ALL RELATED SERVICES WORKSHOPS ARE CURRENTLY FULL TO CAPACITY
All Related Services workshops will be held at McCarthy Middle School. McCarthy Middle School is located at 250 North Rd., Chelmsford, MA.
Lunch will be available onsite for $5 (cash only).
Session 1: 8:30-10:00
RS1: Tips and Tools for Facilitating Social Skills and Team Building Activities: Alyson Shaheen, MS, CCC-SLP
Social skills are an integral part of student learning and interpersonal success among peer relationships both in and out of the classroom. During this one-hour session, we will discuss the roles that self-awareness, conversational, self-advocacy, relationship/boundary and perspective taking skills play in the social success of students and a classroom’s climate. Various tips and tools will be presented, offering teachers and therapists ways to adapt activities based on the specific needs of their students, develop interactive lessons to keep students engaged and embrace flexibility during lessons.
RS2: AAC Implementation and Free Resources: Mary Guinta, MS, CCC-SLP
This course is best suited for special Educators and SLP’s who have fundamental knowledge of AAC theory and need suggestions on where to find resources to facilitate AAC implementation.
RS3: AT Tools and Resources for Therapists: Melissa Derr, ATP
This course will provide free and paid tools and Assistive Technology resources for school therapists. They may be relevant for SLPs, OTs and PTs.
RS4: Handwriting & Functional Hand Use: Understanding the Postural Control and Sensory Connection: Allyson Locke M.S. OTR/L
This course will explore one of the root causes of poor hand function, diminished postural control. This course will take an in depth look at the contribution of the sensory systems to postural control and overall hand function.
RS5: Music Therapy and Communication Therapy Integration: Bryan Thomas, MT
This course will demonstrate and highlight the diverse ways music therapy is used at Valley Collaborative to facilitate, empower, and bolster students’ communication. It will focus in particular on the close collaboration between the music therapy and speech teams at the collaborative including co-treatment and consultation. This course is intended for, MT-BCs, SLPs, OTs, PTs, Classroom Teachers, Arts Educators, Paraprofessionals, and anyone interested in new methods of cross-discipline collaboration working towards a common goal.
RS6: The Effects of Stress and How It impacts Functioning, Coping Abilities, and Sensory Processing: Susan Rappaport, OT/RL
This workshop will look at behavior patterns, sensory processing, and perceptions of stress and its relationship with development and functional abilities. Attendees will b understand the influence of sensory dysregulation and its effects on stress, articulate how good sensory integration allows for optimal performance, describe the developmental pyramid and possible causes of aberrant behavior and develop classroom strategies to improve school and social functioning.
RS7: Selecting Meaningful, Standardized Pediatric Outcome Measures for Children With Disabilities- Research Review and Facilitated Networking: Katie Nutile, DPT
Group facilitated networking and a journal article review will be conducted by Valley Collaborative PT, Katie Nutile, DPT. Online course offering titled: Selecting Meaningful, Standardized Pediatric Outcome Measures for Children With Disabilities will be reviewed and discussed. Course Description from APTA: This course is designed to provide clinicians an opportunity to explore the relationships between currently utilized outcome measures in pediatric physical therapy, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF), and measuring meaningful outcomes for children. Currently available assessments of activity and participation will be presented and reviewed. The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), Pediatric Examination of Disability Inventory (PEDI), School Function Assessment (SFA), Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (Peds QL), Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI), Pediatric Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM), Assessment of Life Habits (Life-H), and computer-adapted testing strategies will be included. Through case examples, meaningful activities that enable children to participate in home, school and recreational pursuits will be identified and standardized assessment tools will be selected to measure meaningful functional outcomes. In interpreting the results from the standardized outcome measures, emphasis will be placed on evaluating responsiveness and minimum clinically important difference measured by the outcome measurement tools.
