Glasgow is preparing to welcome 52 of the world’s leading experts in the field of social communication and learning difficulties as they prepare to share new information with up to 1,000 delegates on the subject of the social and educational needs of some of the youngest and most vulnerable members of society.
Organised by Scottish charity Mindroom, the ‘No Mind Left Behind’ conference will take place at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on the 29 and 30 March 2011 to discuss, update and exchange latest findings on autism, dyslexia, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
It will host delegates from 19 different countries, bring £978,000 in economic impact to Glasgow, and showcase ‘No Mind Left Behind Virtual’ – a key innovation in virtual conferencing, developed by a Glasgow academic.
Alessandro Vinciarelli, Lecturer at Glasgow University and Senior Researcher at Idiap Research Institute (Switzerland), who created the unique software in conjunction with Swiss IT firm, Klewel, said:
“The entire conference will be filmed and made available to view online offering delegates, both present and ‘virtual’, the opportunity to use the material to suit their own purposes for up to a year after the conference. It’s of crucial benefit to families and carers of people with learning difficulties throughout the world who can’t make it to the conference in person."
“We not only use a microphone and camera to record speakers, but also a “frame-grabber” that simultaneously captures whatever the presenter has on screen at the point of delivering the information. The result is a double information stream, automatically processed to ensure full access to knowledge and information delivered by the speakers.”
The conference – Mindroom’s fifth in ten years and second time in Glasgow – has been organised by the charity’s Founder Sophie Dow and Professor Christopher Gillberg, Professor at the University of Glasgow and enjoys the support of Queen Silvia of Sweden as its Patron.
Sophie credits her daughter Annie, 20, as being the inspiration behind her work to help children and parents of children with learning difficulties. After Annie was diagnosed with learning difficulties at the age of three, Sophie resolved to make creating and raising awareness of learning difficulties her life’s work.
She set up Mindroom in 2001, and now the team collaborates with experts across the field in neurodevelopmental disorders, politicians and health and education professionals in order to identify and uncover information on people with all kinds of learning difficulties and provide direct help and support to families.
Sophie said: “To have 52 of the world’s leading learning difficulty experts – all of them giving their time for free – come to Glasgow to discuss and debate learning difficulties is wonderful. The conference will allow health and education professionals, specialists, parents and carers to share and increase knowledge and understanding of all kinds of minds."
“The importance of the virtual conferencing facility, No Mind Left Behind Virtual, cannot be understated. It literally multiplies the number of people who benefit from the information presented and discussed. Not only that - the Scottish Government has given its full backing to the conference and has arranged funding for representatives from local authorities throughout Scotland to attend the conference so that they may take that crucial information back to their friends and colleagues – that really is invaluable."
“Currently, there are up to 30,000 adults with learning difficulties in Scotland and 86% are unemployed as they never got the help they so desperately needed as a child. With early intervention, if young children with learning difficulties are properly diagnosed and supported, they can make a tremendously positive contribution to society as they grow and develop into adulthood. That’s why early identification is key to a positive future.”
Commenting on the significance of the conference, Christopher Gillberg, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the University of Gothenburg and the University of Glasgow, said: “This conference will be one of the great events in the history of sharing new information in child neuropsychiatry and neurodevelopment. At least one child in every class is socially excluded – and at least two more children in that same class struggle with one or more learning difficulties."
“As we continue to learn more about the human brain, and about challenging aspects of our increasingly complex society, the numbers of people needing help for social interaction problems and/or learning difficulties will continue to grow. At the same time too few are being effectively identified and supported."
“If left undiagnosed or untreated, social interaction problems and/or learning difficulties will become the biggest public health issue of our time.”
Scott Taylor, Chief Executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “No Mind Left Behind is a hugely significant, global event in terms of helping people with learning difficulties and their families, and we’re delighted to see it back in the city for a second time."
“We’re particularly pleased to note that the unique software being used by No Mind Left Behind Virtual has been developed by Glasgow academic, Alessandro Vinciarelli. With such a huge level of interest in the conference already, and an expected spend of £978,000 in the city, we’re sure Sophie, the organising team and delegates will enjoy a very successful, innovative and informative conference.”
Mindroom supporter and renowned Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith, says: "Mindroom has done wonderful work in Scotland in raising awareness of the various forms of learning difficulties. Now this work takes to a truly international stage with the No Mind Left Behind conference."
“It is a real achievement on Mindroom's part to get together the world's authorities on this issue. The results should be both exciting and helpful."
