Rehab Seminars

Concurrent Courses and Course Faculty:

 Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation in Early Intervention and Preschool- By Marie Anzalone, ScD, OTR, FAOTA, Virginia Commonwealth University

 Augmentative-Alternative Communication  (AAC) - Social Networks: Improving Practice and Outcomes, & Future Directions in AAC- By Sarah Blackstone, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, ACI President and Project Director of AAC-RERC

 Cognition & Autism- By Jill Lehman, PhD, Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University

 Effective Behavioral Strategies for Students with Learning and Emotional Disabilities: What to do with the Defiant, Argumentative, Disruptive, Aggressive, Noncompliant, Withdrawn, Shy, or Quiet Student- By Douglas Cheney, PhD, University of Washington

 Special Considerations when Teaching Students with High Functioning Autism/Aspergers (HFA/AS)- By Rebecca Klaw, M.S., M.Ed., Autism Services by Klaw

 Effective Behavioral Strategies for Students with Autism and Multiple Disabilities- By Dr. Carol Davis, Ed.D., University of Washington

 Can We Avoid Re-Inventing the Wheel?  What Washington’s Response to Intervention (RTI) Pilot Schools can offer Fellow Schools as they Develop RTI Models of Problem Solving- By Steve Hirsch, PhD, RTI Consultant

 Planning the Possible: How Schools Can Use Stimulus Dollars for Lasting Impact-  By Ann Cunningham-Morris, M.Ed., Ed.S, Director of Professional Development of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

General Conference Information

Conference Target Audience:

Professionals working with special needs students in public and private schools, private practice, hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health, and other educational settings.  Concurrent sessions are offered, allowing you to better meet your professional needs.

• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Special Education Teachers
• Occupational Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• School Psychologists
• Behavior Specialists
• Administrators, Special Education Directors and Principals
• Paraprofessionals, Assistants, and Parents

Program Description:

The purpose of this conference is to provide up-to-date research and treatment strategies on a wide variety of special education issues. This conference provides numerous opportunities for professionals to acquire new information and ideas to work collaboratively to meet the needs of students with special needs. Therapists and educators will enhance their knowledge of best practice in instructional strategies. Participants will have the opportunity to hear nationally and internationally recognized speakers on a variety of topics.  Educators can attend selected concurrent sessions to best meet their professional needs.

General Conference Timeline

7:00 to 8:00   Sign-in at general registration desk- Coffee & tea served. CE and college credit registration booths open for registration

8:00                Concurrent sessions begin

10:00-10:15 Break

10:15-12:00 Concurrent sessions continue

12:00-1:00    Lunch- On your own. Snacks served. All attendees must sign-in after lunch.

1:00-3:30       Concurrent sessions continued

3:30                Sessions end; complete and turn in your evaluation forms and pick-up your certificate of course completion.

Conference Speakers and Courses

 Session #1 -

 Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation in Early Intervention and Preschool

Day One of this Two-Day Course

By Marie Anzalone, ScD, OTR, FAOTA

Target Audience: Occupational Therapists and Assistants, Classroom Teachers and Assistants,  Speech-Language Pathologists and Assistants, and Physical Therapists and Assistants.

 About the Speaker 

Marie Anzalone, ScD, OTR, FAOTA, is Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University and a LEND faculty member at the Albert Einstein Medical School in the Bronx, NY.  Previously, she was on the faculty of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.  Dr. Anzalone has presented and published extensively in the area of sensory processing in infants and young children. Dr. Anzalone is a Graduate Fellow of Zero-to-Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families (the first occupational therapist to have received this honor), and a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association. She has served as a consultant to the New York State Department of Education in the development of preschool service guidelines.  Her current research focuses on mother-child interaction during play, goodness-of-fit between parents and children with regulatory or sensory processing disorders, and the efficacy of sensory integration intervention with children who have autism.  With Gordon Williamson, Dr. Anzalone co-authored the book, Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation in Infants and Toddlers: Helping Very Young Children Interact with their Environment.

