PATCHOGUE, NY – SEPTEMBER 1, 2006 – The Council for Exceptional Children/Child Study Club (CEC/CS) of St. Joseph’s College will host their first Exceptionality Convention during the week of Monday, September 25 through Saturday, September 30, 2006. The convention, which will focus on raising awareness of children with exceptionalities, such as autism, Down syndrome, mental retardation and muscular dystrophy, will conclude with a day of exploratory events, including wheelchair races and sensory searches. The Exceptionality Convention is for all ages and is open to the public. All event proceeds will go to various charitable organizations.

During the weeklong convention, a variety of guest speakers are scheduled to hold information sessions and workshops, while students will host an assortment of games and events, including sign language classes, art and music therapy tutorials, a scholastic book fair and various sports activities on the College’s Suffolk Campus. Presenters include the Developmental Disabilities Institute, the Cleary School for the Deaf and the Association for Children with Down syndrome. Medical experts will also be available to present research studies in the areas of exceptionalities, including Dr. Ted Carr, a clinical psychologist from Stony Brook Medical Center, who will speak about “Understanding & Treating Problem Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder” and Dr. Raymond DiGuiseppe, Chairperson of the St. John’s University Doctor of Psychology program, who will present his research on anger. Individuals from the Special Olympics and parents of students with disabilities will also be in attendance.

The CEC is part of a national organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for children with special needs. It is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted.

The Child Study Club at St. Joseph’s College is for prospective teachers and those with a love for children. Throughout the year, the club participates in an array of fundraising activities that include a Chinese Auction, the Helping Hands Christmas Party and charity work with the Help Suffolk Shelter, all enhancing their love for children and their responsibility to civic duty. Members of the Child Study Club also visit hospitals, shelters and attend workshops to further their education.

The CEC/CS is a source for information for all parents on Long Island who have children with special needs. To obtain a copy of the convention schedule or for more information, please contact Nicole Entler, Vice President of CEC, at (631) 697-9807 or email: nje6611@student.sjcny.edu.

St. Joseph’s College is located at 155 W. Roe Blvd. in Patchogue, and is accessible via the South Service Road of Sunrise Highway, just east of Exit 52 (Waverly Ave.).

About St. Joseph's College

St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility, and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Long Island, the College offers degrees in numerous majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs through its School of Arts and Sciences and its School of Professional and Graduate Studies.