Alonso Peña, José Ramón

PhD from the University of Salamanca. Professor of Cell Biology and Director of the Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurorreparación the Neurosciences Institute of Castilla y Leon (Spain). Doctor Honoris Causa of several universities such as Universidad Mayor Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (Sucre, Bolivia), Universidad Simón Bolívar de Barranquilla (Colombia), Universidad de San Marcos in Lima (Peru).

He has been President of the University of Salamanca, president of the Academic Committee of Spanish Universities (CASUE) among others. Founding member and first elected President of the Society for Neuroscience of Castilla y Leon (Spain). His research has focused on neuronal plasticity in the brain's ability to respond flexibly to damage caused by developmental disorders such as autism, injury, drugs or neurodegenerative diseases, and the chances of recovering the damaged brain using transplantation and stem cells. He has also worked on developing new teaching resources and developed innovative experiences in university teaching.

Artigas Pallarès, Josep

PhD in Medicine. He had a Degree in Psychology. He is Specialist in Pediatric Neurology. Senior Consultant Pediatric Neurology Hospital de Sabadell.  Corporació Sanitaria ParcTaulí (Barcelona, Spain). Director of the Center Psyncron (Barcelona, Spain) dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of developmental disorders that affect the learning and behavior. Member of the GETEA (Group of Experts on Autism Spectrum Disorders). His research are focused on: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder / Hyperactivity and cognitive-behavioral phenotypes of mental retardation syndromes, genetic basis: Fragile X syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Williams syndrome, Prader Willi and other genetically based syndromes.

Psychologist. She currently working at the unit for detection and intervention in autism spectrum disorders at the University Hospital Mutua de Terrassa (Catalunya, Spain). She is Professor in Master and Postgraduate Programs at the University of Barcelona Ramon Llull (Spain) and in the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain) her teaching focuses in the diagnosis and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder. She participates in government funded projects (FIS) related to clinical genetics of autism. She is responsible for the Social Skills Intervention Groups for people with SA or TAAF in the University Hospital Mutua de Terrassa. Author of many publications such as "therapist's personal style and theory of mind" (Revista Argentina de Clínica Psicológica) and “Proposal for a screening questionnaire for Asperger syndrome in adults” (Psiquiatría Biológica).

Belinchón Carmona, Mercedes

PhD in Psychology. Professor in the Department of Basic Psychology Faculty of Psychology at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain). She is a Language Specialist. She is Director of The Center for Applied Psychology at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. She is Director of the Training and Volunteer Program for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (APUNTATE). She develops never before made in Madrid, Spain like the "Needs of people with ASD in the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)" and most recently “Study of the needs and psychological functions in Asperger Syndrome”.

Bianchi, Ferruccio

MD. Psychiatrist. He is Manager of the medical and psychological services in Lugano. Day Hospital for Children.

Blackburn, Ros

She is an adult with autism. At three months old baby seemed isolated, inserted into his own world. At eighteen months old she was diagnosed with autism and  severe intellectual disability. Now she is 40 years old, she is a recognized speaker nationally and internationally talking about her experiences and her point of view about the care and education practices in autism population. Despite her severe disability, she shows courage and a strong sense of humor to cope with their fears and challenges in life.

Canal Bedia, Ricardo

PhD in Psychology. He is Professor of Behavioral Disorders, Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Education at the University of Salamanca (Spain). Until last year, He was Vice Chancellor for Teaching and European Convergence in the University of Salamanca. He is Director of the Assessment and Diagnosis Unit for severe developmental disabilities. He has over 24 years of professional activity combined clinical experience with teaching and researching in developmental disabilities. He is head chair of project I+D+I (Research, Development and Innovation) directed to early social behavior and neuropsychological functioning of young children with ASD, the Autism Screening program in the provinces of Salamanca and Zamora and Research Project on severe  behavior problems in the residential services that depend to the public network of Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (Spain).

Charman, Tony

Holds the Chair in Autism Education and is Director of the Centre for Research in Autism and Education at the Institute of Education, London. He holds an honorary contract at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust where he works in a diagnostic service for children with complex neurodevelopmental conditions. His main research interest is the investigation of early social cognitive development in children with autism and the clinical application of this work via screening, epidemiological, outcome, early intervention and ‘at risk’ studies. He has published more than 125 peer-reviewed papers and is the author of over 25 book chapters. He is former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry; an Associate Editor of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and is on the Editorial/Advisory Boards of a number of other journals. He has served on a number of expert panels for the Medical Research Council in the UK and the National Institutes of Health and the American Psychiatric Association in the USA. He is the current Chair of the Advisory Group to the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism.

