Young Child Expo & Conference

12 sessions  on special needs are presented by leading experts at the 9^th Annual Young Child Expo & Conference, presented by Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education & Los Niños Services. www.youngchildexpo.com Consider the following sessions:

All Day Workshop
What is Applied Behavior Analysis Really? Understanding and Applying Key Principles of ABA to Help Young Children Function Well in School, Home and Community Settings, presented by Dr. Kevin Brothers, Executive Director, Somerset Hills Learning Institute, NJ  www.somerset-hills.org This day long workshop will be packed with useful techniques and strategies for dealing with many situations including taking a child for a medical or dental exam and learning to socialize with others.

Keynote
Does Every Child Have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Understanding the Diagnosis and Treatment for ADHD in Young Children, by Dr. Harold Koplewicz, President of the Child Mind Institute www.childmind.org    Dr. Koplewicz is one of the leading child psychiatrists of our time who founded the Child Mind Institute and the NYU Child Study Center and is a leading researcher and author.

Keynote
Recent Advances in Understanding and Treating Autism, presented by Dr. Cecelia McCarton, Executive Director of the McCarton Foundation/McCarton School, NYC  www.mccartonfoundation.org   Dr. McCarton is one of the leading authorities on Autism assessment and treatment.

 Sessions
ADHD in Young Children, presented by Dr. Ilyan Ivanov, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, NYC   Dr. Ivanov is an accomplished child psychiatrist and researcher who is a leading expert on ADHD.

The Silent Child: Pedagogical Approaches That Promote Inclusion of Children with Selective Mutism in the Classroom, presented by Debra Harwood, Assistant Professor, Brock University, Ontario   Ms. Harwood will present techniques enabling teachers to reach children with SM in the classroom and facilitate their speaking up.

Brain Imbalance as a Cause of ADHD, Learning Disabilities, and Autism Spectrum Disorders, presented by Dr. Mark Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Brain Balance Achievement Center of Fairfield County, CT www.brainbalancecenters.com   Dr. Goldenberg will share his wealth of knowledge on the neuroscience of brain dominance and interactions between the hemispheres as it relates to various disorders.

Breakthrough Strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorders, presented by Raun Kaufman, Former CEO and Current Director of Global Education at The Autism Treatment Center of America, MA www.autismtreatmentcenter.org   Mr. Kaufman is the subject of an international best selling book as his parents worked with him as a young child to eliminate his diagnosis of autism. He has a fascinating story and he went on to graduate from an Ivy League school and become CEO of The Autism Treatment Center of America.  He will share useful strategies from the Son-Rise Program.

New Directions in Autism Research, presented by Dr. Alycia Halladay, Director of Research for Environmental Sciences, Autism Speaks, NYC www.autismspeaks.org   Autism Speaks is one of the countries leading advocacy organizations. Dr. Halladay is on the leading edge of autism research.

Early Signs of Learning Disabilities in Young Children: Resources for Parents, Care Providers and Early Childhood Educators, presented by Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz, Director of the LD Resources & Essential Information, National Center for Learning Disabilities , NYC www.ncld.org   Wonderful new tools will be shared from the NCLD which were developed by Dr. Horowitz.

Introduction to Relationship Development  Intervention: A Developmental Approach to Treating Autism and Other Neuro-Developmental Disabilities, presented by Ms. Laura Hynes, Relationship Development Intervention Program Certified Consultant & Founder and Director of Extraordinary Minds, NYC www.extraordinaryminds.org   Learn about RDI which is one of the new approaches that holds much promise for the treatment of Autism.

Selective Mutism: From Suffering in Silence to “Please Use an Inside Voice!”, presented by Dr. Steven Kurtz, Senior Director of the Child Mind Institute, NYC www.childmind.org    Dr. Kurtz is a national expert on SM and has appeared on national TV. He is a board member of Selective Mutism Group and one of only 15 master trainers in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.

Toilet Training a Young Child with Autism, presented by Mr. Jaime Nicklas, Educational Director of the Brooklyn Autism Center, NYC www.brooklynautismcenter.org   What a useful topic for helping young children with Autism.

