understanding the causes, consequences, and life course trajectories of people with or at risk for developmental disabilities. For more information and to register, visit the Gatlinburg Conference website. Last Edited: 01/17/06 01:19 PM by Evette Mezger |