Please join us for “The Importance of Neurodiversity-Affirming Approaches in Trauma-Informed Models of Care” with Trisha Thompson.

Trisha Thompson is a late-diagnosed AuDHD Early Childhood Education Consultant and parent to an Autistic child. She has been working in the field of ECE for almost 10 years. Prior to becoming a consultant, she worked in various teaching and leadership roles. She has a Master of Science in General Psychology (non-licensure) and is currently working towards a certification in Applied Educational Neuroscience. Trisha is passionate about helping others in the field understand that neurodiversity-affirming practice is an integral part of developmentally appropriate, anti-bias, and trauma-informed practice.

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Please join us for “The Truth About ABA: The Most Popular Autism Therapy in the US and Canada” with Anne Borden King.

Anne Borden King is a Toronto-based podcaster, writer and human rights advocate. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Healthy Debate and the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, among other publications. She is the host of Noncompliant, a popular podcast about neurodiversity. Her Substack is entitled The Children Do Not Consent.

A co-founder of Autistics for Autistics, the Canadian autistic self-advocacy organization, Anne has presented before the United Nations and the Canadian Senate among others, about autism policy. She is the founder of The Autistic Health Access Project, which educates medical students and clinicians about making health care accessible for autistic patients. Her upcoming book, The Children Do Not Consent: The Search for Autism’s “Cure”—and the kids who pay the Cost, will be published in 2025.

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Please join us for “Your Child’s Point of View: A New Book from Kelsie Olds, the OccuPlaytional Therapist.”

Kelsie Olds, "The Occuplaytional Therapist", shares passionately every day online with thousands of parents, teachers, professionals--and adults simply seeking to heal childhood wounds in their own selves--about the healing and power in play as the core meaningful occupation that underlies childhood. Kelsie has most recently worked as an occupational therapist on an Air Force Base in England which gave them a unique perspective on both the US and UK systems of healthcare and education that intersect and affect the children they work with every day. Currently, Kelsie is working full-time in online advocacy, traveling, consulting, and lecturing.

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Please join us for “The Child Catcher: An Interview with Andrew Bridge About his Upcoming Book” 

Andrew Bridge spent 11 years in Los Angeles County foster care. After aging out, he attended Wesleyan University, then graduated from Harvard Law School and was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship. He began his legal career representing children against the State of Alabama, where his work resulted in the closure of one of the country’s most notorious psychiatric institutions, the Eufaula Adolescent Center. Returning to Los Angeles, he became CEO of The Alliance for Children’s Rights, representing children in the foster care system where he grew up. Andrew is the co-founder of National Adoption Day and New Village Girls Academy for pregnant and parenting teens. His memoir Hope’s Boy was a New York Times bestseller and Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Most recently, he was a member of the executive management team for Illinois DCFS, and with Arizona as his home, he now serves on the Arizona Foster Care Review Board. His second book about that fight against Alabama, The Child Catcher, will be released in September. You can find information on The Child Catcher here: https://www.andrewbridgeauthor.com/

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Please join us for “What’s New at the Attachment and Trauma Network: An Interview with Ginger Healy and Julie Beem.”

Ginger Healy MSW, LCSW started her career as a child abuse investigator, hospital social worker, and school therapist. She spent 15 years as the social service supervisor at an international adoption agency where she learned about developmental trauma and attachment needs in children. She is currently a clinical social worker and the director of programs at the Attachment & Trauma Network. She co-anchors the podcast “Regulated and Relational” with Julie Beem, executive director of ATN. Ginger speaks and teaches across the nation on trauma-informed schools and therapeutic parenting. Ginger is the author of Regulation and Co-Regulation: Accessible Neuroscience that Brings Calm into the Classroom, and she is also the author of the accompanying workbook that aims to reach beyond the classroom for caregivers and child-serving professionals. Her third book Managing Big Emotions: Identifying Triggers, Developing Coping Strategies, and Communicating Effectively releasing in October 2024.

Julie Beem has been the Executive Director of the Attachment & Trauma Network since 2009 and an active member and volunteer since 2005. Julie lives in the Atlanta area and is the mom to four and grandmother to 3. Her youngest daughter, adopted internationally over 25 years ago was the reason she found support and education from the other parents at ATN.

Under Julie’s leadership, ATN has grown to reach families, schools and communities around the world. In 2016 ATN was given an Angel in Adoption award to honor the organization’s contributions to adoptive families across the US. And in 2014 the Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools program was created. Julie is a frequent speaker at adoption/foster parenting conferences and education events focused on early childhood trauma.

Julie’s educational background includes a BS in Secondary Education (English/Speech/Theatre) and an MBA with emphasis on Professional Services Marketing. Her true passion is making life easier for children impacted by trauma and the families who love them. Paying it forward has become the cornerstone of Julie’s work through ATN.

When not immersed in the daily tasks of a growing non-profit, Julie enjoys traveling with her husband, watching her daughter in swimming and dressage competitions and playing with the grandbabies.

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Please join us for “Sensory Integration: Helping Children with Emotional Regulation” with Heathyr Watson. 