Course Summary:  This course is designed to integrate current thinking about sensory integration with ideas of behavioral organization and family-centered care for the young child. Participants will learn a new framework for understanding individual differences in sensory-based self-regulation, based on sensory integration theory.  How this model can be integrated across discipline boundaries to help foster goodness-of-fit during play and therapeutic interactions will be highlighted.  Clinical reasoning and intervention with different types of sensory integration problems will be the focus.

 Course Objectives:

Participants will:

• Describe sensory contributions to self and mutual regulation of arousal, attention, affect, and action of young children.
• Recognize child behaviors indicative of different types of sensory integrative deficits and individual differences.
• Describe a new framework for understanding individual differences in sensory-based self regulation, based on sensory integration theory.

Thursday- March 11, 2010

8:00-10:00                  Sensory Integration Overview.  Sensation & Regulation of the 4 A’s                                                        Sensory Threshold & Modulation

10:00-10:15                 Break

10:15-12:00            Case Study Illustrations: Sensory Modulation; Praxis: Sensation and Action

12:00-1:00                Lunch

1:00-3:30                  Case Study Illustration: Dyspraxia; Regulatory Disorders, Developmental Coordination         Disorder and Sensory Integration; Assessment

Session #2 - Day One

Thursday - March 11, 2010  

Cognition & Autism

By Jill Lehman, Ph.D.

Target Audience: Special Education Teachers and Assistants, Occupational Therapists and Assistants, Physical Therapists and Assistants, Speech-Language Pathologists and Assistants and other professionals who work with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

 About the Speaker 

Jill Lehman, Ph.D., has been a researcher in the cognitive & computer sciences for more than 20 years. As a Senior Scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, she authored more than 40 publications on modeling human language and cognitive processes. She is the parent of a child with ASD and the owner of KidAccess, Inc., a company dedicated to using cognitive science to support children with cognitive impairments.

Course Summary:  Conventional wisdom says visual memory & visual reasoning tasks are areas of strength for most children with autism. But how do visual learners learn? And how can you use what we know about visual thinking in everyday situations to help teach communication, organization, sequencing, and time-related concepts? This workshop helps participants understand the basic cognitive theory that explains some of the child with autism’s learning style. Theory is reinforced by participation in exercises that will give you a deeper understanding of how your own thinking and the thinking of the children you work with, may differ.  We then apply theory and experience in discussing concrete teaching strategies that can be used to support children with autism in school and in life.

Course Objectives:

Participants will learn:

§       Characteristics of how memory, language and vision work together in the neurotypical brain.

§       A model of how differences in these cognitive processes in children with autism lead to differences in understanding and learning.

§       Practical applications of the model that make the kinds of visual supports in common use (e.g. calendars) more effective.

§       Why generalization is a problem in picture-based early communication and how to help children with autism learn conventional meaning.

§       Ways in which the visual system can be recruited to teach higher-level language skills that are at the heart of both school curricula and social interaction.

Thursday- March 11, 2010

8:00-10:00                    Understanding Meaning and Memory in Yourself and the Visual                                    Thinker (Exercises 1 and 2); Choosing the Right Level of Visual Support for Each                                    Child

10:00-10:15                 Break

10:15-12:00                 Visual Support Continued; Using Visuals to Teach Routines, Manage                                   Expectations and Anchor the Child in the Social World

12:00-1:00                   Lunch

1:00-3:30                       Communication and the Visual Thinker (Exercise 3); Language Basics:                                      The Problem of Establishing Conventional Meaning in Bottom-up                                      Language Learners and Top-down “Scripters”; Scaffolding Narrative                                      Skills (Exercise 4)

                                    Questions & Answers

 Session #3 - Day One        

Thursday - March 11, 2010

Effective Behavioral Strategies for Students with Learning and Emotional Disabilities: What to do with the Defiant, Argumentative, Disruptive, Aggressive, Noncompliant, Withdrawn, Shy, or Quiet Student.

 By Douglas Cheney, PhD

Target Audience: Special Education Teachers and Assistants, Classroom Teachers, School Psychologists, Behvior Specialists, Therapists, and other professionals.

