Relationships the Key to Progress - NYNJ 2018
This year the Profectum conference will cross the lifespan of autism, from infancy to young adulthood where relationships are the essential human experience that pave the way to a meaningful future. You will learn to anticipate the needs of the young children you work with now and what they will need in the future, as well as new methods to promote self-reliance when grown.
ADDED TO CART
Included In This Series
Treating the Complexity of Autism: Why Relationships and Men...
Presenter
Serena Wieder, PhD
Dr. Serena Wieder is the Clinical Director and a founding member of the Profectum Foundation, dedicated to advancing the development and mental health of children, of all ages, including adolescents and adults with neurodivergent development and emotional challenges through interdisciplinary training and educational programs. She also co-founded the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders and was a Board Member of Zero to Three for 23 years. Dr. Wieder serves on various advisory boards to various programs serving infant mental health and other special needs. Dr. Wieder also founded DIR-Israel, a training program that offers DIR Certificates, and provides consultation and training to many international and national programs.
As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Wieder has pioneered important approaches to diagnosing and treating infants and toddlers with infant mental health and developmental disorders. She co-created the DIR Model with Stanley Greenspan, edited two diagnostic manuals for infants and young children. Further, she created models for interdisciplinary post-graduate case based training and pioneered parent-mediated intervention for parents of neurodivergent children.
Dr. Wieder has co-chaired and organized national and international conferences integrating development, neuroscience and intervention approaches for over 20 years. Dr. Wieder also developed approaches to integrate visual-spatial knowledge to advance emotional and cognitive development. Her research interests concern follow up studies of children on the autism spectrum who received DIR model interventions and the evaluation of training and educational programs. In addition, she serves as adjunct faculty at various universities including Bank Street , UCS Davis IMH Fellowship Program, and Adelphi.
Amongst her many publications Dr. Wieder co-authored Engaging Autism, The Child With Special Needs and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health with Stanley Greenspan, M.D. They also co-edited Infants in Multi-Risk Families as well as the ICDL Diagnostic Manual for Infants and Young Children (DMIC)/ She edited the original Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC 0-3) for Zero-Three. . Her chapters on the DIR Model appear in major textbooks on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Wieder also co- authored Visual Spatial Portals to Thinking, Feeling, and Movement with Harry Wachs, O.D. She has published numerous journal and book chapters and presents at multiple conferences nationally and internationally.
At this time, Dr. Serena Wieder also has a private practice in NYC for diagnosis, treatment and consultation regarding complex developmental and mental health challenges.
Connecting Movement and Sensation to Developmental Challenge...
Presenter
Elizabeth Osten, MS
Emergence of a Hidden Child
Presenter
Lauren Blaszak
Understanding the Developmental Foundations of Interpersonal...
Presenter
Josh Feder, MD
Dr. Joshua Feder is a child and family psychiatrist with a clinical practice in Solana Beach, California. Associate Clinical Professor at University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, and Senior Expert with the Early Years. Dr. Feder conducts research and trains clinicians to promote regulation, social communication, and learning and he is engaged in peace building through support of early childhood development in conflict regions. Dr. Feder advocates nationally and internationally on issues related to peace building, informed consent, and evidence based practices, and he serves as Medical Director at SymPlay, developing interactive technology and distance learning systems to support relationship-based interventions. Dr. Feder is known as an engaging speaker and many of his lectures can be found online through joshuafedermd.com and circlestretch.com.
Elizabeth Osten, MS
Flying Solo: Connected and Independent
Presenter
Griff Doyle, PhD
Griffin Doyle is a clinical psychologist in private practice treating children of all ages, adolescents, adults and couples. His work has focused for over twenty five years on the DIR® model and practice with developmentally delayed, regulatory and autism spectrum disordered children. He also consulted to the Milton and Ethel Harris Research Initiative at York University studying the effectiveness of the DIR® model intervention. As an expert witness on attachment/separation, early development and autism spectrum disorders he has served for over ten years in several jurisdictions throughout Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Dr. Doyle has been a faculty member of the DIR® model Training Institute Program since 2001, a member of the ICDL Advisory Board and a past faculty member (2007 – 2011) of the ICDL Doctoral Program in Infant Mental Health and Developmental Disorders. In addition, he has been a core faculty member for fifteen years and past Co-Chair of the Infant Mental Health Postgraduate Seminar Program at the Washington School of Psychiatry (Washington, DC). His published articles include the subjects of forgiveness, the internal world of the infant and in-depth book reviews on child development and neuro-relational treatment approaches to infants and children. In 2009, Dr. Doyle was cited through a randomized, peer survey conducted throughout the Washington, DC metro area by WASHINGTONIAN magazine as a regional expert clinician in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
Circles of Communication: An Integrative Developmental Langu...
