Are your students too stressed to learn? Stress decreases the receptiveness of brains to learning. How can you support the emotional life of your students and still meet rigorous academic demands? Learn about the neurobiology of stress and attachment teaching. Discover the power gained from attending to students’ social-emotional needs. Explore a framework for integrating socio-emotional responsiveness into the curriculum and head home with practical examples of lessons that integrate socio-emotional attunement with academic goals.
Participants will be able to: explain attachment theory and why it is important for student learning; integrate attuned responses to students’ social emotional needs with academic lessons; and apply a framework in order to prepare for predictable and unpredictable stressors in their students’ lives.
It takes developed brains, healthy bodies, and freedom from anxiety to be successful in math. This talk will present recent research on cognitive development for math and discuss how current changes in math curricula help or hinder math understanding. Materials to screen for processing difficulties and to determine gaps in foundational math skills will be provided. Programs and materials for math remediation will be reviewed. The talk includes educational therapy techniques to address specific math challenges.
Participants will be able to: explain and contrast typical and atypical development of math understanding; use techniques to screen for processing and math foundation difficulties; demonstrate methods and identify resources for math remediation; and apply this knowledge when communicating with parents and allied professionals.
With today's easy access to predigested knowledge, educational therapists and learning specialists have an added responsibility to help students develop internalized strategies for in-depth analysis of complex text. This workshop is intended for educational therapists and special education teachers who provide individualized or small group interventions for students in upper elementary school through adults. The content is relevant for students with executive functioning, dyslexia, language-based and/or reading comprehension challenges. Conceptual frameworks and application examples will be provided.
Participants will be able to: create expanded reading experiences for students through the use of in-depth analysis; design reading experiences that define and set standards for what students can achieve independently through critical analysis and reading-based learning; and identify high quality reading materials that lend themselves to in-depth analysis and well-tested strategies for explicit coaching in reading analysis.There is a growing need for more integrated treatment programs for students with complex neurological disorders. A case manager’s role is to coordinate services and increase the communication between the family, school, and healthcare professionals. Increasing communication leads to a more thorough diagnosis and a more successful treatment outcome. The educational therapist is ideally suited to be the case manager. This presentation lays out a model for the integrated approach to case management.
Participants will be able to: explain the importance of an integrated approach for fleshing out differential diagnoses and the implications for treatment and remediation; evaluate the effectiveness of a case manager in remediating the impact of neurological disorders on academic, behavioral, and social-emotional performance; and assess the decrease in stress on the family, school, educational therapist, and other professionals working with the client when a case manager is involved.The vocabulary of learning differences has a profound effect on students’ perceptions of themselves. This presentation will share the specifics for generating a learning purpose to change a learner’s thoughts and feelings about him/herself. John Fleming will cover recent research, models of efficacy, and case studies from his clinical practice of 20+ years that support learners in changing their perceptions, improving their communications and succeeding as flexible, lifelong learners.
Participants will be able to: differentiate between vocabulary that evokes judgment and vocabulary that provides benefit to a learner’s perceptions; outline the concept of learning purpose for use as a tool for building new or increased flexibility of learning; and identify the learners who can best benefit from this approach.
This presentation will discuss brain research on mindfulness and application of mindfulness techniques to educational therapy practice. Examples will be drawn from experience with 4th to 8th grade students in a school for those with special needs. An understanding of the neurobiology of mindfulness will help participants match specific disabilities with effective activities. Practical suggestions will be given for immediate use by practitioners.
Participants will be able to: explain and apply brain research as it relates to mindfulness; integrate mindfulness techniques in therapy sessions to enhance coping strategies for students; and identify new resources to support understanding of mindfulness work.Recent research has shown that basic number processing (such as comparing which of two numbers is larger) is related to individual differences in children’s arithmetic achievement. Furthermore, children with mathematical disabilities (Developmental Dyscalculia) have been found to perform poorly on basic number processing tasks. In this talk, Dr. Ansari will review evidence for an association between basic number processing and arithmetic achievement in children with and without mathematical difficulties. He will draw on evidence from both brain and behavior and discuss the implications of this research. He will discuss what to look for and how to evaluate and learn from some of the recent brain research as it connects to working with students to develop mathematical skills and number sense. Further, Dr. Ansari will share insights into behavior that can inform assessment, diagnosis and intervention.
Participants will be able to: describe the relationship between brain imaging data and number processing challenges; discuss the effects of developing number sense on arithmetical achievement; and demonstrate the role behavior, practice and intervention can play on the developing brain, particularly for children with developmental dyscalculia.