Please register early to reserve your space as seating is limited. Group discounts available. For all information and registration go to www.youngchildexpo.com

We are pleased to announce the 3 following full day workshops that run during our 9^th Annual Young Child Expo & Conference at New York’s Hotel Pennsylvannia April 18-20, 2012. Registration for workshops and our conference is now open. Please register early to avoid disappointment as all workshops sold out last year.

Go to www.youngchildexpo.com for online registration and to learn more or call Nancy Evangelista 212.787.9700 x333.

Full Day Workshop 10:00 – 4:00   April 18, 2012
Creating Emotionally Literate Classrooms: A skill-based Sustainable Approach
Marc Brackett, PhD, Research Scientist, Department of psychology, Yale University, Deputy Director, Yale’s Health, Emotion, and Behavior Laboratory, Head of the Emotional Intelligence Unit in the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy, Yale University

How are you feeling? It’s not an idle question. Are you interested? Bored? Stressed? Excited? The feelings you and your students have matter. Emotional Literacy for Educators is a research-based, highly interactive training program providing instruction and hands-on activities to educators on how emotions impact attention, memory, learning, decision making, relationships, and both academic and work performance. The training program makes the case that in order to create caring, productive, and engaging learning environments, where students thrive, it is necessary for educators to both develop and teach the skills of Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotion (known as the “RULER” skills). In the training, educators first hone their own RULER skills and then learn four RULER “Anchor Tools” to engage students in learning, build empathy and healthy relationships, and manage stress and conflict. A workbook and four posters is provided. Dr. Brackett has helped to transform schools that have applied the RULER approach. While helping students identify their emotions and their relationship building skills this approach also has led to a significant drop in negative behaviors. This is a skill building workshop to enable participants to walk away with the skills need to apply this approach to young children right away.

Full Day Workshop 10:00 – 4:00   April 19, 2012
An Overview of The Creative Curriculum System for Preschool
Inette Hunter, Staff Trainer, Washington, DC

This highly interactive 1-day session helps teachers at all levels implement The Creative Curriculum System for Preschool in their classrooms. Teachers will first become familiar with the 38 objectives for development and learning that inform every aspect of their teaching. They will then explore and practice using all of the pieces that make up the System: the knowledge-building volumes, Teaching Guides, Mighty Minutes, Intentional Teaching Cards, and Book Discussion Cards.  Learning Objectives: 1)  Become familiar with The Creative Curriculum System for Preschool,  2) Define effective, engaging curriculum for young children,  3) Identify the parts of the progressions for development and learning,  4) Explore each of the components of the System, 5) Practice using the System components.

Full Day Workshop 10:00 – 4:00   April 20, 2012
What is Applied Behavior Analysis Really? Understanding and Applying the Key Principles of ABA to Help Young Children Function Well in School, Home and Community Settings.
Kevin J. Brothers, PhD, Executive Director, Somerset Hills Learning Institute, NJ

This full day workshop will begin with a short overview of the key principles of learning that apply to all people. Skillful application of learning principles is crucial to effectively raising and educating children, and is the hallmark of work based on the science of applied behavior analysis.  Parents and teachers of children with autism spectrum disorders are called upon to magnify the obviousness of these principles daily. Participants will learn the key dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis and how each gives rise to tactics, that when actively used, help children reach their full potential. After a review of the key learning principles the presenter will apply these principles to achieve positive results by building skills and eliminating the behavioral challenges of young children. The areas include: (a) teaching reading, (b) teaching speaking, (c) using scripts to facilitate conversational language, (d) using activity schedules to promote engagement with instructional materials, teachers, and parents, (e) participating in health care and dental procedures, (f) achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and (g) dealing with unexpected events. These tactics can be used effectively by teachers, ABA professionals, as well as parents. Professionals can apply these tactics themselves and they can also teach these tactics to parents to help them deal with these common home and community challenges including going shopping or going to a restaurant. The workshop will include discussion of how to identify when a child is going to be disruptive and how to address disruptions and tantrums successfully. The principles and tactics presented in the workshop have been shown to be effective with children with autism spectrum disorders as well as typically developing children.

This Session is Offered for .5 ASHA CEU’S.