NACFC 2008 On-Line Registration and Information!

An optional family fun day on Thursday, July 24!!

AmeriFace Family Fun Day

Learn More!!

Register

On-Line Now!

NACFC

Challenge!

Arrive in time for our Welcome Reception at 6PM on Sunday, July 20 and stay over for the optional AmeriFace Family Fun Day on Thursday, so you can enjoy the sights and sounds of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada and hang out with your new-found friends! The Tuscany Suites & Casino is extending the contract rate for three days before and three days after the NACFC event, so take advantage of the great rates and consider vacationing in Las Vegas! (Fri/Sat rate of $125 applies.)

Please provide the following information:

By clicking the Submit button, you agree to be contacted by AboutFace USA and/or cleftAdvocate regarding your interest in the 2008 North American Craniofacial Family Conference (NACFC). You will be re-directed to the registration payment page, where you can choose to pay on-line or by mail using your credit/debit card or check. Thank you and see you in Las Vegas!

(Immediate family only, please. Extended family members, please pay individual registration fee using a separate registration form. Thank you!)

Seek Sponsorship for the 2008 NACFC!

There are many state and local programs offering conference sponsorship for families with children with special health care needs. Check with your team, early intervention provider, etc. for more information.

Additionally, consider taking the NACFC Challenge! Seek sponsorship in whole or in part for this exciting event!

Conference Tax Break for Parents!

On federal income tax returns, the Internal Revenue Service now allows parents to deduct some of the costs associated with attending medical meetings related to their children's health condition. Be sure to keep track of your expenses and check with your accountant!

Travel Information

Las Vegas is a great vacation destination, so watch for value-priced round-trip airfares from just about anywhere in the Continental United States. The Tuscany Suites & Casino is a five-minute cab ride away from McCarren International Airport. Southern Californians and others may prefer to drive.

Register On-Line!!

Your registration includes:

Welcome Reception - Sunday, July 20, 2008, 6:00 PM

All conference activities and breaks on July 21-23, 2008

Continental breakfast - Monday, July 21, Celebration Dinner on July 22, 2008

Buffet lunch on July 23, 2008

Register early and SAVE!

Ask your team to

sponsor your attendance at the NACFC!

The NACFC offers something for every member of the family!

Professionals are welcome at all conference events, of course!

Keynote

William N. Williams, PhD

Professor and Director

University of Florida Craniofacial Center, Gainesville, Florida

What’s the Big Deal about Velopharyngeal Insufficiency?

What Does a Little Hypernasality Matter?

The keynote presentation will describe why velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), an often relatively small opening into the nasal cavity, can cause such troubling speech problems. Information will be presented on the importance of speech sounding “normal,” and what happens to speech (resonance, articulation and voice) when the soft palate is not capable of closing off the opening (velopharyngeal port). Information also will be presented in commonly used strategies in correcting VPI including various surgical techniques, oral prosthetic devices, and/or speech therapy. The presentation will focus on how to best evaluate information provided by the team about velopharyngeal dysfunction, and understanding the reason for a specific treatment plan.

Dr. Bill Williams is Director and Professor of the University of Florida Craniofacial Center. He is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is past president of the Florida Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. He is a recipient of the Florida Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Clinical Achievement Award, and the Honors of the Florida Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. He has published extensively on the topic of communicative disorders associated with craniofacial malformations. Dr. Williams is currently serving as principal investigator of an international NIH/NIDCR clinical trial investigating velopharyngeal function for speech for patients undergoing the von Langenbeck and the Furlow double z-palatoplasty in repairing cleft lip and palate.

Special Guest

Renée Rosen

Author, Marketing Consultant

Every Crooked Pot

Everyone has a Past...It’s Called Childhood!

Renée Rosen used her experiences of growing up with a hemangioma to craft her critically acclaimed debut novel, Every Crooked Pot. Growing up in Akron, OH during the 1970s, she was often teased and ridiculed by classmates because of her birthmark and underwent several experimental medical procedures including laser treatments which were in their infancy at the time. Renee will discuss her novel and her journey to overcome the physical and emotional scars of her birthmark, along with the hidden blessings that arise from being ‘different.’

Ms. Rosen has studied fiction writing with authors Susan Minot, Carol Anshaw, and Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Michael Cunningham. She has contributed to many magazines and newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Complete Woman, DAME Magazine, Publishers Weekly, and Chicago Magazine. She is a freelance writer and marketing consultant in Chicago and is currently working on a new novel.

Published by St. Martin’s Press, Every Crooked Pot is a 2007 Booklist Editors’ Choice pick, and has recently been nominated for a top spot on the 2008 Teen’s Top Ten List.

Specialty Workshops

Parents

Workshops are designed to answer the most pressing questions for parents with children of all ages. Topics will include speech and language, genetics, early intervention and other education services, a guide to managing healthcare information, how to best interface with your insurance company, family and couples relationships, and more.