Link to Numeracy screener: http://www.numeracyscreener.org/
Reading is a cultural invention. It has to be learned through explicit instruction, resulting in the recruitment and utilization of a variety of brain areas that were not specifically designed for reading. This presentation will show how brain imaging is used to reveal brain areas that are involved in word processing in typical and struggling readers. The integration of functional brain imaging data with psycho-educational tests is important in determining brain-behavioral relationships. Brain imaging has been used to test some of the opposing theoretical frameworks that have been put forward to explain dyslexia. For example, the role of the visual system deficit in dyslexia is one area of inquiry. Understanding the origin of the difficulty in reading is critical for developing the best avenues of intervention. This presentation will also highlight the importance of distinguishing between cause and consequence when it comes to interpreting the performance of children who are struggling readers. Dr. Eden will discuss the neural correlates of successful reading intervention and how brain activity can be used to predict which individuals are most likely to make the most significant improvements. Finally, this research will also be examined in the broader context of the neural basis for learning and the role of sensory and language experience on the brain. Together, this knowledge can be harnessed to bring about positive change for students with learning differences.
Participants will be able to: describe which brain regions are involved in reading and how they relate to skills measured via psycho-educational evaluations; explain the differences in brain anatomy and function associated with reading disability and the neural correlates of successful reading intervention; and give examples of how language experiences impact brain anatomy and function.
Auditory processing is a “process” that includes auditory discrimination, binaural processing, and temporal processing. Any screening tool of neurocognitive and/or psychoeducational function should include at least one measure of auditory processing. Poor temporal processing can adversely affect reading, phonological, and spelling skills, listening in noise, direction following, note-taking, sequencing, auditory attention skills, and processing speed. In this review of the collaborative process, the speakers will discuss the development and use of one component of the Mindprint tool designed to include an auditory processing screener. This collaboration was born at the 37th AET National Conference last year.
Participants will be able to: describe the effects of poor temporal processing on auditory processing, explain how a temporal patterning recognition task may be used to effectively screen for auditory processing disorders, and identify appropriate therapeutic intervention strategies and referrals for students experiencing temporal processing deficits.
Imagine having a pause button and knowing what to think and say after you pressed it. Mindfulness practices enable this pause because of the awareness they develop, while Dialectic and Cognitive Behavior Therapy tools provide resources for generating the most effective response. The intent of this workshop is to facilitate the adoption of these proven tools. The session will purposely run without technology and include experiential activities followed by discussion aimed at helping participants cultivate their own wisdom and mindfulness.
Participants will be able to: use simple but powerful Cognitive Behavior Mindset and Mindfulness tools in their practice; identify Wisdom Cultivating tools to add to their toolkit; and describe how these tools can increase in-session wisdom, calmness, and effectiveness in order to enhance resilience and the ability to embrace the rapid changes in our world.
This session will provide an overview and discussion of methods that can be used to detect mathematical learning difficulties. First, Dr. Ansari will introduce what are considered to be the hallmarks of mathematical learning difficulties: problems in processing numerical symbols and slow, error-prone and effortful calculation strategies. The session will discuss diagnostic criteria for mathematical learning difficulties, such as developmental dyscalculia. Issues including the use of discrepancy criteria and repeated testing will be critically evaluated. The discussion will cover how to screen for mathematical difficulties early in development - before Kindergarten. Furthermore, the session will consider what remediation strategies are currently available and consider activities that may help children with mathematical learning difficulties. Finally, Dr. Ansari will discuss mathematics anxiety and the consequences it has both for teaching and student learning.
Participants will be able to: describe elements that make for best, evidence-based methods for early identification of math difficulties and identify available tools for screening and intervention.
[HANDOUTS for Dr. Ansari's session are included in the KEYNOTE session attachment]
Technology can be a great equalizer for struggling students, helping them not only compensate for learning weaknesses but also leverage their unique strengths. Join assistive technology consultant Shelley Haven as she demonstrates technology tools and associated strategies to help students reduce reading time and improve comprehension; take the dread out of writing; listen more and write less while taking notes; understand math concepts and type equations; get organized; stay focused; and manage time and tasks.
Participants will be able to: describe how technologies can improve reading fluency and reinforce reading strategies; give examples of how technology can be used to support notetaking and the writing process (brainstorming, organizing, producing text, writing mechanics, and editing); and explain how technology can facilitate strategies that build a student's attention, time management, planning, organization, and self-regulation skills.
Shelley Haven is a certified Assistive Technology Professional and Rehabilitation Engineering Technologist, who specializes in matching students with technology appropriate to their needs. Her consulting business, Technology to Unlock Potential, serves families, educators, and schools throughout the Bay Area with a focus on learning differences, ADHD, and executive functioning. Shelley previously directed assistive technology for Stanford University’s Office of Accessible Education and helped create the Schwab Learning Center at Stanford for students with learning differences and ADHD.
Cognitive behavioral interventions (CBI) have been shown to improve self-regulation of emotions and behavior and prevent students from dropping out of school. In contrast to behavior management, students learn to regulate their own behavior without depending solely on external reinforcers. CBI is based on the principle that behavior is mediated by cognitive processes. Students learn to examine their thoughts and feelings, recognize when negativity arises, and use strategies to change their emotions and behavior.
