Pathfinder Village to host Assistive Tech Workshop with R.J. Cooper

Session to feature live demonstrations with students to
show enhanced communications and learning

Edmeston, New York, October 31, 2011 ... R.J. Cooper, a nationally known designer and maker of assistive technology products for children with special needs, will be featured at a live demonstration workshop at the Kennedy-Willis Center at Pathfinder Village on Friday, December 2, from 8:30 to 3 p.m.

Mr. Cooper is an expert in using digital technologies to teach those who have cognitive impairments and learning disabilities. He has lectured at over 1,000 facilities on three continents and worked with thousands of individuals, ranging from infants to adults, exhibiting mild to severe disabilities. A trained psychologist and electrical engineer, Mr. Cooper has worked in the field for over two decades, and is a contributor to the international special needs technology publication, Closing The Gap, (www.closingthegap.com).

Bonnie Laugen, director of the Kennedy-Willis Center, said that there are new ways that parents and educators may help students communicate and learn with the latest advances in portable technology, such as tablets and iPads. “A common phrase one hears these days is ‘There’s an app for that’,” said Mrs. Laugen. “But there has been a great deal of research and development in assistive technology, spurred by the availability of smart phones, tablets, and wi-fi connections. These smaller, portable, affordable devices can help open up a student’s world and allow wider learning opportunities.”

The workshop will be structured in 30-minute blocks, during which students from the Pathfinder Village School and other regional schools will work with Mr. Cooper to find those types of products and programs that will help each student achieve pre-determined goals. Mr. Cooper’s goal in each demonstration is to have the student accomplish something new and exciting that he has not done before in a learning environment.

To register for the assistive technology workshop, please contact Vickie Looker at vlooker@pathfindervillage.org, or call (607) 965-8377, ext. 112. There is a $25 registration fee that includes lunch. To enroll student for a demonstration, please contact Bonnie Laugen at the Kennedy-Willis Center at extension 117, or blaugen@pathfindervillage.org to make specific arrangements.

Founded in 1980, Pathfinder Village is a privately funded, non-profit, residential community for 79 children and adults who have Down syndrome and other disabilities. Additionally, it offers a day school program for students who have disabilities, serving area school districts. Pathfinder Village is licensed by the State of New York and its programs are regulated by the State Department of Education, Department of Health, and Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. It is located on State Route 80, two miles east of Edmeston and 15 miles west of Cooperstown.

For more information about Pathfinder Village programs for people with developmental disabilities, please call (607) 965-8377or visit the Village’s websites at www.pathfindervillage.org or www.pathfindervillage stories.org. More information may be found on the Village’s fan page at the popular social network site, Facebook. The Village also offers regular tours and hosts regular programs that are open to the public.

Prominent Researcher George T. Capone, M.D., featured at Pathfinder Village Conference in June

Edmeston, New York, April 26, 2011 ... George T. Capone, M.D., one of the country’s pre-eminent research scientists in Down syndrome, will be featured at a special full-day conference at The Kennedy-Willis Center at Pathfinder Village on Friday, June 10, 2011. The conference, “Medical and Behavioral Issues in Down Syndrome” is open to parents, educators, and professionals who work with people who have developmental disabilities.

A printable registration form and more information on Dr. Capone’s conference is available at www.pathfindervillage.org; a registration fee of $70 will be charged and includes conference materials, refreshments and lunch. For more information, contact Bonnie Laugen, director of the Kennedy-Willis Center, at (607) 965-8377, ext. 154/112, or email blaugen@pathfindervillage.org. A $5 discount is offered for those who register before May 1.

“For 15 years, people have turned to the Kennedy-Willis Center for the latest research information on Down syndrome,” said Ms. Laugen. “It is very exciting to have this opportunity to share Dr. Capone’s expertise with the community and learn about base-line research that will shape our understanding and methods of care for years to come.”

Dr. Capone is the head of the Down syndrome clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI) in Baltimore, Maryland, and has conducted research that explores the neuro-biologic basis of cognitive impairment, behavioral and psychiatric disorders that may be associated with the chromosomal condition. He and his colleagues have been published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, Journal of the Neurological Sciences, and the American Journal of Medical Genetics.

Dr. Capone also is an attending physician at KKI, and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He attended Wesleyan University and worked as a research assistant at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, before obtaining his M.D. from the University of Connecticut in 1983.

The conference is part of the 15th anniversary celebration for the Kennedy-Willis Center on Down Syndrome, Pathfinder Village’s outreach and education initiative. The Center provides counseling and training for direct care staff, medical professionals, and families who care for loved ones who have Down syndrome and other disabilities. The Center has sponsored over 30 conferences on a variety of topics pertaining to Down syndrome, including behavioral patterns, sexuality, life planning, Alzheimer’s and aging, and inherent medical conditions.

Founded in 1980, Pathfinder Village is a privately funded, non-profit, residential community for children and adults who have Down syndrome. Additionally, it offers a day school program for students who have disabilities, serving area school districts. Pathfinder Village is licensed by the State of New York and its programs are regulated by the State Department of Education, Department of Health, and Office of People with Developmental Disabilities. It is located on State Route 80, two miles east of Edmeston and 15 miles west of Cooperstown. More information is available at its websites, www.pathfindervillage.org or www.pathfindervillagestories.org, and Pathfinder Village now has a fan page on the popular social network site, Facebook.