About the Speaker

Douglas Cheney, Ph.D., is Professor of Special Education at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle, where he teaches classroom and behavior management, and functional behavioral assessment in the special education master’s and doctoral programs. He has 35 years experience in special education, and is a national leader in the area of emotional and behavioral disabilities. He currently directs UW’s master’s program to prepare teachers for educating students with emotional or behavioral disabilities; and was Co-Principal Investigator on UW’s OSEP-funded doctoral training program in Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) from 2000-05. He is currently the Principal Investigator  on Washington’s Behavior Research Center on Evidenced Based Practices (federally funded), and co-directs Washington’s Positive Behavior Support Network. The network provides training and evaluation to Washington schools implementing PBS.

 Dr. Cheney is co-editor of The Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, an Associate Editor for Intervention in the School and Clinic, and a Consulting Editor for Behavioral Disorders and Beyond Behavior. He co-chaired Washington’s Statewide Task Force on Behavioral Disorders from 1997-99, which provided a blueprint for the state’s positive behavior support model and is a Past President (1998-99) of the International Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders. He was Director of the Institute on Emotional Disturbance at Keene State College, New Hampshire from 1992-1997, where he evaluated model programs for students with emotional disturbance. Dr. Cheney presents his research findings frequently at national conferences and in publications, and has numerous articles and chapters on positive behavioral support for students with EBD, and school and family collaboration.

 Course Summary:  The school wide positive behavior (SPBS) support model emphasizes varying levels of support for students and staff to enhance positive social behavior and decrease problematic behavior.  In this workshop, Dr. Cheney will cover the essential features and outcomes for SPBS. He will then discuss examples of Tier 2 Behavioral interventions such as the “Check, Connect, and Expect,” developed and evaluated by Dr. Cheney in Washington schools. CCE has a school-based coach that works daily with teachers and students to set social goals, check student progress, provide reinforcement when students meet goals, and communicate student progress to parents.  Additional supports are available in the form of social skill instruction and problem-solving when students are not meeting daily social expectations. Social and academic outcome data from using the CCE approach in 18 elementary schools will be presented. Finally, recommendations for using function-based interventions with students at Tier 3 of the model will be presented.

Course Objectives:

 Participants will gain an overview and detailed recommendations for:

• Implementing school wide positive behavior support in their schools.
• Developing and implementing Tier 2 behavioral interventions at the school and classroom levels.
• Developing and implementing Tier 3 behavioral interventions at the school and classroom levels.
• Conducting data-based decision making in the school.

Session #3- Day One

Thursday- March 11, 2010

8:00-10:00                                      Introduction to Positive Behavior Support Model

10:00-10:15                 Break

10:15-12:00                 Tier 2 Intervention Strategies

12:00-1:00                   Lunch

1:00-3:00                    Tier 3 Intervention Strategies

3:00-3:30                    Summary- Questions & Answers

Session #4 - Day One

Thursday - March 11, 2010 

Can We Avoid Re-Inventing the Wheel?  What Washington’s Response to Intervention (RTI) Pilot Schools can offer Fellow Schools as they Develop RTI Models of Problem Solving.

By Steve Hirsch, PhD

Target Audience: Special Education Teachers and Assistants, Classroom Teachers, School Psychologists, Behavior Specialists, Therapists, and other professionals working in schools.

 About the Speaker

Steve Hirsch, PhD

Dr. Hirsch received both his BS (’73) and MA (’’77) degrees in Experimental Psychology from Brooklyn College and his PhD in Bio-Behavioral Psychology (’79) from the University of Washington.  Long before the acronym “RTI” was uttered in this state, he discovered that if you raise the self-esteem of students, you will actually increase their learning and productivity.  

Dr. Hirsch has most recently been involved in numerous RTI development activities around the state. He is a member of the steering committee that published the OSPI manual, “Using RTI for Washington’s Students” and more recently, “RTI Assessment for Teachers”. He has delivered numerous presentations on various RTI topics in school districts, and at state and regional conferences.  He has consulted with school districts on implementing RTI procedures in their districts and is currently a contractor for OSPI, assisting schools in adopting RTI procedures as a way of problem-solving and data-based decision making.  

Course Summary:  For several years, a core of Washington schools have been pursuing the development of an RTI framework when helping struggling students.  We will review the progress of these pilot schools from the perspective of what works, what doesn’t work, and which concepts and practices can be easily incorporated by schools beginning to explore RTI.  School districts looking to extend their initial efforts will benefit from hearing about specific topics.