Presenter
Amy Pinder, MA
From the Movement-Sensing Perspective to Advocacy
Presenter
Monica Osgood, MA
Celebrate the Children’s founder, Monica G. Osgood, is an experienced behavioral consultant and therapist who specializes in using developmental approaches to support children with autism and other differences in relating and communicating. She is also the Founder and Director of the Developmental Center for Children and Families (Limitless), a Board Member and founding member of the Profectum Foundation, and a Board Member and founding member of Celebrate the Individual (CTI). Monica has worked in homes, therapy centers, and private and public school settings for over 20 years. Some of her experience has included assessment and the development of intervention programs, curriculum and IEP development, and parent and professional training.
In 1998, Monica created the first public school program with the Developmental Individual Relationship-based (DIR model) approach as the core philosophy. In 2000, she was the first educator to join the senior faculty of the Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning(ICDL) to provide interdisciplinary training in the DIR model. During her time with ICDL, Monica served as faculty for all of their yearly training institutes, spoke at many of their conferences and had the opportunity to work closely and collaborate with Drs. Greenspan and Wieder to further develop the DIR model in school settings. In 2004, she collaborated with Lauren Blaszak to open a state-approved, DIR model school for children ages 3-21 in Denville, New Jersey, now serving over 70 school districts and 150 families.
Additional accomplishments include, many speaking engagements at conferences and participation in television, radio and newspaper interviews across the USA, Wales, Ireland and Amsterdam. Monica has appeared on Welsh Channel 4 and BBC1 documentaries, sharing the DIR model approach with British parents and professionals. Monica and the Celebrate the Children school were featured in a TIME Magazine cover story in May of 2006. She serves on the Advisory Board for 3LPlace and the National Advisory Council for The Centers for Exceptional Children. Monica also serves on the Economic Development Advisory Council and the Sustainable Economic Development Plan Steering Committee for her local Town Council. Finally, she collaborated with twice Grammy nominated children’s artists Dan Myers and Brady Rymer on an album and music video celebrating diversity in children with all abilities released April 2011.
Autism and Safety! It’s Time for Awareness and Action!
Presenter
John Donvan
Floreo Police Module - Immersive Virtual Reality as a Tool t...
Presenter
Rita Solórzano, MA CCC-SLP
Helping Developmentally Delayed Adolescents and Adults Impro...
Presenter
George McCloskey, PhD
The New DIR-FCD Goal Bank
Presenter
Monica Osgood, MA
Celebrate the Children’s founder, Monica G. Osgood, is an experienced behavioral consultant and therapist who specializes in using developmental approaches to support children with autism and other differences in relating and communicating. She is also the Founder and Director of the Developmental Center for Children and Families (Limitless), a Board Member and founding member of the Profectum Foundation, and a Board Member and founding member of Celebrate the Individual (CTI). Monica has worked in homes, therapy centers, and private and public school settings for over 20 years. Some of her experience has included assessment and the development of intervention programs, curriculum and IEP development, and parent and professional training.
In 1998, Monica created the first public school program with the Developmental Individual Relationship-based (DIR model) approach as the core philosophy. In 2000, she was the first educator to join the senior faculty of the Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning(ICDL) to provide interdisciplinary training in the DIR model. During her time with ICDL, Monica served as faculty for all of their yearly training institutes, spoke at many of their conferences and had the opportunity to work closely and collaborate with Drs. Greenspan and Wieder to further develop the DIR model in school settings. In 2004, she collaborated with Lauren Blaszak to open a state-approved, DIR model school for children ages 3-21 in Denville, New Jersey, now serving over 70 school districts and 150 families.
Additional accomplishments include, many speaking engagements at conferences and participation in television, radio and newspaper interviews across the USA, Wales, Ireland and Amsterdam. Monica has appeared on Welsh Channel 4 and BBC1 documentaries, sharing the DIR model approach with British parents and professionals. Monica and the Celebrate the Children school were featured in a TIME Magazine cover story in May of 2006. She serves on the Advisory Board for 3LPlace and the National Advisory Council for The Centers for Exceptional Children. Monica also serves on the Economic Development Advisory Council and the Sustainable Economic Development Plan Steering Committee for her local Town Council. Finally, she collaborated with twice Grammy nominated children’s artists Dan Myers and Brady Rymer on an album and music video celebrating diversity in children with all abilities released April 2011.
