WCSLA WORKSHOP SERIES 2023- 2024
Co-sponsored by MSHA and WCSLA
Registration for all conferences begins at 8:00 am, speakers will begin by 8:30 am.
Workshop #1: "Executive Functions: More Than Just Attention"
Executive functions play a critical role in the overall learning process as the all-encompassing regulatory system of cognition. Deficits in executive functioning impact all aspects of learning, including academically and socially. In this workshop, attendees will learn about the integrated nature of cognition, executive functioning skills clusters, their role in the learning process, means to assess and treat them, and ways to support the dysregulated child. Treatment techniques such as reflexive questioning, self-evaluation, planning, and visualization will be addressed.
Presented By: Tera L. Sumpter, M.A., CCC-SLP
CEUs: 0.5 ASHA, 5 SCECH
Date: Tuesday, October 10th, 2023, 8:30 am-3:00 pm, at Schoolcraft College, Vista Tech Center, 18600 Haggerty Road.. This workshop is IN PERSON.
Course Objectives: As a result of this activity, the participants will be able to:
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Communicate the role that executive functions play in the learning process.
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Describe different techniques for supporting and improving executive functions in our children.
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Incorporate new activities into their classrooms, therapy sessions and/or homes.
Tera Sumpter, M.A., CCC-SLP is the founder of Seeds of Learning, LLC with offices in Lakewood and Independence, Ohio, which specializes in executive functioning, reading, and other pediatric learning disabilities. A former adjunct instructor of Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism in the Cleveland State University's Speech and Hearing Program, Tera currently presents her integrative cognitive processing and executive functioning model across the United States and internationally. Tera also has experience as a medical speech language pathologist in both inpatient and outpatient hospital settings. Tera is the author of the internationally selling book, The Seeds of Learning: A Cognitive Processing Model for Speech, Language, Literacy and Executive Functioning. She also runs an online international educational network for speech-language pathologists, parents and allied professionals who want to learn more about executive functioning and how to integrate it into their current therapeutic practice.
Tera Sumpter, Executive Functions: More Than Just Attention, employed at Seeds of Learning, LLC.
HIPAA Requirements: Presenter insures that the privacy of his/her patients/clients by refraining from using names, photographs or other identifiers in course materials without the patient/client's knowledge and written authorization.
Disclosures of Financial/Non-Financial Relationships:
Tera Sumpter is an employee of Seeds of Learning, LLC and receives a salary. Ms. Sumpter also does teaching and speaking for Mighty Network and receives royalties from ELH Publishing, LLC/Amazon.com.
Workshop #2: "What Does Play Have to Do with Classroom Learning?"
Exploring Social-Executive Functioning and Social-Emotional Learning for Early Learners
Social-executive functioning is at the heart of successful play, social interaction, and learning as part of a group. In this course, we'll teach how to move from the five basic Social Thinking lessons in We Thinkers! Volume 1 Social Explorers (formerly The Incredible Flexible You!) to the more complex lessons presented in We Thinkers! Volume 2. Attendees will engage in research-based group learning activities and learn strategies to apply in the classroom, clinic, or home the next day. Explore concepts such as the role of play and working as part of a group in the development of self-regulation, social problem solving, and executive functioning. We will also look at why a child who has difficulty with social attention will have trouble with sharing an imagination and interacting/playing with peers. Learn to teach kids to become better social observers and decipher the hidden rules and social expectations of a situation. From there we move to teaching strategies around the concepts of flexible versus stuck thinking, recognizing the size of the problem, making smart guesses, and sharing an imagination. Learn to use Social Thinking's newest tool, the Group Collaboration, Play and Problem Solving (GPS) Scale, to understand the five different levels of play and how they relate to classroom participation and academic standards. Understand how this scale interfaces with and expands upon other known scales such as the Westby Play Scale (2000), a highly regarded standard in the literature of play assessment. Learn how the lessons and activities in the We Thinkers! curriculum are adapted for each level of Social Thinking's GPS and how the information can be used in Pre-K-2 mainstream classrooms as part of social emotional learning (SEL), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and Response to Intervention (RTI) programs. Our goal is to teach how to use We Thinkers! Volume 2 and related treatment ideas with fidelity. The information presented on this day builds on the five core Social Thinking concepts presented in our precursory course "Teaching Social Thinking to Early Learners Through Stories and Play-Based Activities."
*Treatment refers to using conceptual and strategy-based frameworks to help individuals improve their social competencies.
Presented By: Kari Zweber Palmer, MA, CCC-SLP
CEUs: 0.5 ASHA, 5 SCECH
Date: Thursday, January 25th, 2024, 8:30 am-3:00 pm- Via ZOOM. THIS IS AN ONLINE, LIVE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP. IT WILL NOT BE RECORDED. .
Course Objectives: As a result of this activity, the participants will be able to:
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Describe two (2) strategies for helping individuals learn to be more flexible thinkers.
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Describe two (2) strategies to help individuals learn how problem solving involves self-regulation.
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Design a lesson to promote a child's development of Shared, Collaborative, Imaginative Play (SCIP).
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Describe two (2) aspects of each of the five levels of play as explained through Social Thinking's Group Collaboration, Play and Problem Solving (GPS) Scale. Define two (2) different strategies to provide differentiated instruction to students who have different interactive play abilities.
