First Signs and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine jointly sponsored a CME-certified course, “Improving Developmental Screening Practices for Young Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disorders”, in Milwaukee and Madison on October 29-30, 2004. The program was hosted by University of Wisconsin-Madison, Waisman Center, and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin First Signs Training was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number R3/CCU523235-02 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additional support for this activity was provided by educational grants from Autism Coalition for Research and Education (ACRE) and The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism.

The Wisconsin First Signs training was targeted to pediatricians, family practitioners, internists w/specialty in pediatrics, pediatric nurse practitioners, pediatric physician assistants, pediatric specialists (i.e., developmental pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists), and public health physicians and nurses.

The purpose of the Wisconsin First Signs training was to:

• Educate medical practitioners and other professionals about the importance of early identification and intervention of young children at risk for autism and other developmental disorders.
• Improve upon the pediatric practice of screening and referral.
• Lower the age at which young children are diagnosed.

For additional information, click here.