The Importance of Early Intervention with Penny Amic
Penny Amic, founder and director of Special Beginnings, Inc., addresses the importance of early intervention for the neurodiverse child from the time of birth through the first few years of life. She discusses methods for interacting with your child and shares stories of success as well as the challenges faced by this population of children including behavioral and social issues as well as developmentally delayed infants, toddlers and young people.
IEPs, Due Process and Educational Rights
Kyra Clipper, staff attorney and director of the Advocacy for Children with Autism Program at the Learning Rights Law Center, discusses what an IEP is and how to obtain one for your child, how to ask the right questions and what to do if you disagree with what the IEP says among many other things that are crucial to know for success of the process.
Autism Works Now!
Joanne Lara, M.A., addresses the problem of unemployment in the special needs and disabled communities and what we can do to change those statistics and put the odds in favor of those populations. She shares ideas and tools for getting young people on the right track to employment and discusses the programs and services offered by Autism Works Now! and Glorious Pies, a work program operated by young people on the autism spectrum.
Swimming for therapy and fun!
Chris Durian, founder of SwimScaape, talks about the adaptive techniques he and his organization use to teach swimming and water safety to those with special needs. His approach stresses having fun and gaining confidence while learning to be comfortable and safe in the water. Have you heard about the YODA method? Just ask Chris!
Diagnosis and Care at the Stramski Center
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.
Disability Services in College
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.
Let’s Talk About Learning Differences
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.
Benefits of Music Therapy
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.
The Advantages of Applied Behavior Analysis
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.
Adapted Martial Arts
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.