1st Annual Education Conference

1st Annual Education Conference 2/23/2018

New York Therapy Placement Services, Inc. is proud to present their First Annual Education Conference . This exciting endeavor, held on Friday, February 23rd, 2018 will be a culmination of multidisciplinary workshop events discussing the central and crucial topic of Assessments and Evaluations.

The assessment and evaluation of students is the starting point of the educational process, and is, therefore, of paramount importance. The results of thoroughly and carefully completed assessments lead to optimized therapeutic interventions and can, consequently, create lasting and quantifiable change in the lives and abilities of the children served. It is essential for service providers to continuously ascertain the appropriateness of goals worked on and accomplishments achieved; making working knowledge of various assessment and evaluation formats increasingly vital to the work provided.

The intent of New York Therapy Placement Services’ First Annual Education Conference is to challenge service providers to capture and retain an enhanced working knowledge of the evaluation and assessment process, as well as the aftermath and importance thereof. It is only with this understanding that providers may gain the most prevalent information pertaining to their learners; only then can they hope to optimize skills and advocate for the most appropriate educational services.

Courses

Assessments and Evaluations: Providing a Key Role in Ensuring that Children with Disabilities Receive a Free Appropriate Public Education

The speaker will address the legal importance of assessments/evaluations, and specifically (1) what makes a legally effective assessment/evaluation; (2) what makes a legally ineffective assessment; and (3) what is the legal significance of an effective evaluation/assessment and the legal consequences of an ineffective assessment/evaluation.

Morning keynote (offering .1 ASHA CEU.)

Speaker- Sandra Robinson graduated from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, in 1992. She is a staff attorney at New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), a legal services nonprofit organization, representing low-income families in securing Special Education for their children with disabilities. In addition to Special Education, her practice has involved representing low-income individuals in the areas of housing, public assistance, disability benefits, education law, and health care. As a legal services attorney in the state of Washington, she participated on a state-wide committee to develop and implement state regulations to accommodate individuals with disabilities in accessing government benefits. For five years, she served as an Administrative Law Judge in the state of Washington adjudicating the aforementioned matters (not including housing) and matters involving adult group home licensing, nursing home license revocations, and child abuse and neglect. Ms. Robinson's Special Education practice has been predominantly in New York, she has also represented low-income families in Los Angeles in special education matters, as well as public benefits and public health matters

Selecting and Understanding Standardized Norm Referenced Testing: A Guide to Effective Use

This workshop will review and provide an understanding of basic underlying psychometric principals of testing, review and critique the most commonly used “formal” test measures for young children, and provide participants with an understanding of specific test selection. Information provided by individual tests, how to best interpret, understand and use test results, and ultimately share information through incorporating information into diagnostic reports will be discussed.

Breakout session I (offering .2 ASHA CEUs) .

Speaker: Dr. Steven Blaustein is an ASHA Board Certified Specialist in Child Language and Language Disorders with over 44 years of clinical experience. Dr. Blaustein has presented on various speech and language related topics throughout the United States for organizations including ASHA, NYSHLA, The National Autism Association and the New York City Board of Education. He serves on advisory boards for social programs and therapeutic schools for children with communication disorders. Dr. Blaustein has had papers published in Neurology and Journal of Communication Disorders and contributed a chapter to ALS: A Guide to Patient Care. He is currently an Associate Professor at the Touro College School of Health Sciences Graduate Program in Speech-Language Pathology and continues to maintain a private practice.

Verbal Behavior Milestone & Placement Program (VB-MAPP) Review

The VB-MAPP is an excellent tool for assessing and determining appropriate programming for young learners. In this workshop, you will learn about the different sections of the VB-MAPP, how to implement it correctly, and how to use the results to write effective reports.

Breakout session I

Speaker: Sam Blanco, PhD, LBA, BCBA is an ABA provider working in education for fourteen years with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental delays. She is an assistant professor in the ABA program at The Sage Colleges. She is the author of the ABA Curriculum for the Common Core and co-author of the soon-to-be-released ABA Tools of the Trade: A Resource for Data Collection and Effective Behavior Change. She has consulted with the Theatre Development Fund’s Autism Theatre Initiative, as well as with the director of the recent Sesame Street video "Amazing." Sam loves incorporating games and technology into her practice and is dedicated to sharing resources with parents and educators.

