| Anna L. Mallory

anna.mallory@roanoke.com, 381-8627

An annual conference designed to connect parents of children in special education with doctors and resources is coming to Roanoke next weekend.

The conference, called "Strong Roots for a Healthy Future," will offer sessions updating parents on special education laws, behavioral health resources and the transition into adulthood, among others, and give them a chance to meet other parents and medical providers as well.

Jamie Ryan, a parent of two children, one with both Asperger's syndrome and pediatric bipolar disorder, learned about the conference about three years ago. Since then, she has attended it annually and said it's been a blessing. She said this conference is different because parents get a cross-section of what's out there, from school resources to behavioral experts, new medical treatments and support groups.

"As a parent it was just incredible because I didn't have to take time to go to four or five conferences or to research on the Internet," she said.

Before the conference, she said she "had a case of the 'why me's?' " and the conference empowered her and gave her a sense of "why not me?'."

The meeting also designed to help doctors understand better the nonmedical issues patients face.

Colleen Kraft, associate professor of pediatrics at the new Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, said the meetings aim to bridge a gap between physician, patient and education.

She worked for 20 years as a pediatrician.

The conference, which will take place at the Hotel Roanoke, lets doctors sit in on lessons about special education regulations and in-school obstacles that could hinder a child, she said.

"We didn't learn any of this in medical school," she said. "When families would come to me because a child is failing at school and I can't diagnose them with something, I wouldn't know what to do."

Conversely, parents can meet doctors and service providers in the area.

Diane Eaton, a specialist with Virginia Tech's Training and Technical Assistance Center, which works with special education students in more than 30 counties, said she urges parents to take part.

The center is not hosting the conference, but Eaton said she received good feedback when she forwarded the information about the conference to school systems.

"The thing about children with disabilities is they rely on the schools for a one-stop shop, and this provides information outside of the school," she said. She pointed to the workshop on transitions as an example.

Richmond-based Medical Home Plus, a company that works with families of special needs students, is the main sponsor. Parents must pay $25 to attend and baby-sitting services are an extra $10.

To open the conference on Saturday, Michael Manos of the Cleveland Clinic will present a primer on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Other sessions will focus on special needs trusts, systems of care and preventing family crises.

To find out more about the conference, visit: www.cpe.vt.edu/srhf/schedule.html