RS8: Trauma Informed Care and Related Service Providers: Jackie Squeglia
This course is for any educator or therapist who is interested in learning more about trauma and its impact on their students. Participants will be exploring how trauma affects our students and the multiple techniques we can utilize to manage traumatic-stress responses in our schools. Participants will also gain an understanding of vicarious traumatization and how to create opportunities for self-care into their daily lives.
RS9: Eligibility and Exit Criteria for Speech-Language Services in the Public Schools: Rosemary Coughlan
This course will outline specific criteria for speech-language services through evidence based, ASHA supported bet practices across multiple diagnosis and disabilities. This course is most relevant for public school therapists across the age spans.
Session 2: 10:15-11:45
RS10: Tips and Tools for Facilitating Successful Social Skills and Team Building Activities: Alyson Shaheen, MS, CCC-SLP
Social skills are an integral part of student learning and interpersonal success among peer relationships both in and out of the classroom. During this one-hour session, we will discuss the roles that self-awareness, conversational, self-advocacy, relationship/boundary and perspective taking skills play in the social success of students and a classroom’s climate. Various tips and tools will be presented, offering teachers and therapists ways to adapt activities based on the specific needs of their students, develop interactive lessons to keep students engaged and embrace flexibility during lessons.
RS11: AAC Implementation and Free Resources: Mary Guinta, MS, CCC-SLP
This course is best suited for special Educators and SLP’s who have fundamental knowledge of AAC theory and need suggestions on where to find resources to facilitate AAC implementation.
RS12: AT Tools and Resources for Therapists: Melissa Derr, ATP
This course will provide free and paid tools and Assistive Technology resources for school therapists. They may be relevant for SLPs, OTs and PTs.
RS13: Handwriting & Functional Hand Use: Understanding the Postural Control and Sensory Connection: Allyson Locke M.S. OTR/L
This course will explore one of the root causes of poor hand function, diminished postural control. This course will take an in depth look at the contribution of the sensory systems to postural control and overall hand function.
RS18: Music Therapy and Communication Therapy Integration: Bryan Thomas, MT
This course will demonstrate and highlight the diverse ways music therapy is used at Valley Collaborative to facilitate, empower, and bolster students’ communication. It will focus in particular on the close collaboration between the music therapy and speech teams at the collaborative including co-treatment and consultation. This course is intended for, MT-BCs, SLPs, OTs, PTs, Classroom Teachers, Arts Educators, Paraprofessionals, and anyone interested in new methods of cross-discipline collaboration working towards a common goal.
RS14: The Effects of Stress and How It impacts Functioning, Coping Abilities, and Sensory Processing: Susan Rappaport, OT/RL
This workshop will look at behavior patterns, sensory processing, and perceptions of stress and its relationship with development and functional abilities. Attendees will b understand the influence of sensory dysregulation and its effects on stress, articulate how good sensory integration allows for optimal performance, describe the developmental pyramid and possible causes of aberrant behavior and develop classroom strategies to improve school and social functioning.
RS15: Trauma Informed Care: Jackie Squeglia
This course is for any educator or therapist who is interested in learning more about trauma and its impact on their students. Participants will be exploring how trauma affects our students and the multiple techniques we can utilize to manage traumatic-stress responses in our schools. Participants will also gain an understanding of vicarious traumatization and how to create opportunities for self-care into their daily lives.
RS16: Eligibility and Exit Criteria for Speech-Language Services in the Public Schools: Rosemary Coughlan
This course will outline specific criteria for speech-language services through evidence based, ASHA supported bet practices across multiple diagnosis and disabilities. This course is most relevant for public school therapists across the age spans.
11:45-12:30 Lunch
Session 3: 12:30-2:00
RS17: The Movement of Imperfection, Parental Insight in Special Education: Patty Terrassi, Gina Gallagher
A welcome and introduction by Maggie King. Parents and authors of “Shut Up About Your Perfect Kids”, Patty and Gina will discuss what they call “The Movement of Imperfection” as they describe their successes and challenges of raising children with special needs through with a comedic flair.