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Explain how to teach students to read the hidden rules to figure out what behaviors are expected in a specific situation.
Kari Zweber Palmer is a speech-language pathologist and social-cognitive therapist at her private practice, Changing Perspectives, in Excelsior, MN. She has co-authored, with Michelle Garcia Winner, Ryan Hendrix, and Nancy Tarshis, We Thinkers! Volume 1 Social Explorers and We Thinkers! Volume 2 Social Problem Solvers. Additionally, Kari consults with school districts on implementing Social Thinking into their programming.
Kari's interest in communication and related disorders began long before she studied it formally. Her mom, Jane, is a speech-language pathologist and Kari grew up in the field. Kari received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri and master’s from the University of Kansas. Following her formal training, she started her career as a speech-language pathologist in the public schools in Minnetonka, MN, working predominantly in the early childhood and elementary levels.
Kari's interest in Social Thinking® was first ignited in graduate school when shewas encouraged to facilitate a "social skills" group for teens. As she attempted topull together a lesson plan for the group, she quickly realized she had no idea howto truly teach social thinking. Discovering Michelle's work made all the difference,as she found information that concretely explained what to do and more importantly, why. Finding herself increasingly fascinated with Social Thinking, Kari researched and wrote "The Double Interview: Assessing the Social Communication of Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome" for her master’s thesis. Department faculty at the University of Kansas awarded her the Margaret C. Byrne Saricks Graduate Research Award for demonstrating excellence in master’s thesis research.
Kari worked as a full-time therapist at Michelle Garcia Winner's Center for Social Thinking in San Jose, California. Her diverse caseload included preschool children to young adults. Kari had the good fortune of training directly with Michelle and co-treated a teen group with her each week.
Kari is an active presenter and likes nothing better than to share the power of Social Thinking with others. Comments from past workshop participants include: "Kari was engaging, enthusiastic and obviously passionate about the topic. She was not only knowledgeable but balanced the information with real-life examples and humor."
Personal:
Kari can usually be found chasing after her kids, thinking about training for another triathlon with her husband, and enjoying the lakes of Minnesota. She loves to travel and considers her experiences with an infant on an airplane the most interesting social experiment.
Kari Zweber Palmer, What Does Play Have to do with Classroom Learning?, employed at Changing Perspectives and Thinking Social Publishing.
Disclosure:
Social Thinking® is a product and no other similar products will be discussed.
HIPAA Requirements: Presenter ensures the privacy of his/her patients/clients by refraining from using names, photographs or other identifiers in course materials without the patient/client's knowledge and written authorization.
Financial:Kari Zweber Palmer, Author/speaker for Think Social Publishing, Inc., and receives speaking fees and royalty payments.
Non-financial: No relevant non-financial relationships exist.
Workshop #3: "Selective Mutism and Strategies to Address Syndrome Disorders"
In the AM the course will focus on Selective Mutism. Selective mutism occurs when an individual is capable of speaking and is verbal in at least one setting but refuses to talk in public situations. Onset during preschool years usually masks an underlying communication problem that may be missed or classified as a psychiatric problem. This presentation will explain disorder characteristics and DSM criteria for diagnosis. Assessment and treatment options published in current literature will be discussed. Video examples will be included to illustrate a desensitization treatment approach to address the disorder.
The PM will focus on various Syndrome Disorders. Children with syndromes can present significant challenges including communication disorders, hearing loss, motor disabilities and cognitive disorders. This workshop will focus on identifying the key characteristics, hereditary patterns, identifying features, and treatment options for a variety of childhood syndromes, including Retts, Angelman, Prader-Willi, Velocardiofacial, Fragile X, Fetal Alcohol, and Williams.
Presented By: Gail J. Richard, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
CEUs: 0.5 ASHA, 5 SCECH
DateTuesday, April 30th, 2024, 8:30 am-3:00 pm,at Schoolcraft College, Vista Tech Center, 18600 Haggerty Road. This workshop is IN PERSON.
Course Objectives: As a result of this activity, the participants will be able to:
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Describe the major characteristics present in children with selective mutism.
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Summarize current evidence regarding etiology, characteristics, assessment, and treatment options for selective mutism.
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Generate examples of therapy activities to implement a desensitization treatment approach.
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Understand basic genetic traits that contribute to syndrome disorders.
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Identify key syndrome characteristics pertinent to speech-language-hearing assessment and intervention.
Gail J. Richard, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, emeritus professor at Eastern Illinois University, was on the faculty for 37 years specializing in childhood developmental language disorders, such as autistic spectrum disorders, auditory/language processing, executive functions, developmental syndromes, and selective mutism. Dr. Richard has numerous publications and presentations. Professional awards include Honors of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, Illinois Clinical Achievement Award, and multiple teaching awards. Her many leadership positions include ASHA President in 2017.
HIPAA Requirements:
Presenter ensures the privacy of his/her patients/clients by refraining from using names, photographs or other identifiers in course materials without the patient/client's knowledge and written authorization.
Disclosure:
Financial: Gail J. Richard, Selective Mutism and Strategies to Address Syndrome Disorders, employed at Dynamic Resources, ProEd. Gail J. Richard receives royalty payments and is an author for Dynamic Resources, ProEd.
Non-financial: Gail J. Richard does not have any non-financial relationships to disclose