Please join us for “Understanding Autistic Strengths & Differences: Why It’s Essential for Meaningful Support” with Staci Neustadt and Susan Golubock.

Staci Neustadt, CEO of Making Sense of Autism®, is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with over 20 years of experience providing individual and group therapy, training, mentorship, and leadership. In 2019, Staci joined Susan in developing the Neuro Strengths Based Support for Autism framework. Staci is passionate about creating a paradigm shift for therapists to holistically support autistic clients and for autistic clients to feel seen and heard as they build on their strengths and contribute their gifts to their community.

Susan Golubock is a retired occupational therapist. She received her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University in 1968 and Masters of Education degree in special education technology in 1995. She was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum in 1999. Most of her career has been spent in school-based practice. Susan has been a keynote speaker and presenter at various conferences. Susan developed the Neuro-Strengths Based Support for Autism Framework, which comes from her personal experience as an autistic individual and professional experience as an occupational therapist who worked with autistic clients. She grew up trying to “be like everyone else;” she succeeded in masking but at the cost of never developing a sense of “self,” which led to symptoms of post-traumatic stress. When she was finally diagnosed in my early 50s, I learned that there were other options for how to think and behave, which radically changed my life for the better. Susan's passion is to educate parents and professionals so the autistic individuals in their lives are understood.

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Please join us for “Systemic Shifts in Inclusion: Neuroscience-Informed Practices for Transformation and Capacity Building” with Angelina Zara and Nicole Keler.

Angelina Zara was born and raised in the heart of Washington, DC; Angie found her passion in education in 2015, serving students and caregivers in her hometown. Angie’s career includes the creation of the position of Social Emotional Learning Specialist in her previous school building, which subsequently expanded across the Local Educational Agency, ranging from elementary to high school campuses. Her experience includes implementing school-wide shifts through sustaining positive relationships, capacity building, addressing adult mindsets, and leveraging positive outcomes for staff and students. In the Spring of 2024, Angie made her transition to work for Washington, DC Public Schools to support schools across the city in implementing restorative practices to support the whole child. Additionally, Angie collaborated with the Office of the State Superintendent (OSSE) to create the first set of Washington DC Social and Emotional Learning Standards. In addition to working full time in the DC school system, Angie presents nationally on the topics of trauma accommodating principles and strategies, applied educational neuroscience, and adult wellbeing and nervous system regulation. Angie also serves as an adjunct faculty for Butler University’s Applied Educational Neuroscience Certification Program under trauma-informed trailblazer Dr. Lori Desautels. In 2023, Angie co-founded LiveWellEd, LLC, which supports caregivers, educators, and organizations responding to the needs of the post-pandemic education system by sharing best practices and systems design through consulting and coaching.

Nicole Keler is a passionate special education leader with nine years of experience working in the public charter school system across Washington, D.C. She is currently a Specialist on the School Equity and Effectiveness team at the D.C. Public Charter School Board. However, she started in the education system as a special education teacher, then transitioned to working as an inclusion manager to support families and students with diverse learning needs on a larger scale. She believes that home-school partnerships are the key to successful student outcomes. Rooted in trauma-informed practices such as Flamboyan and Conscious Discipline, Nicole works tirelessly to engage families throughout the special education process and has created systems to ensure team collaboration during the Tier 1,2,3 process. Her experience inspired her to establish LiveWellEd, with co-founder Angie Zara to bridge school and family best practices

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Please join us for “Reducing and Eliminating Restraint and Seclusion in a Vermont School District: A Discussion with Superintendent Michael Leichliter”

Mike is passionate about the ability of public education to provide all students with a high-quality education and is proud to be the superintendent of Harwood Unified Union School District. Mike’s goal is to improve classroom experiences for students and teachers and be a champion in the community for public education.

He started his career in 1991 as a middle school and high school social studies teacher in the City of York, Pennsylvania. Following experiences as a high school assistant principal, middle school principal, and assistant superintendent for personnel, he was named Superintendent of Schools for the Penn Manor School District in 2009, a school system serving 5400 students in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

After finishing his educational career in Pennsylvania, Mike was drawn to the Harwood Unified Union School District in central Vermont through his travels in the state, particularly during the time his daughter attended the University of Vermont.

Mike is a member of the Vermont Superintendents Association and currently serves as its representative on the statewide Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont.

He is enjoying the opportunity to learn, discover, and help Harwood make the progress the school desires for its students and community.

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Please join us for “Not an Autism Mom: A Discussion with Meghan Ashburn.”

Meghan Ashburn is a continuous learner, former elementary educator, family support specialist, speaker, and co-author of the award-winning book, I Will Die On This Hill. Her book club of over 15K members publishes book recommendation lists on autism and neurodiversity, and her website NotAnAutismMom.com is packed with resources for parents and educators. Meghan has advocated for communication rights and inclusion at the local, state, and national levels of government

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Please join us for “Let’s Talk About Interoception: A Discussion with Kelly Mahler.”

Kelly Mahler is an award-winning occupational therapist, author, and interoception groupie known for her boundless curiosity and fondness for crunching pinecones. Holding a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, she has served school-aged children and adults for over 23 years. Kelly is the author of 12 resources, including The Interoception Curriculum, now used in over 30 countries worldwide. She enjoys speaking internationally on interoception, neuro-affirming practices, and playful strategies for inner exploration using a lens of curiosity, validation, and empathy.  