 Course Objectives:

As a result of this course, attendees will:

§       Have a clearer idea of how to use perceived need for RTI to create a climate of change and sustainability.

§       Understand where additional resources (web- and mentor-based) are available.

§       Have options for conducting a functional needs assessment survey in school.

§       Be able to create assessment and intervention pathways for school that will encourage and guide future RTI planning.

§       Have a knowledge base of what universal screeners are available, how to manage and make use of the data.

§       Understand how assessment and intervention systems/pathways can be developed and implemented for reading, math, written language and social-emotional behavior.

§       Be prepared to raise and discuss crucial unresolved issues surrounding RTI.

Session #4 Day One

Thursday- March 11, 2010

8:00-10:00                           Identification of Pilot Schools

                                           Current & Future Funding Sources                                                                  

                                           Survey of Available Resources at the State and National Levels

                                           Creating a Climate of Change- Do We Really Need RTI?

                                          Functional Needs Assessment for Your Schools

                                        Simultaneous Development of Assessment And Intervention   Pathways for Reading, Math, Written Language and Behavior

10:00-10:15                 Break

10:15-12:00                 Universal Screening: What’s Out There? Managing and                                                                                 Making the Most of the Data. Does Screening Really Improve  Student Learning?

12:00-1:00                          Lunch

1:00-3:00                       Progress Monitoring and the Issue of Fidelity: Decision-Making                                       Based on PM Data and How to Insure Fidelity of Curriculum and                                       Assessment

                                               Of Interventions and Tiers (Or Is It Tears?)  Can We Come to a Consensus of What        a Tier Looks Like, and How Do We Afford All of these Needed Interventions?

                                        Where Does Special Education Fit In?

                                        Where Do We Start and How Do We Maintain Sustainability?

3:00-3:30                                Re-Inventing The Wheel Is Okay-Maybe Better Than Okay                                                   Summary- Questions & Answers

Session #5 - Day One

Augmentative-Alternative Communication  (AAC)

Social Networks: Improving Practice and Outcomes in AAC

By Sarah Blackstone, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Target Audience: Speech-Language Pathologists and Assistants, Special Education Teachers and Assistants, other professionals with concerns about people with complex communication needs and providing communication access for all.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Sarah Blackstone is President of Augmentative Communication Inc. Dr. Blackstone is a partner in the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC), a former president of ISAAC, a USSAAC founder and serves on the Board of Directors of The Bridge School in California. She has consulted to the Berkeley Unified School District for almost 20 years. Author of Augmentative Communication News and multiple texts in the AAC field, she also edited the ISAAC Series. She is a Fellow of ISAAC and a recipient of ISAAC's Distinguished Service Award, USSAAC's Award of Professional Excellence, and the DeCarlo Award for Clinical Achievement (Maryland/ASHA).

Course Summary:  The Social Networks workshop (Day #1) will focus on the field of social networks as it applies to special education and AAC and the use of a practical measurement tool, Social Networks: A Communication Inventory for Individuals with Complex Communication Needs and their Communication Partners. The tool can help guide the assessment and intervention process by offering a way to gather important information from family members, professionals and individuals with complex communication needs. Social Networks supports and focuses the decision-making process by helping to establish goals that can increase the relevance of communication outcomes for children and adults with complex communication needs. It has been translated into ten languages and is being used with children, youth and adults for research and clinical purposes. The session will use video and group activities to introduce and explore the tool.

 Course Objectives:

In this session participants will:

§       Consider and discuss ways in which a social network paradigm can improve outcomes for children with complex communication needs (CCN).

§       Become familiar with and learn to administer several parts of the Social Networks Inventory.

§       Become familiar with the application of Social Networks with specific learners and its benefits to staff and family members.

§       Consider the application of a social networks paradigm and the use of the tool in measuring goals and fostering positive outcomes in learners. 

Session #5-  Day One

Thursday- March 11, 2010

                                   Introduction of the Social Networks Tool

10:00-10:15                 Break

10:15-12:00                 How to Use Social Networks in Assessment and Goal Development

12:00-1:00                   Lunch

Session #1- Day Two

 Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation in Early Intervention and Preschool

(day-two of this two-day course)

By Marie Anzalone, ScD, OTR, FAOTA

 Marie Anzalone, ScD, OTR, FAOTA - see speaker biography above. This is day two of a two-day course.

