Keynote: Playing Dominos
Dr. Meghan Barlow will present common obstacles encountered while teaching challenging students. She will provide insight into how conditions such as autism, giftedness, anxiety, learning disorders, and mood disorders can present in the classroom setting. She will offer guidance for teachers and school staff to effectively clear a path for learning. Going beyond teaching specific strategies, Dr. Barlow will present a method for developing intervention plans for the most challenging students.
Conference participants will then choose three workshops (from 6 options) that delve deeper into a specific condition.
8:15-9:15: Keynote
9:30-10:45: Session 1A or 1B
- Classroom Strategies to Support Executive Function – Presented by Katie Greenleaf, MA, LPPC Participants will gain a better understanding of ways executive function deficits present in the classroom. Actionable strategies will be presented to teach students self-awareness, planning, task initiation, forethought, improved transitions and time management.
- Facilitating Coping Skill Development – Presented by Heather Dukes-Murray, Ph.D. Participants will develop a better understanding of how coping skills can decreased challenging behaviors, as well as increase positive mental health and pro-social behaviors. Participants will develop an understanding of how and when to teach coping skills, how to integrate coping skill development into daily activities, and how to practice and prompt taught coping skills. Participants will leave with practical strategies to encourage coping skill development.
11:00-12:15: Session 2A or 2B
- Understanding and Managing High Functioning Autism in the Classroom – Presented by Meghan Barlow, Ph.D. Participants will develop a better understanding of how high functioning autism presents in the classroom, and will be able to identify and understand the underlying causes of common behavioral challenges in the classroom, and will leave with practical strategies for preventing problems and managing autism within the general education setting.
- Depression and Suicidality in Schools – Presented by Heather Dukes-Murray, Ph.D. Participants will develop a better understanding of how depression presents in children and adolescents. They will also develop skills in how to assess suicidal statements and behaviors. Participants will leave with practical tools to help identify “red flags” for suicide, and understanding of steps to take to access help for the person, and an understanding of suicide assessment tools.
12:15-1:15 Lunch
1:15-2:30: Session 3A or 3B
- Making the Classroom a Place to Connect and Thrive for Behaviorally Challenging Students…and Everyone Else! – Presented by Katie Greenleaf, MA. LPCC Participants will gain understanding and practical strategies for helping behaviorally challenging students in ways that are connection-building and relationship-enhancing. Techniques will be taught and demonstrated to provide educators with non-punitive, nonadversarial and skill-building approaches to problem-solving that will proactively eliminate disruptive behavior in the classroom. Focus will be on identifying and addressing barriers to well-being and learning, in order to avoid the never-ending cycle of responding behavior.
- Anxiety in the Classroom – Presented by Rob Adams, Psy.D. A seminar to discuss what typical and disordered anxiety may look like in the classroom environment, and what specific strategies to implement to address the various symptoms that may be present. This seminar will give you insight into what cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness skills are developed in therapy sessions, and how they can be applied during the school day. We will discuss specific case examples, various anxiety disorders, and briefly address special topics like school refusal and social media.
2:45-3:35: Putting it Together Panel – Participants will be presented with a method for developing intervention plans during the keynotes. Throughout the day, they will delve deeper into specific conditions and areas of deficit as well as learn strategies for preventing and managing problems and building skills. The professional development day will conclude with a panel designed to help participants integrate the information from the day and produce practical intervention plans for their most challenging students.
Teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, and school psychologists will leave with practical strategies to begin implementing immediately. Offering 6 hours of professional development/continuing education.
Light breakfast and refreshments provided throughout the day.