Integrating the DIR-FCD model into a Public Preschool Settin...
Presenter
Susan Smith-Foley, OTD, MPA, OTR/L
Susan Smith-Foley, OTD, MPA, OTR/L is the Clinical Director of Positive Development’s Cherry Hill and Lakewood, NJ Therapy Centers. She has expertise on the provision of transdisciplinary DIR®/DRBI services and frequently lectures on this topic. Susan is passionate about integrating the DIR® model into school and community settings. She completed a post-professional doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy (OTD) at The University of Kansas Medical Center in December 2018. Susan is a Senior Faculty member of Profectum Academy.
Deena Glassenberg, MSEd
Aviva Katz, MSEd
Sarah Teren, MSEd
Heni Mozes, MSEd
Training Floortime Players to Support Children in Interactio...
Presenter
Rosemary White, OTR/L
Rosemary White has been an occupational therapist since 1972 and brings a wealth of clinical experience to every workshop she teaches throughout the United States and internationally in Canada, Europe, South Africa, Uganda and Australia. Rosemary is a true clinician’s clinician! Rosemary received her neurodevelopmental therapy training in London with the Bobaths, her sensory integrative therapy training in Los Angeles with Dr. A Jean Ayres and her training in the DIRFloortime® model with Stanley Greenspan and Serena Wieder, Ph.D. and the Faculty of ICDL. She currently owns and operates Pediatric Physical and Occupational Therapy Services in Seattle, Washington. Rosemary has her certificate in the DIR® model and has been senior faculty on the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disabilities (ICDL) chaired by Stanley Greenspan, M.D. and Serena Wieder, Ph.D., since 2002. Rosemary is on the clinical faculty at the University of Washington in the School of Nursing Infant Mental Health Certificate Program. Rosemary is also faculty in the ICDL Graduate School in the Ph.D. in infant and early childhood mental health and developmental disorders. This is an on-line Ph.D. program providing education to professionals throughout the world. Rosemary is also Profectum Foundation Faculty.
More DIR-FCD Goal Bank Case Examples and Workshop
Presenter
Praxis 101: Praxis for the Non-OT Professional
Presenter
Kristin McNally, MSR, OTR/L, IMHM-C
Kristin is a graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina with a master’s degree in occupational therapy. She is employed at Cooper House located in Seattle, WA. Cooper House specializes in supporting the development of infants, very young children, and their families. Here she partners with licensed mental health clinicians using an integrated clinical model for intervention. She is endorsed by the Washington Association for Infant Mental Health as an Infant Mental Health Mentor – Clinical. She provides reflective consultation for birth-to-three providers in her community, and through Cooper House she is a trainer for the Erickson Institute’s Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN) model of parent attunement.
Rebecca Berg, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E
Rebecca Berg, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E® has been serving young children and their families since 1999. From her origins as an early childhood educator, she went on to complete her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from New York University in 2008. Rebecca completed an Infant Mental Health externship in 2018 and will finish the Napa Infant-Parent Mental Health Fellowship in spring 2024. She is endorsed by the Washington Association of Infant Mental Health.
Her professional home is Cooper House, an infant mental health practice in Seattle, WA, where she serves children birth-five and their families, providing equity-centered, developmentally-minded, and relationship-focused occupational therapy services. She serves the clinical team in the role of Integrated Clinical Model Lead, working to develop and expand their unique transdisciplinary mental health and occupational therapy assessment and intervention model. In addition to her clinical work, Rebecca provides training and consultation for parents, teachers, and other professionals in the community. She has lectured locally and nationally, including Profectum, Zero to Three, the Barnard Center for Infant Mental Health, and the Washington Occupational Therapy Association. She is committed to advocacy for policy change reflecting social justice, trauma-responsive practices, and relational health in her writing and participation in committees and work groups.
From her first conference in 1999, Rebecca has embraced the remarkable power of the DIR® model to describe social emotional development and support the formation of robust relational health. She attended the Institute in 2008 & 2011, completed Fellows in 2014, Trainers in 2020 and has benefitted from countless hours of training, master classes, and mentoring sessions by so many of the visionary faculty members. She is thrilled for the opportunity to contribute to the future of Profectum.
