El Paso to host resource fair about genetics, autism

On Saturday, May 4, Baylor College of Medicine will host a community conference and resource fair for the El Paso area to provide an educational seminar and informational support for parents of children with autism and developmental disabilities.

Provided jointly by Baylor and Texas Children’s Hospital, and in collaboration with Desert Mountain AHEC and the Paso Del Norte Children’s Development Center, the conference will address updates in genetics, care for children with developmental disorders, and explain how a genetic evaluation can help children with various disabilities, including autism.

Dr. Claudia Soler-Alfonso, assistant professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor, will lead the discussion with a presentation about genes and autism. In addition, Laura Buckner, licensed professional counselor with the University of Texas, Texas Center for Disability Studies will speak about what you can do today to help prepare for the future.

The resource fair will offer current information on care, education and research as they relate to developmental disorders and encourages networking within the community by connecting patients and their families with resources and with one another.

The program is free and open to the public, but registration by May 1 is required. The seminar will be held at Project Amistad, located at 3210 Dyer Street in El Paso. The resource fair begins at 9 a.m., the conference will follow at 10 a.m. with educational events running until 1 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. See registration and contact information.

This conference is supported by the University of Texas, Texas Center for Disability Studies and the Texas Department of State Health Services. Simultaneous translation will be provided.