Greetings, On the behalf of the American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC), the Board members and I would like to welcome you to the 24th ASDC Conference at the Indiana School for the Deaf, Indianapolis, Indiana. It was 48 years ago that ASDC had their first conference. Although I have attended this conference about ten times, this year holds a very special meaning for ASDC and me since it is the second year that we have held an annual conference instead of the traditional biennial conference. This is due to popular demand. ASDC is so fortunate to have schools lined up wanting the honor to host this well respected conference. The amount of time, energy, people power and money that goes into the ASDC conference every year is evidence of its significance to our community. There is no other conference that is set up to meet the needs of every member in the family. Rest assured this year’s conference has something for everyone in the family, including friends and professionals. The ASDC is proud to say that this conference is one of a kind! This conference could not happen without the support of the many schools that have hosted the conference in the past. To keep the costs of our family style conferences low, schools for the deaf have typically hosted the conferences. This year our thanks and appreciation goes to Indiana School for the Deaf for hosting us. You are in for a wonderful conference with fun filled activities, exciting and educational workshops, the chance to make new friends with fantastic families like your own and the chance to reconnect with old friends you met in years past. This conference is what networking is all about. We are truly blessed to be working closely with the staff and volunteers at Indiana School for the Deaf. The hours, commitment and motivation they have put into planning the conference is staggering. We thank them so much for their dedication and time given in planning this conference. This is a group of people in which the word “impossible” is not a part of their vocabulary – something you will see with your own eyes once the conference begins. Our thanks go out to you as well – the families who attend this conference every year. We thank you for knowing the incredible value that this conference provides to your family and for your willingness to commit your time and resources to make this a priority event to attend. I can’t tell you how many people over the years have told me that attending the ASDC conferences with their family was the highlight of their childhood. I hope you will agree! In closing, I would like to thank everyone for making this conference a reality. This includes the board members, the Indiana School for the Deaf community, members of the ASDC, families and professionals for being part of this not-to-be-forgotten event. Make the best of your stay here and enjoy endlessly. Warmest, Beth S. Benedict, President
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