Among Rebecca’s many professional interests: the influence of praxis on the development of self & agency, working memory and theory of mind in development, the bi-directional influence of attachment and developmental differences, embodied parental reflective functioning, trauma, social justice and neurodiversity affirming practice.
Integrating Art Therapy and Floortime to Support Social & Em...
Presenter
Michele Havens, EdD
Dr. Michele Havens received her Ed.D. degree from Rutgers University, is certified in DIRFloortime® and is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She is a DIRFloortime® Consultant at Imagine Academy, a Brooklyn ABA/DIR® program. Dr. Havens is Professor Emeritus from Kean University, Montclair State University and Daemen College, advocate and private interventionist for children with special needs, and Autism parent support group. Facilitator. Dr. Havens was previously the coordinator of the Verona, NJ Preschool Disabled Program.
Faith Thayer, PHD
Raising the Bar: Developmental School and Adult Programs Around the World
Presenter
Monica Osgood, MA
Celebrate the Children’s founder, Monica G. Osgood, is an experienced behavioral consultant and therapist who specializes in using developmental approaches to support children with autism and other differences in relating and communicating. She is also the Founder and Director of the Developmental Center for Children and Families (Limitless), a Board Member and founding member of the Profectum Foundation, and a Board Member and founding member of Celebrate the Individual (CTI). Monica has worked in homes, therapy centers, and private and public school settings for over 20 years. Some of her experience has included assessment and the development of intervention programs, curriculum and IEP development, and parent and professional training.
In 1998, Monica created the first public school program with the Developmental Individual Relationship-based (DIR model) approach as the core philosophy. In 2000, she was the first educator to join the senior faculty of the Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning(ICDL) to provide interdisciplinary training in the DIR model. During her time with ICDL, Monica served as faculty for all of their yearly training institutes, spoke at many of their conferences and had the opportunity to work closely and collaborate with Drs. Greenspan and Wieder to further develop the DIR model in school settings. In 2004, she collaborated with Lauren Blaszak to open a state-approved, DIR model school for children ages 3-21 in Denville, New Jersey, now serving over 70 school districts and 150 families.
Additional accomplishments include, many speaking engagements at conferences and participation in television, radio and newspaper interviews across the USA, Wales, Ireland and Amsterdam. Monica has appeared on Welsh Channel 4 and BBC1 documentaries, sharing the DIR model approach with British parents and professionals. Monica and the Celebrate the Children school were featured in a TIME Magazine cover story in May of 2006. She serves on the Advisory Board for 3LPlace and the National Advisory Council for The Centers for Exceptional Children. Monica also serves on the Economic Development Advisory Council and the Sustainable Economic Development Plan Steering Committee for her local Town Council. Finally, she collaborated with twice Grammy nominated children’s artists Dan Myers and Brady Rymer on an album and music video celebrating diversity in children with all abilities released April 2011.
Amy Keveanos
Margaret Demsak
Madeleine Welch
CHRIS SEMINARO, MEd
Chris Seminaro is an instructional coach for students with autism spectrum disorders in a large suburban public school system near Chicago, Illinois. She has 30 years of teaching and administrative experience specializing in working with families and students with ASD. Chris has presented nationally on development, assessment, intervention, working with families as part of the school system and educating students with autism spectrum disorders. She has presented at the International Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL) International Conferences on the topic of the DIR® model in public school systems. Chris has been on the faculty of the DIR® model Training Institute and is on the faculty of Profectum.
Ryan Gresik
Olivia Lofgren
Michele Havens, EdD
Dr. Michele Havens received her Ed.D. degree from Rutgers University, is certified in DIRFloortime® and is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She is a DIRFloortime® Consultant at Imagine Academy, a Brooklyn ABA/DIR® program. Dr. Havens is Professor Emeritus from Kean University, Montclair State University and Daemen College, advocate and private interventionist for children with special needs, and Autism parent support group. Facilitator. Dr. Havens was previously the coordinator of the Verona, NJ Preschool Disabled Program.
Elizabeth Osten, MS
Susan Smith-Foley, OTD, MPA, OTR/L
Susan Smith-Foley, OTD, MPA, OTR/L is the Clinical Director of Positive Development’s Cherry Hill and Lakewood, NJ Therapy Centers. She has expertise on the provision of transdisciplinary DIR®/DRBI services and frequently lectures on this topic. Susan is passionate about integrating the DIR® model into school and community settings. She completed a post-professional doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy (OTD) at The University of Kansas Medical Center in December 2018. Susan is a Senior Faculty member of Profectum Academy.