Target Audience: Occupational Therapists and Assistants, Classroom Teachers and Assistants, Speech-Language Pathologists and Assistants, and Physical Therapists and Assistants.

Course Objectives:

Participants will:

• Identify ways to integrate understanding of sensory integration into referral recommendations and creating goodness-of-fit in physical environments and in interactions.
• Identify ways to help parents and other caregivers to understand and create goodness-of-fit with each child’s unique sensory requirements in the context of relationships.
• Develop an understanding of how individual sensory integration differences can be integrated into discipline specific therapeutic interactions with children and families.

Friday- March 12, 2010

8:00-10:00                   Principles and Challenges of Intervention; Helping Families to Understand: Working with   Families within Systems Consultation; Creating Goodness-to-Fit

10:00-10:15                 Break

10:15-12:00                 Environments and Routines; Intervention for Hyporeactivity & Hyperreactivity- Case Studies  and Problem Solving

12:00-1:00                  Lunch

1:00-2:30                   Intervention: Praxis and Play-based Interactions- Case Studies and                                 Problem Solving

2:30-3:30                  Sensory Integration- What is the Evidence & Does it Work?

Session #2 - Day Two

Friday - March 12, 2010

 Special Considerations when Teaching Students with High Functioning Autism/Aspergers (HFA/AS)

By Rebecca Klaw, M.S., M.Ed.

Target Audience: Special Education Teachers and Assistants, Speech-Language Pathologists and Assistants, other professionals who work with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

About the Speaker

Rebecca Klaw, MS, M.Ed., has been working with children with special needs for over 25 years.  She has worked in outpatient mental health, in Birth-to-Three, and most recently as the Director of the Center for Autism at Pressley Ridge in Pittsburgh.  Rebecca is currently working full-time as a consultant and trainer, presenting nationally on a range of topics related to autism and guiding families, schools and residential facilities in their endeavors to meet the needs of individuals with autism.  Rebecca has produced two DVDs, one on relationship-based intervention and the other on responding to meltdowns, and has co-written a book on writing goals and collecting data using a developmental model. She runs four different parent support groups, guides a discussion group for adults with autism, and consults regularly with mental health therapists.  Rebecca was the recipient of the first Grandin Award given to outstanding individuals in the field of autism in Western Pennsylvania.  Rebecca taught a course in Seattle at the 2009 Autism Summit and was asked to return to Seattle by attendees to teach this follow-up course.

Course Summary:  This full-day workshop is designed for teachers, therapists, school counselors and other professionals who work with students with HFA/AS in kindergarten through high school.  Understanding how the diagnosis can impact the school day in social behavior, social communication, cognitive/learning differences, and sensory issues will be discussed in the morning with special attention to the unique problems facing female students with HFA/AS.  Although teaching and parenting strategies for remediating social, emotional and cognitive issues will be discussed throughout the day, we will spend much of the afternoon exploring some strategies in depth. 

Course Objectives:

Participants will:

 §       Understand and anticipate the common problems for students with HFA/AS as they try to adapt to the demands of a school environment.

§       Become familiar with a range of techniques to help students with HFA/AS become more adjusted to the social aspects of school.

§       Understand the unique problems that face females with HFA/AS as they move from elementary through high school.

§       Learn new teaching strategies for included settings that benefit all the students while offering some remediation/accommodation to the individual with Aspergers.

§       Become familiar with techniques for running social skills groups and “lunch bunch” or “friendship club” in a school setting.

Session #2-Day Two

Friday- March 12, 2010

8:00-10:00                  How the Diagnosis can Impact the School Day in Social Behavior and                              in Social Communication

10:00-10:15                 Break

10:15-12:00                 How the Diagnosis can Impact the School Day in Cognitive/Learning                                   Differences and in Sensory Issues

                                  Discussion of the Differences Between Male Students & Female                                   Students with HFA/AS

12:00-1:00                   Lunch

1:00-3:30                    Learning More Teaching Strategies, in Depth, to Remediate Common                                   Problems Facing Students with HFA/AS; Questions & Answers

Session #3 - Day Two

Friday - March 12, 2010

 Effective Behavioral Strategies for Students with Autism and Multiple Disabilities

 By Dr. Carol Davis, Ed.D.