Fuentes Biggi, Joaquín

Graduate in Medicine. He is Specialist in Psychiatry. Chief of Child and Young Psychiatry Service at the Policlínica Guipúzcoa.(Spain). Medical Advisor of GAUTENA (Autism Association of Guipuzcoa). San Sebastian, Spain. He is Coordinator of GATEA. He is recognized speaker both national and international related to Autism Spectrum Disorders. He is a renowned researcher in the areas of ASD. He is currently the project director for Asperger Syndrome Early Detection Program in the Pais Vasco (Spain).

Hernández Rodríguez, Juana Mª

She is Psychologist of Severe Developmental Disorders Team (Ministry of Education of the Community of Madrid), which performs tasks of educational assessment and counseling psychology in early childhood education centres, primary and secondary. She is associate professor in the Department of Developmental Psychology at Universidad Autónoma of Madrid and member of the research group INEX (inclusion and exclusion from education), so it has several publications related to the analysis, understanding and involvement in the processes of peer bullying and its prevalence in students with ASD. He has participated in developing the needs assessment of people with ASD and Asperger Syndrome in the Community of Madrid. Since 2002 until 2008 she was president of AETAPI, the National Association of Autism Professionals and Therapist.

Herrera Gutierrez, Gerardo

He is Researcher of the Group for Autism and Learning Disabilities at the Robotics Institute at the University of Valencia, Spain (http://autismo.uv.es/), This is a multidisciplinary team involving experts from Psychology, Pedagogy, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, Arts, Industrial Design and Educational Technology. This group develops technology tools to improve the quality of life and the equation of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Since the beginning of its activity, He has devoted all its efforts to develop tools for professionals in the intervention. He is the brother of a woman with autism and is active in community associations. He is publisher of Autismo Avila and President of Adapta Foundation.

MD. Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist. She is Head of Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health in Area Mancha Centro. Alcazar de San Juan (Spain). She is Coordinator of the Day Hospital for children and adolescents in the area. She is also Manager of Mental Health Plan of La Mancha Centro (Spain). She is Professor of Sociology of Psychotherapy and psychopathology of children and adolescents (SEPYPNA). She is Co-Director of University Course of Art Therapy.

MD. Psychiatrist. Psychotherapist. He is member of the Psychoanalytic Institute (APM). He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of País Vasco (Spain). He is manager of Unit of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the Shire Uribe-Costa (Spain) in Pais Vasco Health Service.

MD. Psychiatrist. Psychotherapist. Psychoanalyst. He is member of the SSP. He is Former Chief Medical Teaching Geneva and Former professor of psychiatry at Children and Adolescents, University of Geneva. (Switzerland). He is President of SEPYPNA.

Martín Cilleros, Mª Victoria

PhD in Psychology. She is Associate professor of child assessment, developmental psychopathology and behavioral disorders at the University of Salamanca (Spain). Researching and Technical Member of the group INFOAUTISMO in the Evaluation and Diagnosis Unit for severe developmental disabilities. Her professional activity began with collaborative projects to develop behavioral intervention procedures for behavior management through positive behavior support, financed by the Junta de Castilla y León (Spain). Her research experience includes behavior problems in people with disabilities, behavior modification and functional assessment of problem behavior with person-centered planning, and early assessment of communicative development, cognitive and social development of Autism Spectrum Disorders. She currently co-responsible, along with Dr. Ricardo Canal Bedia Phd.  Research Project on severe  behavior problems in the residential services that depend to the public network of Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) She is a collaborator in the Autism Screening Program in the provinces of Salamanca and Zamora and research projects on "early social behavior and neuropsychological functioning of young children with autism spectrum disorder" and "Early detection of autism and the impact on families quality of life"

Meyer, Elaine C.

