Workshop 1: Evaluating and Remediating Academic Anxieties(1.5 PD Credit)
Presented by Nathaniel von der Embse, Ph.D., NCSP

The purpose of this workshop is to understand the multifaceted nature of academic anxiety before, during, and after testing, as well as situationally specific forms of academic anxiety. Participants will learn several test anxiety assessments to inform evidence-based interventions. The presenters will discuss practical strategies for working with highly anxious students as well as consulting with teachers and schools in how best to prepare students for the annual high-stakes exam.

1. Participants will understand the importance and consequence of academic anxieties on academic performance.
2. Participants will learn practical and informative test anxiety assessment tools.
3. Participants will identify specific, evidence-based test anxiety interventions for groups and individuals.

Workshop 2: Effective Writing Assessment and Intervention(1.5 PD Credit)
Presented by Christine Malecki, Ph.D.

School psychologists will learn how to approach the assessment of written expression for intervention planning and evaluation purposes. This session will provide an overview of the elements of effective writing instruction at all tiers and will teach specific methods of assessing writing.

11:30am- 12:30pm

Lunch 

12:30pm - 2:00pm

Workshop 3: Let's Not Wait: Addressing Mental Health Needs in Early Childhood (1.5 PD Credit)
Presented by Lisa Kelly-Vance, Ph.D.

The focus of this session will be best practices in assessing the social emotional needs of young children and addressing needs through easy to implement, evidence- based strategies. An ecological perspective of the child’s need will provide the context for what can be done at home and in classrooms. Participants will also learn strategies for improving equity of services for children who are often underserved in early childhood programs.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Learn approaches to assessing social emotional needs in early childhood

2. Learn how to link their assessments to evidence based interventions

3. Learn advocacy and implementation strategies and tools to improve equity of services for children who are underserved in early childhood programs.

Workshop 4: Ethical and Professional Issues in Technology Use (1.5 PD Credit)  

Presented by Rob Dixon, PhD, NCSP, LP

8:00am - 9:30am

Workshop 1: School-Based FBAs: Concept Evolution, Assessment/Intervention Tuning, & Test-Drive (1.5 PD Credit)

Presented by Loren Houle, NCSP

Conducting functional behavior assessments (FBAs) in the school setting can be a daunting task. Various methods can be used in pursuit of exploring a learner’s skill deficits and interfering behavior. This presentation provides a brief review of the conceptual foundations that make up FBAs, assessment methods across the FBA-to-BIP process, and a description of the Behavior Analytic Problem-Solving (BAPS) model through an evolutionary lens based on the work of Steege, Pratt, Wick, Guare, and Watson (2019). The next section of the presentation employs cartography to navigate and synthesize assessment data to design function-based intervention plans that facilitate implementation for school psychologists. Considerations for potential influences related to diversity are offered to enhance service delivery to Indigenous populations.

10:00am -11:30am

Presented by James Guyrke, Ph.D.

Concussions are often discussed and reported across media outlets as sports injuries that are a routine occurrence. While the incidence rate for concussions is quite high (estimated to be approximately 4 million per year in the U.S), recent information suggests that concussions more frequently occur outside of sports than in sports and often go undetected and untreated. This workshop will focus on the school psychologist’s important role in identifying and treating concussions in school students using objective measures and empirically validated treatment protocols. In addition, the presentation will also emphasize the importance of addressing the mental health complications that occur during recovery from a concussion since this is an often overlooked aspect of the recovery process. One of most important tasks of the school psychologist is understanding the steps necessary to help the student return to school, including working across departments to ensure the student is given the appropriate amount of activity to maximize recovery.  

11:30am -12:30pm
  

Lunch 

12:30pm - 2:00pm

Workshop 3:  Legal Update: Top 10 Hot Topics and How to Manage the Heat (1.5 PD Credit)
Presented by Neal Takiff

Workshop 4: The Assessment of ED and Trauma in the Schools (1.5 PD Credit)

Presented by Darla DeCarlo PsyS, LMHC

This webinar explores emotional disturbance and trauma and how it impacts children in the school setting. We investigate the structure of the Emotional Disturbance Decision Tree (EDDT) and the Feifer Assessment of Childhood Trauma (FACT) and how to use these assessments.

Learning objectives:

1.           Describe the history and definition of an emotional disturbance (ED) and trauma.

2.           Review the structure of the EDDT and its value in assessing the presence or absence of ED.

3.           Explore the structure and value of using the FACT to understand the mental health and academic

               impact of on students.