Target Audience: Special Education Teachers and Assistants, Classroom Teachers, School Psychologists, Behavior Specialists, Therapists, and other professionals working in schools.

About the Speaker

Carol Davis, Ed.D., is an Associate  Professor of Special Education at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle. She currently directs the UW program to prepare teachers to serve students with severe and low-incidence disabilities. She has conducted research on a variety of topics including effective instructional practices that facilitate skill acquisition and promote positive behavior of students with moderate to profound disabilities in inclusive settings, identifying variables that contribute to the use of effective strategies by teachers and other caregivers in these settings, and developing systems to support students with severe disabilities access the general education curriculum within the public school setting. She has over 25 years experience working with individuals with disabilities and is known for her work and research on interventions for individuals who engage in high rates of challenging behavior.  She has co-authored numerous publications including Challenging Behavior of Persons with Mental Health Disorders and Severe Developmental Disabilities in the American Association of Mental Retardation; Effective Services for Young Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Best Practices in School Psychology; Arranging Preschool Environments to Facilitate Valued Social and Educational Outcomes in Intervention for Academic and Behavior Problems II: Preventive and Remedial Approaches . She currently serves on five editorial boards for journals in the area of developmental disabilities. She currently directs two federally funded projects examining interventions for individuals with challenging behavior and the necessary supports that increase the success of an intervention.Course Summary:

Course Summary: 

Many individuals with disabilities demonstrate behaviors that interventionists, teachers, family members, and other service providers find challenging; often times resulting in frustration, stress, and isolation for the child, caregiver, and family. To effectively address such problem behaviors, it is crucial that families and interventionist work together as a team to find solutions that really work for all members of the team. In this presentation, participants will have an overview of the process for developing intensive behavior plans using the principles of positive behavior support to address commonly reported challenging behaviors that arise in all settings.

Course Objectives:

Participants will:

§       Describe why it is important to identify the function of a challenging behavior before implementing an intervention plan.

§       Identify a person-centered assessment procedure, while assisting in identifying the function of the challenging behavior.

§       Describe a variety of proactive, educative, and reinforcement-based strategies to use to promote positive behaviors.

Session #3- Day Two

Friday- March 12, 2010

8:00-10:00                  Introduction to Assessment and Intervention for Individuals with challenging behavior

10:00-10:15                 Break

10:15-12:00                 Strategies for Increasing Engagement

12:00-1:00                  Lunch

1:00-3:00                   Strategies for Communication and Independence

3:00-3:30                   Summary- Questions & Answers

   Session #4 - Day Two

 Friday - March 12, 2010

 Planning the Possible: How Schools Can Use Stimulus Dollars for Lasting Impact

 By Ann Cunningham-Morris, M.Ed., Ed.S, Director of Professional Development of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Target Audience: Administrators, Principals, Directors, Program Development Personnel, School Board Members and other staff members developing policy in school district settings.

About the Speaker

Ann Cunningham-Morris, MEd., Ed.S, has been a district-level instructional administrator; director of staff development; high school, middle school, and elementary principal; classroom teacher; special education resource leader, and job development specialist  for special needs students in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, California, and Virginia. During her 25-year career, she has also served as an adjunct professor for several universities and an educational consultant to many school systems throughout the world in the areas of curriculum development, designing effective professional development programs, instructional leadership, assessment literacy, instructional best practices, and supporting high academic achievement for diverse student populations. She has written articles on these topics for several professional publications, including Curriculum Administrator and the Journal of Staff Development. In July of 2009, she participated in a U.S. Capital Hill Briefing sponsored by ASCD for Senate and Congress staff members, and in a meeting with Presidential Education Advisor, Roberto Rodriguez, which focused on developing highly effective teachers and the role of capacity building professional development.

Ann Cunningham-Morris is presently a Director of Professional Development for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and a member of the ASCD Faculty. She received a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Georgia State University. She has completed the Educational Specialist (Ed.S) advanced degree and post-graduate work in educational leadership at Illinois State University and executive leadership at Georgetown University.