What Happens When Our Goals Differ? Integrating Therapeutic Goals from Parents, Clients and Assessments

What happens when a parent, client and past assessment request markedly different goals be achieved within therapy? In this workshop, you will begin to explore how to assess, synthesize, and integrate differing goals into the therapeutic treatment plan. You will develop a better understanding of the importance of integrating multiple goals to assure clients have the most comprehensive treatment plans. You will also be armed with concrete strategies to assure clients have successful outcomes in reaching these complex goals.

Breakout session I (offering .2 ASHA CEUs & 2 Social Work Contact Hours).

Speaker: Leslie A. Sickels, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker based in midtown Manhattan. She received her Master’s Degree from Hunter College School of Social Work and has received extensive training and certifications in CBT, DBT and trauma-informed practices. Leslie’s areas of expertise include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), anxiety, depression and trauma. Much of her work focuses on gender and sexuality as they relate to the unique concerns of individuals with ASD. Leslie provides psychotherapy, which often includes building social skills, improving executive functioning and strengthening relationships. Along with individual and family counseling, Leslie provides counseling to neurodiverse couples, in which one or both partners have ASD. She supports couples in enhancing communication and working through challenges in their partnership. In addition to direct couples’ work, Leslie also provides supportive services, including consultation, training and coaching for family members, siblings and partners of individuals with ASD.

Great Evaluation! We Finally have a Diagnosis… SO NOW WHAT?!

Families often instinctively know what is going on in the pit of their stomachs even before the evaluation. This doesn’t make the “label” any less devastating once the valid, reliable evaluation is completed and the “word” is given. An evaluation is useless unless it leads the family toward a journey of exploration into appropriate programs, services and interventions to support the child and family and maximize the skills, abilities and talents that every child with a “disability” diagnosis has. Participants will receive a broad overview about the entry points into the various support systems currently existing (we can only speak about today-and there is great flux happening) for children with various disabilities.

Afternoon keynote (offering .1 ASHA CEU).

Gary Shulman, MS. Ed. was the Program Director of Social Services, Training Coordinator and Special Camp Fair Coordinator for Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc. for over 24 years. He transitioned from that position to the role of consultant/trainer on a private basis. Prior to RCSN, Mr. Shulman was the Special Needs Coordinator for the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for 10 years, a multi-sensory interactive learning environment. He began his career working with children with and without disabilities as a Head Start teacher for 5 years. Gary Shulman’s passion is bringing relief to families of children with disabilities as well as to the professionals who support them. His workshops are informational and inspirational. Through an interactive format, participants are taken on a journey of discovery. They will learn about all the various programs and services that make life easier when caring for a child with a disability and be motivated to think about their needs, wants, wishes and dreams and how to move toward the realization of those dreams and wishes.

The Developmental Assessment of Young Children- Second Edition (DAYC-2) Review

This workshop will focus on the administration and scoring of the DAYC-2, which assesses children up through six years of age. It will include discussion of how to incorporate professional, informed clinical opinion when testing scores do not adequately reflect a child's strengths and challenges. It will also include discussion of how to incorporate families into a testing session, and how to work as part of a multidisciplinary team to accurately portray "the whole child."

Breakout session II (offering .2 ASHA CEUs & 2 Social Work Contact Hours).

Speaker: Julie Castineiras has been a special education teacher for over 30 years. She has been a Service Coordinator, Service Provider, QA supervisor, Program Director and Bilingual Educational Evaluator for the Early Intervention Program and CPSE programs. She is a full-time Lecturer for Bronx Community College in the Education and Academic Reading Department. Ms. Castineiras is also the President of Access Consulting, where she trains individual evaluators on the appropriate use of the EdEval program to conduct evaluations for EIP and CPSE programs.

