Dr. Ioana Pal, clinical psychologist at the Stramski Center, shares the wide variety of diagnostic techniques, treatments and care available at the Center supporting children with special needs and their families. Conditions that they handle include autism spectrum disorder, sleep disorders, behavior and neurodevelopment issues, psychological testing, genetics testing, craniofacial interventions, high-risk infant follow ups, and fragile X disorder.
Elizabeth C. Hamblet, learning specialist and consultant to Columbia University’s disability services office, discusses how to access the right kind of accommodations for a college bound student with special needs, and how to prepare for that journey before arriving on campus.
KD Harris, co-founder and executive director of the Let’s Talk LD organization, addresses critically important social justice and equality of educational opportunity issues faced by those in the neurodiverse community, as well as some of the resources and supports offered by her unique nonprofit.
Laura Fonseca, clinical director at Meli Music, discusses the many benefits of music therapy including cognitive development, academic enhancement, sensory processing, speech and language support, motor skills process and socio-emotional management.
A team of knowledgeable professionals from The Leafwing Center share their expertise about applied behavior analysis. They discuss the basics of the technique, what a good ABA program entails, reasonable expectations and the many benefits to be gleaned from this type of treatment. This is an in-depth tour of what ABA is and how it works.
Jean Morrison, 5th degree black belt and assault survivor, talks about the confidence building and social skills development, among other benefits, that an adapted martial arts program can offer to any individual with special needs. She also debunks some common myths about marital arts and shares her stories of success.
Thomas Iland, autism advocate, renowned speaker and author, shares the secrets to success contained in his book, Come to Life! Your Guide to Self-Discovery, as well as his philosophy on becoming your best self that he has talked about on stages all over the country, including a TedX talk and at the Untied Nations speaking as an emerging leader in the autism community.
Dr. Karen Wilson shares her extensive knowledge about what it means to get the right kind of evaluation done for your loved one with special needs. Specifically, she underscores the value of a comprehensive neuropsychological exam to help determine the cause of the challenges someone is dealing with and what the appropriate treatments and approaches for achieving success might be.
Assemblywoman Christy Smith discusses some of the biggest challenges facing the special needs delivery system and how they are being addressed, as well as the best ways to advocate with your local legislator.
Dan Greenwood, former college professor, CEO of Greenwood Associates and creator of the Greenwood Career and College System, talks about how to match the right career and educational path with a person’s strengths, preferences and personality traits to increase the chances of success and enjoyment in one’s chosen field.