Course Objectives:

In this session participants will:

§       Examine and apply information on ARRA as it relates to sustainable activities in schools and districts

§       Examine how capacity building professional development for school improvement and IDEA efforts is the key to sustainable change at the local level, and supports the effective use of human and financial resources

§       Examine and engage in practical application activities focused on the implementation of capacity building with the specific school improvement and IDEA related initiatives in their local settings

§       Develop an action plan outlining next steps they can take within their sphere of influence to use capacity building professional development as the vehicle for implementing and sustaining effective practices

Session #4- Day Two

Friday- March 12, 2010

8:00-10:00                   Examining ARRA Funds and How They Can Be Used for Sustainable Change

10:00-10:15                 Break

10:15-12:00          How Capacity Building Professional Development Can be Used for School                                  Improvement and IDEA Efforts

12:00-1:00                  Lunch

1:00-3:30                   Practical Application and Activities to Support Capacity Building Action Planning                                 and Next Steps

Augmentative-Alternative Communication  (AAC):

Target Audience: Speech-Language Pathologists and Assistants, Special Education Teachers and Assistants, other professionals with concerns about people with complex communication needs and providing communication access for all.

About the Speaker

See biography above

Session #5- Day Two

Course Summary:  This session considers several areas that are beginning to affect the field of AAC. The presenter will (1) discuss the role of emotional development and emotional competencies and the implications for children with CCN; (2) consider new developments in the design and use of technologies for people with CCN; and (3) share information about several projects that increase access to clinical evidence, promote literacy skill development in AAC, etc.; (4) highlight the use of AAC strategies and technologies for communication access, including their use as “mainstream” tools to support communication across the continuum of healthcare.

Course Objectives:

In this session participants will:

§       Explore the development of emotional competencies in children and youth who use AAC.

§       Consider strategies that support emotion when setting communication goals.

§       Learn about new developments in AAC technologies and implications for the future use of communication tools.

§       Become familiar with current research and development projects, including ways to assess existing clinical evidence (e.g., EVIDAAC).

§       Identify several ways AAC strategies and technologies can promote communication access and community participation.

§       Become familiar with the use of AAC strategies and technologies as mainstream tools across the healthcare/educational continuum.

Session #5- Day Two

Friday- March 12, 2010

10:00-10:15                 Break

                                 Assessing the Evidence Using EVIDAAC

12:00-1:00                  Lunch

1:00-3:30                  Providing Communication Access: Using AAC to Benefit People with CCN and other Groups

 Acceditation

Continuing Education – Contact Hours:

All Participants: Certificates of Course Completion will be provided to participants upon completion of course requirements, enabling you to register your credit with the appropriate licensing boards or associations.   You may apply for other accreditation using the procedure established by the specific organization.  This program can be applied toward license renewal in most states.  Check with your state’s licensing board or association to determine how to receive credit for this conference, if approval is not listed below. Applications for continuing education hours will not be accepted after the close of the conference.

Speech-Language Pathologists:

This course is offered for 1.2 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level; Professional Area).

 Western Washington University College Credit: This two-day conference has been submitted for review by Western Washington University’s Communication Sciences & Disorders department for 1 college credit (400 level course).  To register for credit, immediately following the conference, mail the WWU registration forms to the college.  WWU registration forms will be available at registration.  The cost of the credit is $50 with payment being made directly to WWU.  You must attend the entire two-day conference to register for college credit.

OSPI Clock Hours (CECHs)- Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, School Psychologists, Behavior Specialists, Special Education Teachers, Classroom Teachers, Physical Therapists, Principals, and Administrators working in the Washington State School Districts:  Washington State Clock Hours have been approved through the Washington Speech & Hearing Association for sponsorship. Individuals wishing to receive OSPI continuing education clock hours must sign an OSPI Clock Hour registration form available at the OSPI registration desk when signing-in at this course. (There is a $20.00 fee for OSPI Clock Hours, payable at the conference.  No prepayment of OSPI Clock Hours will be accepted).