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Please join us for “Your FBA is a Fantasy! Making Trauma-Informed, Neuro-Affirming Practices Actionable, and Aligning our FBAs and BSPs Accordingly” – An Interview with Rick & Doris Bowman about their workshop and upcoming book on trauma-informed FBAs & BSPs

 Bringing together their combined experience and expertise in the fields of both mental health and education, Rick and Doris Bowman, affectionately known by schools and agencies around the country as “Team Bowman”, provide speaking, training, consultation, and coaching services to both educational organization and mental health agencies on topics of Trauma-Informed Practices/Care, Resilience Practices, Neuro-Affirming Practices, and approaches for intervening with youth with chronic challenging behavior of any cause.

 Having lived through the opposite ends of what they view as the “trauma spectrum” in childhood, Rick and Doris bring not only their professional expertise but their lived experience to the work that they do – Rick having grown up in the “hot family” that was marked by violence and abuse as a result of his father’s own PTSD from serving 4 years fighting in the Philippines in WWII and his mother’s mental health diagnosis of schizophrenia, and Doris in the “cold family” where she experienced invalidation of feeling and emotion altogether and the trauma of having had 9 family friends (adults and children) murdered just down the street when she was 7 years old and her family never speaking about what had happened.

 Rick & Doris’s credentials include the following:

·         M.A. in Clinical Psychology (Rick)

·         M.S., Education / Special Education (Doris)

·         Advanced Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioner – Education® (ACTRP-E®)

·         Advanced Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioner – Clinical (ACTRP-C®)

·         Certified HeartMath® and “The Coherence Advantage®” Trainer

·         Certified “The Resilient Heart” HeartMath Trauma Practitioner

·         Certified “Stress & Well-Being Assessment®” Provider (HeartMath Institute)

·         Certified Trainer “Collaborative Problem Solving®(Think:Kids, Massachusetts General Hospital)

·         K-12 licensed school administrator in the state of Oregon

·         PCI Certified Parent Coach®

·         Certified special educator & administrator in the state of Oregon

Between them, Rick & Doris have held roles that include:

·         Therapist

·         Program Director

·         Clinical Consultant

·         Social Emotional Academic Learning Program Teacher

·         Behavior Specialist

·         Principal

·         Assistant Principal

·         Student Services Director

 They are now in the final stages of preparing to release their first book, titled after their current workshop – “Your FBA is a Fantasy! A Guide to Making Trauma-Informed, Neuro-Affirming Practices Actionable, and Aligning our FBAs and Behavior Plans Accordingly”.

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Please join us for “The (Re)Education of Schools: A Discussion with Katie Thornton and Justin Moorman.”

Justin Moorman and Katie Thornton are veteran educators who are well versed in Trauma-Informed Practices with advanced training in the Neurosequential Model in Education, Applied Educational Neuroscience, Crisis Prevention Intervention, Restorative Practices, Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH), and Advanced Collaborative and Proactive Solutions. They believe kids do well if they can, and problems should be solved WITH kids. They look forward to sharing their passion with others to continue to help reform educational practices based on current research. Katie and Justin have launched the (Re)Education of Schools Podcast to give voice, advocacy, support, and professional development to other educators

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Please join us for “Bolstering Self-Regard: the Energetics of Helping Children Thrive in Negative Classroom Environments” with Erin Grimm.

Erin Grimm comes from a long line of educators. She has over ten years of experience teaching world languages and English and now owns her own business "Seahurst Learns Together," which is dedicated to academic coaching of students with what she calls "alternative emotional intelligence."

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Please join us for “Providing Trauma-Informed Care: Responses That Don't Work and Five Tools to Help Kids Thrive” with Katie Crosby, M.S., L.P.C.

Katie Crosby is a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in the treatment of childhood/developmental, trauma, and human trafficking in children and adolescents. Prior to this, Katie served as the Program Director for a long-term residential treatment facility for youth who were survivors of human trafficking or who are at high risk of exploitation. During this time, Katie developed the first innovative program that was grounded in neuroscience, early childhood development, and traumatology for survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking victims in the state of Arkansas.

After starting a family of her own, she left the non-profit organization and founded Surviving Trauma Specialty Care Clinic that provides counseling, assessment, education, and consultation services to families and organizations. Through her innovative approach that is grounded in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, she provides assessment and counseling services that utilizes the brain’s ability to grow and heal.

STS Care Clinic also provides online or in-person workshops, public speaking, and consulting on initiatives to spread awareness about childhood trauma and teach parents, caregivers, and professionals how to help children improve their mental health. Using the latest research available, Katie shares practical, evidence-based skills for healing and preventing trauma.

Throughout her career, Katie witnessed an outrageous gap between the number of children that experience trauma and the number of adults who know how to support them. In response, she founded Surviving Trauma Specialty Care Clinic (STS Care Clinic) to help children, adolescents, and families heal from the wounds of trauma through neuroscience & trauma-focused services. Through her innovative approach that is grounded in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, she provides assessment and counseling services that utilize the brain’s ability to grow and heal.

STS Care Clinic also provides online or in-person workshops, public speaking, and consulting on initiatives to spread awareness about childhood trauma and teach parents, caregivers, and professionals how to help children improve their mental health. Using the latest research available, Katie shares practical, evidence-based skills for healing and preventing trauma.

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Please join us for “Step Into My Shoes: An Interview with Author Rebecca Engle About Her New Children's Book.”

Rebecca Engle is a graduate student at Texas Tech University who is passionate about educational policy and leadership. Rebecca made history in Texas politics at 19 and is devoted to advocating for positive change. Alongside her studies, Rebecca is a Neurodivergent public speaker and creative writer. She actively serves her community, support women in business, and nurture young minds as a special education teacher. Rebecca’s goal is to inspire and collaborate for a brighter future.

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