Adults

Sessions will focus on issues important to adults with facial differences, such as secondary surgery and treatment, tackling insurance hurdles, social and behavioral skills, and employment and ADA law. Focus groups for those interested in outreach are scheduled.

Teens (Ages 14-17)

With a focus on goal-setting and developing social and behavioral skills, get ready for fun-filled workshops that will help you communicate with parents, siblings, peers, and adults like doctors and teachers. Great information for students in high school as well as recent graduates who will be going to college or entering the workforce. Siblings are included in all activities.

Pre-Teens (Ages 11-13)

The middle school years are a time of transition. Workshops are designed to help pre-teens recognize and maximize their potential in school and the community, and learn how to best communicate their ideas and opinions about friends, family, school and their healthcare. Siblings are included in all activities.

Explorers' Club (Ages 7-10)

Games and activities with both education and fun in mind! Sessions will help children understand their trip to the doctor and develop their social skills so they can answer questions about their facial difference when parents aren’t around. Siblings are included in all activities.

Kids' Camp (Ages 0-6)

Childcare for the little ones will be provided for your convenience. Plenty of fun close-by so parents can benefit from workshop activities, and know their little ones are safe and sound. Activities, games, videos, and more! Siblings are included in all activities.

Pathfinder Workshop

Whether your interest is one-to-one family support, or you seek to establish an extensive

local/regional support organization, the Pathfinder Outreach Workshop will provide the tools you need to launch and maintain your own outreach program. If you’ve ever imagined reaching out to the parents of a newborn, sharing your experiences with other individuals with facial differences, or helping the medical and educational communities understand what families need, join us for tips and training, outreach materials and ideas, and interaction with other Pathfinders from around the country.

The Pathfinder Outreach Workshop will begin at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, July 22; childcare will be provided. This workshop will include interaction in focus groups.

Team coordinators, social workers and other interested professionals are encouraged to attend.

Childcare

Kids’ Camp childcare will be provided free of charge for your convenience. Services are available only for those attending conference events and parents/guardians must remain on hotel property while children are in childcare. A signed permission slip/waiver is required.

AmeriFace Family Fun Day (optional)

Of course, we would love for you to stay over for the optional Family Fun Day on Thursday, July 24. Although there are no formal conference activities scheduled, you might consider visiting area attractions (Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Circus-Circus Adventuredome theme park, area museums and more) or just hang out at the pool with new-found friends. Hotel group rate applies three days before and three days after our event.

Additional Details

About us...

AmeriFace, formerly AboutFace USA, and cleftAdvocate are dedicated to the support of individuals with facial differences and their families. In partnership with our conference sponsors, we will bring you the very best in educational resources, and the very best in fun! The NACFC will offer valuable information, as well as social opportunities to enhance the conference experience.

What is the registration fee?

Register early and save! Program registration is just $125 per person or $175 per family (immediate family members only, please. Extended family members pay the per person registration fee). Late registration (after May 15, 2008), add $25.

This fee includes entry to all joint sessions and workshops, including the Pathfinder Outreach Workshop

Sunday night's Welcome Reception (July 20), Monday's continental breakfast and Tuesday's Celebration Dinner, and Wednesday's lunch buffet are also included!

Travel and Accommodations

Hotel and airline reservations are the responsibility of conference attendees.

The Tuscany Suites & Casino has extended an excellent rate to NACFC attendees; reservations must be made before June 13 at 5:00 PM to take advantage of the negotiated group rates. Payment for the first night’s stay plus applicable taxes is required as a deposit to confirm your reservation. Special group rates are extended for three days before and

three days after our event, so extend your stay and enjoy!

Book your stay at the Tuscany Suites & Casino at www.tuscanylv.com or call the Reservations Department at

(877) 887-2261. Use code 11L2QS when making your reservation. Group rates are as follows:

Oversized Suites! Take the Virtual Tour at www.tuscanylv.com!

Single/Double Occupancy - $65.00* per night, Sunday - Thursday

Single/Double Occupancy - $125.00* per night, Friday, Saturday

To participate fully in the conference, a minimum three-night stay is required, arriving in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 20 and departing as early as Wednesday evening, July 23. If you plan to participate in the AmeriFace Family Fun Day activities on July 24, be sure to book at least one additional room night at the hotel.

* Rates are net, single or double occupancy plus Clark County room tax which is currently 9%. Additional guest are $20 each per night and children 12 years and under stay free when sharing accommodations with an adult (maximum of four people per room).

Remember to mention conference code 11L2QS at time of booking!

Attendees must make their room reservations before June 13, 2008 to take advantage of the

special group rates. First night room and tax deposit is required to confirm reservations.

Please help us plan your NACFC experience!