Occupational Therapists:  Rehab Seminars is an American Occupational Therapy Association Approved Provider (#6274). The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

Psychologists

The Washington State Psychological Association (WSPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  The Washington State Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.  This course is offered for 12 CE Credit Hours. For more information on the sponsoring of this program, please contact the WSPA at 206-547-4220.  This course has been submitted for review.  Check back for approval update.

A certificate of course completion will be provided by the Washington State Psychological Association upon completion of course requirements.  To receive your certificate of course completion from the Washington State Psychology Association, you must sign-in at the “WSPA CE booth” at the conference, complete the criteria for course completion, and pay the $15 WSPA certificate fee.

Social Workers, Behavior Specialists and Counselors:  This course has been submitted to the National Association of Social Worker and Behavioral Analysis Certification Board for CE approval.  Check back for approval update on thise website.

Criteria of Course Completion:

All attendees must sign in at the general registration booth at the conference each morning and after lunch, each day.  Attendees must attend and participate in the entire conference and submit a completed course evaluation form.  For participants seeking College Credit, ASHA CEUs, OSPI  Clock Hours, or WSPA CE Credit Hours, you must complete the appropriate participant forms.  Staff will be available at general registration to assist you in locating the appropriate CE registration booth at the conference.

LOCATION:

This conference will be held at the Shoreline Conference Center located just 10 short freeway miles north of downtown Seattle at 18560 1^st Ave NE in Shoreline, Washington 98155.  Great shopping, dining and nightlife can be found in the Shoreline area.  To view the conference center and to obtain driving directions from your location, go to www.shorelinecenter.com

Confirmation Packets:

A confirmation packet including your paid receipt, maps of the area, written directions, transportation, nearby hotels and a restaurant list will be mailed or emailed to all participants upon receipt of your registration form and tuition payment.  If you do not receive your confirmation packet within 4 days of registering, please call Rehab Seminars at 360-379-6994 to confirm that your registration was received and processed. 

PROGRAM CHANGES:  Rehab Seminars reserves the right to make necessary changes in speakers or schedules.  Any speaker or scheduling changes will be posted on our website at www.rehabseminars.org and attendees registered for the session in which a change has occurred will be notified by email, phone or US mail.

Hotel Accommodations:

 A block of discounted rooms are reserved at the Embassy Suites.  Rates: King Bed $134/night + tax; Double Rooms $149/night + tax  (Double rooms can accommodate several people).  Rooms are reserved for March 10^th & 11^th, 2010.  Refer to the group name “Rehab Seminars” to receive the discounted room rate.  To book your hotel room, call 1-800-EMBASSY or directly with the hotel at 425-775-2500.  Visit their website for detailed hotel information at: www.seattlenorthlynnwood.embassysuites.com.  Shuttle service to the conference center will be provided by the hotel; sign up for shuttle service at the front desk, upon your arrival.

Hertz is the official car rental agency for the conference.  Special rates will be in effect throughout the conference as well as one week before and after.  To obtain the special rates, call HERTZ at 1-800-654-2240 and refer to the Special Education Conference discount code CV# 022Q4479.

TAX DEDUCTIBILITY:

Expenses of training, tuition, travel, lodging and meals to maintain or improve your professional skills may be tax deductible.  Consult your tax advisor, and your employer for state and federal funds available for tuition reimbursement.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Registration fee less a 20% processing fee is refundable if cancellation occurs before March 1, 2010.  After March 1, 2010, fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.  If this course is cancelled for any reason, including labor strikes or acts of God, liability is limited to a full refund of registration fees.

CONFERENCE ATTIRE: Business casual dress is appropriate.  Be sure to bring a sweater or jacket, since meeting rooms are usually cool.

REGISTRATION SPECIFICS:

Make checks payable to Rehab Seminars.  If you require special arrangements at this conference, please call (360) 379-6994 at least 30 days prior to the conference.

Group Discounts- registrations must be mailed, faxed or called in together to receive the discounted rate.  Tuition discounts are given to groups of 3 or more.

$15 per person discount for 3 or 4 in a group.  $30 per person discount for 5 or more in a group.  Subtract the discount from the tuition fee.  Groups may not be formed after individual registrations are received or called in.  Group discounts are only given to groups attending the 2-day conference. Registrations cannot be shared.