Report Writing and Goal Attainment Scales, Following the STAR Institute’s Model

This presentation will discuss the STAR Institute’s unique way of organizing report writing and goal attainment scales. We will discuss the use of impact statements and how they are used to explain the link between the information gathered during the assessment process and the child’s performance. We will also discuss the use of goal attainment scale continuums. Examples and opportunities for practice will be provided.

Breakout session II (offering .2 AOTA CEUs.)

Speaker: Elizabeth Rice is a pediatric occupational therapist, working at Great Kids Place, a sensory clinic in Rockaway, New Jersey that follows the STAR and DIR model. She also works in a public-school district in New Jersey, working with students from a self-contained behavior program. Elizabeth is a graduate of Kean University where she earned a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. She obtained her Bachelor of Music from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford where she majored in vocal performance. Her time spent as a performer contributes to the creativity in her practice and therapeutic use of self. She is currently enrolled in Profectum’s Professional DIR-FCD Model Certificate Course in Emotional, Social and Cognitive Development. Elizabeth is passionate about occupational therapy and implementing programs that help children reach their full potential.

Functional Assessment: What if Treatment Plans Don’t Work?

Participants will receive an introduction to the FBA process and explore what to do when treatment plans do not have their desired effects.

Breakout session II (offering 2 Type II BCBA CEUs).

Speaker: Bobby Newman Ph.D.,BCBA-D is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Psychologist. Affectionately known as the Dark Overlord of ABA, Bobby is the first author on thirteen books regarding behavior therapy, the philosophy of behaviorism, the autism spectrum disorders, utopian literature, and fitness. He has published over two dozen articles in professional journals, as well as numerous popular magazine articles and has hosted two series of radio call-in shows. Bobby is the Past-President of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment and the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis. A popular speaker, Bobby also provides direct treatment, staff training and consultation around the world, and has been honored for this work by several parents and professional groups. He is the Executive Director of Long Island Operations for Proud Moments. Bobby is also a certified personal trainer, obstacle course racer and marathoner and is an Ambassador for the Great Sportsmanship Programme. Bobby teaches non-violent crisis intervention philosophy and techniques for agencies and families. Bobby was a final four finalist for the 2016 For Those Who Would Humanitarian Award.

Disclosure Information:

Financial: The speaker for this event receives a speaker fee for this engagement.

Non-Financial: There are no non-financial disclosures.

Course Completion for CEUs: Participants will receive a certificate of completion including ASHA CEU Credit Hours. Successful completion for full CEU's requires attendance for the entire course, and meeting the contact hours, and completing course evaluation.

Special Accommodations/Accessibility: New York Therapy Placement Services welcomes participants with disabilities. Please contact Stephanie Deshommes at (718)264-1640 or Stephanie.Deshommes@nytps.org to discuss disability accommodations needed to participate fully in this event.

Refund/Cancellation Policy: Tuition will be refunded less a $5.00 processing fee, if written notification is received by New York Therapy Placement Services up to two weeks prior to the workshop. Two weeks to 48 hours prior to the workshop date 50%; 48 hours prior to workshop, no refund would be available.

Complaint Policy: We respect your input, for concerns or complaints during the registration process, during the event, or after the course please contact us at Stephanie.Deshommes@nytps.org or call (718)-264-1640.

Exhibitors

About New York Therapy Placement Services, Inc.: New York Therapy Placement Services, Inc. has been a leader in the educational/healthcare services arena for over 30 years. Founded in 1986, the company plays an integral part in both the public and private health care sectors. NYTPS is a multidisciplinary agency, with placements available for Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, LCSWs, LMHCs, Psychologists (PHD and PsyD), School Psychologists, Special Education Teachers and Behavior Analysts. Our placements include a wide variety of settings such as, but not limited to, preschools, schools, home care, nursing homes and long and short-term care facilities. We are proud of our reputation of excellence and commitment to providing services in compliance with local, state, and federal guidelines. We pride ourselves on working with only the most experienced clinicians that are interested in making a difference in the lives of others.

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