SPEAKER SERIES
2013-2014

All events are free and open to the public. 

DATE: September 16, 2013
TITLE: Start the Year Off Right: Know Your Child’s Rights; Know the Special Ed Process; Know When Not to Go it Alone
PRESENTER: Attorney Robin P. Keller
SUMMARY: Discussion of the special education process with the goal of helping parents recognize what the procedures should be, when they have hit roadblocks, and what they need to overcome those barriers to help their children be successful.
MATERIALS: Special Ed Process (PDF Format)

DATE: October 22, 2013
TITLE: All in the Family: Parenting Children with ADHD (For Parents with and Without ADHD)
PRESENTER: Attorney Robin P. Keller
MATERIALS: Parenting Children with ADHD (PDF Format)

DATE: November 18, 2013
TITLE: The Scoop on Psych Testing: What Do All Those Numbers Really Mean?
PRESENTER: Caley Schwartz, Ph.D.
SUMMARY: Overview of common areas examined in psychological and psycho-educational testing, including IQ, achievement, memory, executive functioning, social communication, and developmental evaluations. Discussion of the importance of psych testing, what information can be gained, how to interpret the numbers you see in reports, and the importance of recommendations made based on the conclusions of the testing.
MATERIALS: Psych Testing (PDF Format)

DATE: December 9, 2013
TITLE: Encouraging Responsibility and Independence: The Power of Positive Communication (at school, at home, and in the social arena)
PRESENTER: Dave Sylvestro
SUMMARY: Discussion of the importance of promoting independence through positive interactions for children with ADHAD and Learning Disabilites. Presentation of strategies to guide the breaking of the enabling cycle and some suggestions for the holidays.
MATERIALS: Positive Communication (Powerpoint Format)

DATE: January 13, 2014
TITLE: PANDAS/PANS: Transforming a Devastating Chronic Illness into a Treatable Disorder
PRESENTER: Nancy O’Hara, M.D.
SUMMARY: Overview of Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, or PANDAS, a common autoimmune disorder with far-reaching movement, behavioral, and cognitive consequences. Discussion of issues/effects related to this illness: OCD, tics, anxiety, bedtime fears, inability to control urination, aggression, and deficits in learning, attention, and social interaction.

DATE: February 10, 2014
TITLE: Raising a Child with Down Syndrome
SUMMARY: Presentation and discussion by a panel of parents of children with Down Syndrome and an adult with Down Syndrome.

DATE: March 6, 2014
TITLE: Helping Your Child — and Yourself — Conquer Anxiety: Evidence-Based Techniques
PRESENTER: Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D.
SUMMARY: Presentation of scientifically documented strategies that heal the physical effects of anxiety and promote stress-resilience for children with LD, ADHD or any developmental disability who suffers from anxiety as an unavoidable response to the challenges of daily life. These strategies are also beneficial to parents of children with special needs who also experience anxiety, as they attempt to balance the demands of their own lives with understanding, supporting and advocating for their children.
MATERIALS: Manage Stress (PDF Format)

DATE: March 17, 2014
TITLE: Understanding Challenging Behaviors in Young Children
PRESENTER: Sherri O’Neal
SUMMARY: Presentation by parent consultant from the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) regarding IDEA, communication and advocacy.

DATE: April 28, 2014
TITLE: Learning to Look: Observing and Learning from Children’s Behaviors
PRESENTER: Lorraine Ehlers-Flint, Ph.D.
SUMMARY: Discussion of ways to observe, analyze and build on a child’s play. Presentation of Floortime, a model which uses play therapeutically to engage children of all ages and to develop their intentional communication, social problem solving, symbolic play and abstract thinking.

DATE: May 29, 2014
TITLE: Language-Based Learning Disabilities: How Language Problems Affect Academic Performance
PRESENTER: Lydia H. Soifer, Ph.D.
SUMMARY: Provision of up-to-date information, by a language pathologist with over 35 years’ experience in clinical and private practice and university teaching, to help parents be more informed advocates for their children.
  

Visit THE ARCHIVES for descriptions of previous Speaker Series presentations, as well as downloadable materials.