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SMS UK Foundation Conference 2013

We are pleased to announce that the 2013 conference will be held over the weekend of 1st-2nd June. We will be returning to the Crowne Plaza Hotel NEC Birmingham which successfully hosted the 2009 conference.

The Crowne Plaza Birmingham NEC hotel offers contempoary hotel accommodation featuring air-conditioning, high-speed Internet access (additional charge) and TV with movies on demand. The Crowne Plaza Birmingham NEC hotel is located on the doorstep of the LG Arena and NEC, near to Birmingham International Airport. Set in landscaped grounds overlooking Pendigo Lake, the hotel is just a 5 minute drive from the Airport and rail station, 10 miles from Birmingham City Centre and within easy reach of many major UK motorways (M5, M6, M40 and M42). For further details about the hotel and facilities please visit the Crowne Plaza website.

Following on from our success in 2011 we will be adopting a similar format with presentations on the Saturday and groups/workshops on the Sunday. There will be a creche facility provided on both days by Tinies Childcare who have also agreed to accommodate some of our adult SMS attendees too. 

There will be evening entertainment with buffet on Saturday with the entertainment geared towards the children which will allow the adults more time to have a drink and a chat. 

Following on from registration there will be presentations planned to cover the following topics:

  • Introduction and general overview of SMS (Dr Alison Male)
  • A SMS Research Update (Prof Chis Oliver and Lucy Wilde)
  • Understanding and dealing with challenging behaviour (Challenging Behaviour Foundation)
  • Benefits and support available (Department of Work and Pensions)
  • Sensory Integration
  • Education and Communication

On Sunday morning there will be an AGM directly after registration, which will give members an opportunity to meet the board of trustees and learn more about the SMS Foundation (we urge as many members to attend this as possible). Following this we will be providing the opportunity for both structured and informal workshops, some facilitated by professionals and others just allowing for free discussion with parents and carers of similar aged children.

Topics planned to be covered include:

  • Sleep
  • Behaviour
  • Education
  • Genetics
  • Health
  • Placements for the over 16’s

If any members have any further suggestions of topics they wish to be covered in our group workshops then please feel free to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will do our best to accommodate your suggestions.

The SMS conference is fantastic opportunity for families to network and connect with other families and is available to all members of the SMS Foundation. To become a member of the Foundation please click here, registering is simple and can be done online and will only take a few minutes.

Prices for the 2013 Conference

Full package:

£125 per adult (includes accommodation on Saturday night, all meals, conference and refreshments, Saturday evening entertainment)
£10 per child (per day) for those attending the creche *
* Creche is free for SMS children/adults. Adults with SMS will not be charged for conference.

Conference/Workshops day package:

£30 per adult day rate (includes lunch and conference refreshments but does not include accommodation or evening buffet/entertainment)
£25 for dinner/entertainment Saturday night for non-residential guests
£10 per child (per day) for those attending the creche *
* Creche is free for SMS children/adults

To complete our online registration form, please click here. Alternatively to download our registration PDF form, click here.

This conference is subsidised by the SMS Foundation UK and all attempts have been made to keep it as affordable as possible for attendees whilst maintaining the viability of the Foundation itself.

We work hard to provide good value for you and the Foundations money, and appreciate that it may be a lot of money for some families, so wherever possible we will attempt to assist with resourcing funds. Please contact us through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Additional information