She is Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry. Director of the Institute for Professionalism and Ethical Practice (ISPA) and the Program for Improving Communication and Social Skills (PERCS). Her research lines are the perspectives and priorities of parents at the end of life in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Towards optimal care at the final moment of life in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (co-investigator) and She is director of programs aimed at improving social and communication skills: "Difficult Conversations in Health" and "parental presence during invasive procedures and resuscitation”. The unifying theme of all her research, clinical practice and teaching has been the needs, priorities and support of patients and parents. In the last two decades, both in neonatal care centers and pediatric critical care, clinical investigation has been directed to learn directly from families to help develop and make significant psychosocial interventions.

He is Director of Childhood Communication Services. Adjunct Professor at the Center for the Study of Human Development at Brown University. Author of several journal articles on topics of autism, evaluation of early childhood intervention and family centered communication disorders and emotional / behavioral disorders in children. Author of books like "The SCERTS Model: A Comprehensive Educational Approach for Children with Autism Spectrum disorders", or "Autism Spectrum Disorders - A Developmental, transactional perspective" as well as DVD movies and series. Co-author of the assessment tool CSBS (Wetherby & Prizant, 1993), and the CSBS-Developmental Profile (Wetherby & Prizant, 2001). He was honored by the Princeton University-Eden Foundation Award in recognition of the contributions of career practices aimed at children with autism.

MD. He is Professor of Child Neuropsychiatry, University of Pisa (Italy). He is Director of L'Unita Complesso di Psychiatry dello Sviluppo presso l'Instituto Scientifico Stella Maris.

MD, PhD in Medicine. He is specialist in Internal Medicine, and also in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. He is the Director of the GETEA (Grupo de Estudios de los TEA). Head of Department at Research Institute for Rare Diseases (Institute of heealth Carlos III. Spain). Currently, he is the responsible for a European research project on autism in Spain. He is developing several projects on rare diseases, autism and health indicators.

Mother of a teenager with ASD severely affected. Founding member and current President of the “Association Development for the comprehensive care of people with autism and other PDD " since July 2003. Member of Municipal Council on Disability (Albacete, Spain), the Forum on the Participation of the City of Albacete and the Board FESPAU (Spanish Federation of Parents of Autistic). Driving alongside senator Development Assoc partner and the consortium FESPAU and CAE (Confederation Autism Spain) in the Senate, a National Plan on Autism.

She is Special Education Teacher and Music Therapist. She works since 1995 in the Educational and Therapeutic Center Carrilet of Barcelona, first as a music therapist and actually she is the manager. This is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. She is an associate advisor of the graduate on "Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnosis and Intervention", University of Barcelona, and also with Master Program "Dance Movement Therapy" at the Autonomous University Autónoma of Barcelona, and Masters Program "Music Therapy" Music Institute , Art and Process of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain).

MD in Medicine. She is Child Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst (SEP-IPA). In 1974, She Founded the Educational and Therapeutic Center Carrilet, it is dedicated to treatment and education for children from 3 to 12 years wtih ASD. She has over 40 years of professional activity combined clinical experience focused on the diagnosis and treatment in ASD with teaching and supervisory activities, publications of theoretical and clinical articles and books. She works steadily in Master Program of the University of Barcelona and the University Ramon Llull, related to early childhood psychiatry, ASD and the dance-movement therapy.

Herbert Roeyers is a Professor of clinical psychology on the domain of developmental disorders at Ghent University since 2004. He is a member of the Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology and the Head of the Research Group Developmental Disorders. He is the Director of the Center for Developmental Disorders and of the Autism Reference Center at Ghent University Hospital. He teaches courses on diagnosis and treatment of developmental and behavioural disorders. Together with his collaborators, he studies autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), learning disorders, and premature children. His main research interest is the investigation of early social-communicative development in children with ASD and the clinical application of this work via screening and early intervention. He has also a special interest in the overlap and differences between AD/HD and ASD. He is a (co)author of more than 100 publications in international peer-reviewed journals.

Communication and language development in young children with disorders. Child, parental, community, and intervention influences on communication and language development in toddlers and preschoolers with developmental disorders. The disorders primarily studied are intellectual disabilities, autism, and specific language disorder. In the quantitative area, I’ve developed quantitative methods for the sequential analysis of behavior and for controlling experiment-wise error due to multiple significance testing. In the measurement area, I’ve written a textbook and teach a graduate-level class on observational measurement of behavior.