We’re headed to the global city of Houston!  That’s right, “The Space City”, “The Bayou City”, or “H-Town” (to name a few of its many nicknames) is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America and the largest city in Texas and will play host to the 38th Annual Convention of the AAIDD Texas Chapter on July 23-26, 2013. The convention will take place at the magnificent Westin Galleria, an area of urban development, entertainment, shopping, and culture.  Our Convention Planning Committee has begun work in planning to develop a conference that will be full of pertinent and inspiring information, fun activities, and resources to support persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their families, advocates, direct support staff and other professionals working in the IDD field, and all who attend.  This year’s theme is “Connecting Communities… Improving Lives”, which truly describes a state of linking and integrating systems and communities that results in continuous improvement and meaningful outcomes in a person’s life.  This goes beyond simply providing a service.  So, get your plans ready and stay connected, because there is more to come!

The Call for Papers has been released and I encourage you to support AAIDD Texas Chapter by preparing presentations and/or recommending to your colleagues and friends in the IDD field to share their research, best practices, expertise, and leadership by preparing presentations for our Convention.  Also, sponsorship gives you and/or your organization the opportunity to support AAIDD Texas Chapter’s Convention to enhance the quality of services and provide meaningful opportunities and choices for people with IDD and their families.  Contact members of our Exhibitors/Sponsors sub-committee or any member of the Planning Committee to learn more about sponsorship.  You may also contact us for more information.



38th Annual Convention Committee