Whether you have a student with a diagnosed disability, or you have a typical student with high anxiety, please come and learn how you can support your student at this critical time. Join us at https://meet.google.com/kpt-wwed-mdd

Please stay for a quick update on the SEPAC for 2020-2021 following the presentation.

presented by Kenna Iles, MOT, OTR/L, a pediatric occupational therapist.

This presentation will give parents and caregivers full access to an OT’s tips, tricks, and tools to help their student(s) do their best while learning online.

Author and mental-health mom Deborah Vlock will read "snapshots" from her new book, Parenting Children with Mental Health Challenges: A Guide to Life with Emotionally Complex Kids. This will be followed by discussion of specific topics, such as finding and cultivating parent "intel" networks; managing sibling needs; optimizing communication with providers, partners, families, and friends; and parent self-care.

Presented by Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., M.S., ADHD Essentials. Topics covered are geared toward teens, and include:

• Why the name ADHD stinks

• How the name affects people’s perception of the disorder

• Look-a-likes & comorbidities

• ADHD in the brain

• The role of executive function

• Brendan’s “Wall of Awful” Model: The emotional impact of ADHD

• Lifestyle strategies for managing ADHD

• Practical tips for managing ADHD at home and at school

In this presentation, the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) covers how and when to request a mediation or facilitated Team Meeting as well as how to prepare for and what to expect from mediation/facilitation at the BSEA.

We will meet in the Library Classroom.

Presented by Leslie Bock of the BSEA

Free and open to the public.

A workshop designed for teens and their parents. We will cover the basic definition of Executive Function, and give you and your teens some strategies to take home with you. Tips on how to get organized, manage time, pay attention, and find resources to achieve a goal.

Please RSVP as space is limited!

Presented by Engaging Minds: http://www.engagingmindsonline.com/about/team

Co-sponsored with Sudbury Extended Day program

This workshop, co-sponsored with Sudbury Extended Day program, is for parents and professions who have or work with tweens or teens in need of guidance toward positive peer relationships. Donna will provide tips on social anxiety management, increasing positive interactions with others, and how to handle it when other people are mean. We will also discuss the important role that parents and professionals play in social coaching and tips on how to teach social independence and increase tweens’/teens’ social success. 

Presented by Donna Shea, Founder of The Peter Pan Center

Free and open to the public.

Cognitive dysfunction is believed to have a strong correlation with mental health diagnoses like depression and anxiety. These conditions can significantly alter cognitive functioning, particularly memory retention and the absorption of knowledge. 

Presented by Dr. Erica Kalkut, Child & Family Psychological Services

Free and open to the public.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Victor Hernandez will review vital resources available to families of students with special needs. These publicly-funded services and supports are here for you, regardless of income.

Free and open to the public.

We will discuss strategies to help your child get “unstuck” when he/she has trouble initiating tasks, to help your child keep track of his/her belongings and schoolwork, and to enhance working memory and sustain attention.

Presented by Dan Levine, Engaging Minds

Free and open to the public.

A comprehensive overview of the transition planning process for families of students with disabilities ages 14-22 on IEPS.

Presented by the Federation for Children with Special Needs.

Free and open to the public.

School refusal, including school phobia and school anxiety, is an increasingly prevalent yet often misunderstood condition among pre-teens and teens. A student who refuses to go to school creates a crisis at home and a challenge for the school. The longer the student is at home, the less likely he or she will return to school. Join Dr. Ryan Conway to learn about the warning signs of school refusal and what you can do to help teenagers who demonstrate these behaviors.

Dr. Ryan Ruth Conway is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the delivery of evidence-based treatments to children and adolescents. She utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral interventions for youth who struggle with anxiety and mood disorders. Dr. Conway has a passion for working collaboratively with parents, schools and other professionals. She recently founded NESCA’s Back to School (BTS) program, an intensive treatment for school-refusing students.

Atty Meredith Greene, Fletcher Tilton and Leo Rotman, CFP River Financial Group

How do I make sure my child can have the life I want for them? This workshop offers a holistic perspective on benefit programs, ways to bridge funding gaps, and legal considerations.

Chief Nix from the Sudbury Police Department will host a brief discuss about safety in the special needs community. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more likely to have interactions with police officers because they are more commonly the victims of crime and because communication difficulties can lead to misunderstandings. These factors may sometimes create negative and serious outcomes. How can we support people with disabilities during an emergency or any interaction with first responders? Some may need assistance identifying the emergency and dialing 911, some are overwhelmed by sirens and lights and may become upset or try to hide, and some individuals are scared of people in uniform. Please come to a presentation with Sudbury Police Chief Scott Nix, joined by Jail Diversion Clinician Taylor Hayden, on issues surrounding our local first responders and people with disabilities.

Laura Cole, LSRHS Counselor

For parents and students who are on a 504 or IEP. This presentation will go over steps to access transitional support from high school to post-secondary: college, work programs, vocational training, and transitional services.

Camila Barrerra, Middlesex Partnership for Youth

This workshop reviews the challenges and dangerous situations that may arise through use of the Internet, social media and smart phones. Discuss the popular apps, social media sites and programs used by youth online. This workshop explains the issues and possible consequences from cyber bullying, sexting and revealing identifying information to strangers.

Laura Cole, LSRHS Counselor

For parents and students who are on a 504 plan or IEP. This presentation will go over the steps of applying to college with a disability and accessing supports once on a college campus. 

Bonnie Singer, CEO of Architects for Learning

Students with weaknesses in language, attention, and/or executive function skills often have working memory limitations that can hold them back academically. Bonnie will shed light on how working memory affects listening, speaking, reading, and writing and will share practical strategies parents and teachers can use to support students of all ages.

Lotus Blossom restaurant on Rte 20 in Sudbury

Dan Levine, President of Engaging Minds

Workshop presented by Leslie Leslie of the Federation for Children with Special Needs