As a young child, Heathyr always knew she would go into the helping profession, whether it was medicine, teaching, or social work. Heathyr has a bachelor’s degree in History Education and a Master’s in Social Work. Heathyr is working on licensing so that she can become a clinical social worker. Heathyr hopes to achieve a Ph.D. in the near future. 

Heathyr has worked in residential since 2017 and as someone who is trained in restraints, she believes there are better ways of handling crisis situations for youth. Heathyr believes that if schools, hospitals, residential, or any place that claims to be a safe spot for children and youth should be just that. Reducing and eliminating seclusion and restraints will build more resilient youth and caregivers in the long run. 

 In her spare time, Heathyr enjoys reading, researching, playing video games with her husband, and taking the most random picture of her pets that she can.

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Please join us for “Changing Systems: A Conversation with Jeff Spitzer-Resnick, an Experienced Civil Rights, Disability, and Education Attorney.”

Jeff Spitzer-Resnick, is a nationally recognized attorney with thirty-eight years of experience in the fields of civil rights, disability and education law. He currently owns and operates Systems Change Consulting, a consulting and training law firm providing local, statewide, and national consulting and training for individuals, non-profits, and public entities. His focus is on making progressive systems change in the areas of civil rights, disability rights, general and special education, and combating abuse and neglect of vulnerable populations. He has been working on eliminating the inappropriate use of seclusion and restraint on children in school for nearly three decades.

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Please join us for “A Unique Program Helping Kids Find the Pathways to Success: An Interview with Dr. Tania DuBeau.”

Tania DuBeau has worked for The Pathways Schools since 1988 and is now finishing her 36th school year. She began as one of the social workers at the school and moved into various administrative positions, including principal of one of the schools. Tania became CEO/Executive Director in 2014. She has her LCSW-C, is a Certified Special Education Teacher and Administrator, and has her Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of Maryland College Park. She is actively involved in MANSEF - Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities during her years in special education at Pathways. This is including several years on the board and as board president. She was instrumental in keeping the use of restraints to a minimum throughout the years at Pathways and in moving to no physical restraints policy in the past 7 years. Pathways has never implemented the use of seclusion.

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Please join us for “Becoming a Trauma-informed Restorative Educator: Practical Skills to Change Culture and Behavior” with Joe Brummer and Margaret Thorsborne.

Joe Brummer is a trauma survivor. Having lived through early exposure to violence, child abuse and neglect, and two violent anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, he turned his healing journey into a career in peacebuilding, restorative justice, and consulting in trauma-informed education. He supports schools and youth justice institutions internationally using a trauma-informed restorative lens to create supportive human-centered environments.

Joe is a member of the adjunct faculty at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, teaching the Peacebuilding Skills: Dialogue, Trauma & Restorative Justice course. Joe has appeared on dozens of podcasts and webinars and presented at national and international conferences. Joe has completed the certification course in Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model in Education and is a member of the Attachment and Trauma Network’s Training Collaborative.

Margaret Thorsborne, is an author, trainer and facilitator of Restorative Practice with a background in education and counselling. She is a pioneer of Restorative Practice in schools in Australia and New Zealand in the mid-late 90’s, and the UK in the early 2000’s. She has since trained restorative practitioners and change makers in education, workplaces, community, police and justice sectors across Australia, Asia, New Zealand, UK, USA and Canada. She remains involved in this important transformation in schools, particularly around whole school implementation of trauma-informed, relational approaches and culture change. Marg has been awarded an Order of Australia medal for her contribution to education, and a Lifetime Achievement award from NACRJ in USA.

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Please join us for “Navigating PDA in America: An Interview with Diane Gould about Her New Book”

Diane Gould is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in serving autistic individuals. As the Executive Director and Founder of PDA North America, she founded the annual PDA North America conference held in Chicago which has changed the lives of hundreds of PDA families.

Currently, Diane has a private practice in the suburbs of Chicago, where she serves neurodivergent children, adults, and their families. Over the last 40-plus years, she has worked for both private agencies and school systems. Diane was the Childhood Disability and Family Support Specialist for the Jewish Children’s Bureau for over a decade. She created many different types of programs and support groups, family camps, and parent education. She also established inclusion consultation and home visiting programs. She also has worked for two special education cooperatives which resulted in working in 14 schools during her career. 

 She served on the Professional Advisory Board of the Autism Society of Illinois for many years. Diane also facilitates a program to improve relationship skills for teens and adults.

She has served as a consultant and guest lecturer for many area school districts, parent associations, and private agencies.

 Diane provides assessments and consultations to families and school districts and frequently attends school meetings.  Diane has always been interested in human behavior and works with individuals, parents, and schools to create support plans that increase emotional regulation. She has been vocal with her concerns that our commonly used practices increase dysregulation and make behavioral challenges worse. She fights against punitive practices including seclusion, restraint, suspension, and expulsion.

 It was the understanding of behavior and support in the PDA literature that first drew her to learn more about PDA. And learning about PDA, led her to begin the new PDA movement in North America. Diane formed PDA North America at the first American PDA conference in March 2020. She has written a book with Ruth Fidler on Navigating PDA in America which will be published in June 2024.

 She is making it part of her life’s mission to gain more awareness and understanding of PDA in North America through this non-profit organization.

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