Participants will be able to: identify patterns of negative thinking; develop students’ self-awareness and ability to manage emotions and stress; and describe the role of the educator in working with a mental health professional to provide cognitive behavioral interventions.Manuscript, cursive, and keyboarding have advantages at different ages and stages. A complex foundational skill for literacy, handwriting involves both cognitive and motor skills—and influences reading, written expression, and critical thinking. Sequential hand movements activate brain regions associated with thinking, working memory, and language. A note-taking study comparing keyboarding and handwriting showed better comprehension and retention of content for handwriters. Elementary students composing by hand, not keyboarding, wrote faster, longer pieces with more ideas. Cross-disciplinary research demonstrates usefulness of explicit, integrated handwriting instruction from kindergarten to high school.
Participants will be able to: discuss at which ages and stages the use of manuscript, cursive, and/or keyboarding is most likely to be an advantage for various students; explain how handwriting is a written language skill—not just a motor skill; and give examples of strategies for integration of handwriting and keyboarding instruction into the teaching of reading and written expression.
Dr. Nancy Cushen White is a member of the Dyslexia Research Team and a Clinical Professor in the Division of Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine-Pediatrics at UCSF. She has a private practice working as Board Certified Educational Therapist, Certified Academic Language Therapist, and Certified Slingerland Teacher Training Course Director. She was recently appointed to the AB 1369 Dyslexia Work Group, charged with drafting public school dyslexia guidelines for the CA Dept of Education. Dr. White has 40+ years of experience working for San Francisco United School District both as a classroom teacher and a special education teacher, including the piloting of a special day class for 2e students. In addition, she has taught literacy skills classes to young adults through Pre-Trial Diversion-Mentor Court-San Francisco Superior Court. She is currently working as a literacy intervention consultant and case manager at Lexicon Reading Center in Dubai-United Arab Emirates.
Many school administrators are not aware of how ETs can add value to the school. This presentation focuses on how educational therapists can create a viable program within a school setting, providing the support needed to help students succeed. Sharing the problems, pitfalls and phenomenal potential of one model, attendees will learn how to make an in-house ET program work at all grade levels and leave with a game plan to introduce this model to school personnel.
Participants will be able to: assess the needs of the school and the student population; design an ET program model appropriate for the school; and utilize the tools and templates within the school program.
Lori Dver is the K-12 Learning Resources Coordinator at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, CA. With degrees from Northwestern University and UCLA, she has over thirty years of teaching and administrative experience in the field of independent school education. She has taught in general education and in intervention classrooms, was a lead evaluator at the Clearinghouse for Individuals with Learning Differences (CHILD), and has been an educational therapist for more than twenty-five years.
This lecture will be divided into two distinct units. First, attendees will learn more about the unique experience of being a case manager for children with autism and their families. The first unit will focus on building a trusting relationship with these families. Best practices for collaborating with allied professionals involved in a child’s treatment will also be discussed. The second unit will examine methods and techniques for addressing the unique academic and educational therapy needs of this population. We will explore cognitive profiles, ways to structure a session in order to make the most of the time allotted, and how to build a relationship with clients with autism. Case presentations will include clients of varying cognitive and academic functioning.
Participants will be able to: describe the unique needs of the autism community in regards to case-management; analyze the cognitive profile of a client with autism and how it might be impacting learning; and utilize the therapeutic techniques discussed in order to address individual client needs.
Lisa Brackin is certified in elementary and special education. She has her Master’s degree in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders and a Texas Educational Diagnostician Certification. Lisa has been working with students on the autism spectrum in public and private settings for over 15 years. Currently over 70% of her educational therapy, consultation, and assessment clients are on the autism spectrum. Her passion is to empower families by helping them find educational solutions for their children.
Having a client who is “gifted and talented” yet struggling in school often complicates the task of unmasking his or her true challenges. Asynchrony, over-excitabilities, and talents often muddle their learning profiles. Clarifying a child’s difficulties and the reasoning behind intervention is imperative so that changes may be implemented collaboratively, deliberately and expediently. Our discussion will focus on understanding the gifted child and the often unique manifestations of their learning differences.
Participants will be able to: discuss the qualitative view of giftedness and compare various definitions; describe the impact of asynchronous development and overexcitabilities as they assess the temperament of struggling or underachieving gifted clients; and appraise and revise their intervention techniques to best support the strengths and challenges of their twice-exceptional clients.
Cynthia Hansen serves the gifted community in her private practice and as the Coordinator of Educational Services for The Knox School of Santa Barbara. Ms. Hansen holds three teaching credentials and a post-master's GATE certificate. She is a SENG Model Parent Group Facilitator included on the Social Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) Honor Roll and was twice honored by Tri-County GATE Council for her advocacy and support of gifted students. Ms Hansen presents to state, national and international conferences including AET, IDA, SENG, NAGC and CAG.
