Association of Educational Therapists
11300 W. Olympic Blvd.,
Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90064
phone 310-909-1490
800-286-4267
fax 310-437-0585
Registration Information
Advanced registration is closed. You may register on-site on Friday at 8:15 AM.
Need Help?
Contact the Registrar:
310-909-1490 x128
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
08:15 AM -- Registration & Refreshments
09:00 AM -- Morning Keynote by Sheryl Pruitt
12:15 PM -- Lunch (included)
01:30 PM -- Afternoon Panels
REGISTRATION FEES
AET Member - $160
Non-Member - $200
Student* - $120
Pre-Workshop Dinner -$30
CEUs** - $20
*Students must provide a valid student ID with registration.
**Additional fee for ISBE/LCSW/MFT/ASHA/NASP CEUs only.
Registration & Cancellation Policies
Cancellation requests must be received in writing by February 26, 2010. Any cancellations received by this date will incur a processing fee of $25. NO refunds will be given after February 26.
VENUE INFORMATION
National Louis University
Atrium & Room 5031-32
122 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603
Optional Activity
Thursday, March 11 - 7:00 pm
Dinner at the Parthenon
“Chicago's oldest classic Greek restaurant”
314 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL
Fee: $30.00 per person
[Advance registration is required.]
This is a great opportunity to network with AET Board Members!
Chicago Regional Meeting
Friday, March 12, 2010 - National Louis University (Downtown)
CEUs Available! (4.75) AET, (4.75) ISBE, (4.75) IL LCSW, (4.75) CA LCSW/MFT, (4.75) NASP, (.4) ASHA
I Can’t Find It, Can’t Remember It, Can’t Do It Fast Enough! Explanation and Remediation of Specific Learning Disorders
Presented by Sheryl Pruitt, MEd, ET/P
How often do we hear a teacher say, “If this student just tried harder, she would do better in school”? Why do parents of children with complex learning challenges and behavior disorders expect their child to do well in school without intervention? With humor and grace, Ms. Pruitt will focus on the importance of Executive Functioning, Speed of Processing and Memory and how these factors have an impact on academic, behavioral, and social functioning.
Participants will be able to:
- Summarize the essential characteristics of executive dysfunction, certain memory disorders and slow processing speed
- Describe regulatory and non-regulatory disorders associated with executive dysfunction, certain memory disorders, and slow processing speed
- Apply strategies that minimize the impact of executive dysfunction, specific memory disorders, and slow processing speed
Ms. Pruitt is co-author of Teaching the Tiger and Tigers Too and a contributing author to the Tourette Foundation of Canada’s Education Guide on Tourette Syndrome. She teaches a State of Georgia Professional Learning Unit Course on students with neurological impairments and the impact of their disorders on education, behavior, family, and socialization. Ms. Pruitt has presented both nationally and internationally, including presenting the opening session at AET’s 2009 Annual Conference. Her presentations incorporate not only a professional perspective, but also personal experiences with these conditions within her family. Her newest book Tigers Too, is an outstanding reference guide regarding difficulties with executive functions, speed of processing and memory and the impact on the academic, behavioral and social functioning of students with ADHD, Tourette Syndrome and OCD.
Afternoon Panels featuring Allied Professionals
SESSION A. Remediation of Visual Processing and Motor Difficulties
Presenters: Erin Anderson, MA, OTR/L, Dennis Ireland, OD, MEd, and Elizabeth Friedman, PhD [Moderator]
This session combines the expertise of two professionals interested in ways of improving the performance of clients who exhibit specific difficulties with visual processing and visual motor integration. These difficulties are often NOT recognized in the classroom or in psychological examinations. The presenters possess different backgrounds and will share their expertise on recognizing specific problems and strategies to help remediate and provide adaptations to students with difficulty in visual processing and integration.
Participants will be able to:
- Define visual behavior such as convergence, accommodation, and tracking
- Describe how visual behavior relates to reading
- Identify when vision therapy can be used as an intervention for some reading disorders
- Recognize visual processing difficulties and decide when to seek support
- Apply strategies to assist children with visually demanding tasks
- Design and implement adaptations to help children with visual processing difficulties
- Describe how occupational therapy can aid overall school performance
SESSION B. The Power of Social Work and Speech Therapy: A Case Study
Presenters: Sarah Ahlm, MA, LCSW, Stacey Buck, MA, SLP, and Risa Graff, MA, BCET [Moderator]
How can social work and speech therapy enhance the work of educational therapists? Many students have dual diagnoses, such as depression or impaired language, in addition to learning disabilities. Using a case study, the presenters will discuss the impact of language on academic learning, social interaction, and overall communicative competence. Additionally, the presenters will discuss social-emotional states and their effect on daily learning. Participants will be able to incorporate suggested strategies to help maximize productivity with students during sessions.
Participants will be able to:
- Select visuals for teaching sentence structure
- Format the five “wh” questions for oral and written work from planning to summarizing
- Apply strategies to extend student comprehension by reframing vocabulary.
- Implement validation and redirection techniques
- Carry out motivational interviewing
- Apply methods to develop social marketing, especially for preteens and teens
Panelist Bios:
Sarah Ahlm, MA, LCSW has a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago. She is a clinical social worker in private practice specializing in child and family therapy. For over ten years, Sarah has focused on providing therapy to meet the social emotional needs of children with chronic illness, developmental delays, sensory processing disorders and special learning needs.In her practice she works with families to provide cognitive behavioral therapy, behavior modification, relaxation and parenting education.
Erin Anderson, MA, OTR/L, is a member of the clinical faculty at Saint Louis University. As a specialist in pediatric occupational therapy, her practice helps children develop independence at play, at school, and in daily living skills. She has developed a repertoire of programs, tools, and strategies to help students with difficulty in visual-motor integration.
Stacey Buck, MA, SLP has a Masters degree from Northwestern University in Speech-Language Pathology and holds a special education teaching certificate. For over fourteen years, Stacey has worked with pre-school through high school aged children with learning disabilities, sensory processing disorders, and other special learning needs. In her private practice, she uses play-based therapeutic activities as well as curriculum-based activities to address a variety of speech and language needs.
Elizabeth Friedman, PhD is a graduate in Clinical Psychology from Illinois Institute of Technology. She is in clinical practice specializing in neuropsychological assessment and therapy for the management of anxiety and attention. She is especially interested in how visual difficulties affect learning and emotional development.
Risa Graff, MA, BCET is currently president of the Association of Educational Therapists. She has been in private practice for 30 years and regularly collaborates with allied professionals in order to meet the complex needs of her students. Risa is a co-author of the book, Why is My Child’s ADHD Not Better Yet? and has been instrumental in training new educational therapists through the Educational Therapy Institute (ETI).
Dennis Ireland, OD, MEd has many years of experience helping children and adults with learning issues. His particular interest and expertise concerns binocular vision (how the two eyes work together) and how difficulties with visual processing affect learning. Dr. Ireland’s combined background of a Doctor of Optometry from Illinois College of Optometry and a Master of Education in Reading from Loyal University makes him an outstanding specialist in the field.