The fifth annual Autism Conference took place Monday at James Madison University. Currently in the Unites States, one in 150 children suffers from some form of autism, a developmental disorder.

The event was sponsored by the Shenandoah Valley Autism Partnership and hosted guest speaker William Stillman, who suffers from the disorder.

Parents and teachers from across the state came to learn more about autism and how to cope with the condition, including helping children who have it.

Stillman says, "People have complicated autism so much. What they need to understand is, irregardless of how severely impaired someone appears to be on the surface, we must always presume intellect."

Some of the parents who came, such as Fonda Watson who is also a member of the autism partnership, know first hand how hard it is to cope with the disorder.

She says, "It's very challenging. He's on the lower end of the spectrum. Doesn't have a lot of speech. So it's very difficult for him to communicate his needs and desires."

Watson's son suffers from the disorder so she realizes how difficult it must be for her son and others who feel differently.