Natalka Kitts, MS
Richard Solomon, MD
Richard Solomon, MD, is a practicing developmental and behavioral pediatrician, the Medical Director at The Ann Arbor Center for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, and founder of The PLAY Project. He is board certified in pediatrics and developmental and behavioral pediatrics and has been diagnosing and treating children with autism spectrum disorders for over 25 years. With a reputation as the “fun” doctor, Rick is known for his ability to make children smile and laugh, calming their fears and building trust. His overall approach is influenced by his work alongside autism and child development visionaries T. Berry Brazelton MD, Stanley Greenspan MD, and Mr. Fred Rogers.
In 2001, Dr. Rick developed the PLAY Project in response to the need for evidenced-based autism intervention options and from 2009-2012 was the principle investigator of one of the largest autism intervention research studies in the U.S., with the results published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. The PLAY Project’s mission is to train a national network of pediatric professionals to deliver an evidence-based, low-cost, intensive, developmental intervention to families of young children with autism spectrum disorders. To that end, Dr. Solomon has trained 500+ pediatric professionals from 30 U.S. states and 7 countries to become certified PLAY Project Consultants. This year, Dr. Solomon published his book Autism: The Potential Within, The PLAY Project Approach for Children with Autism.
Karen McDowell
Karen McDowell is an educator with over 25 years experience working with the adolescent and young adult population. She is an assistant faculty member of Profectum Foundation and strives to implement a comprehensive developmental curriculum into both her classroom environment and therapy work. As a lead teacher and Young Adult Program Coordinator at Celebrate the Children school for 13 years, she has contributed to innovative curriculum and strategies with the unique needs of individuals in mind while promoting opportunities for growth and development in both group and individual settings. Karen facilitates a weekly young adult group for several years with intensive focus on social and emotional strengths and challenges. Areas of interest and study include executive functioning, visual spatial processing, emotional regulation, and problem solving and she has provided workshops around the country on these developmental areas. Karen strives to provide programs that entice thinking, collaborative problem solving, effective communication, and positive coping strategies to support success, independence, meaningful and fulfilling experiences, and happiness within the demands of the 21st century.
Mady K Ahern, MSW, Certified Early Childhood Group Therapist, Profectum Clinical Certification
Mady Kaplan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with a specialization in children and families. She is a Certified Early Childhood Group Therapist, a graduate of the Profectum Advanced Clinical Training Program and a Certified Profectum Trainer. Mady conducts individual and group therapy for children and parents at Celebrate the Children school and in private practice. Throughout her career Mady has offered workshops at a variety of national conferences for educators, parents, social workers and other professionals. Mady is delighted to be presenting at the NY/NJ Profectum Conference on Relationships.
Michelle Rehse, BS in Special Education
Maria Aggio
Maria is a primary school teacher and a special education teacher from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has been working in the special education field since 1990. She completed a 6-month fellowship program in special education at Kennedy Krieger School, Baltimore, Maryland in 2000. Maria has been working in programs of trans-disciplinary assessment and intervention in early childhood and in particular, in intervention programs for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. She is the Coordinator of the DIR® Model Service at CETNA, FLENI (www.fleni.org.ar) and has worked at summer camp programs at Celebrate the Children School in New Jersey.
Maria has held a DIR® model certificate since 2007 and served as a training leader at ICDL. She has co-coordinated numerous trainings in the DIR Floortime® in Argentina, both at FLENI and at UAI (Universidad Abierta Interamericana), in Buenos Aires and across the country. She provides DIR® model-based interventions to children and their families and supervises and consults with professional teams working with children and adolescents with special needs. Maria has been invited to different conferences and lectures across the country to speak about the DIR® model.
Lauren Blaszak
Fostering Independence and Feelings of COMPETENCE in the Home While Improving Engagement with Your Child
Presenter
Margaret Demsak
Madeleine Welch
Intro to the 5 C’s and the DIR-FCD Adult Program Model
Presenter
CHRIS SEMINARO, MEd
Chris Seminaro is an instructional coach for students with autism spectrum disorders in a large suburban public school system near Chicago, Illinois. She has 30 years of teaching and administrative experience specializing in working with families and students with ASD. Chris has presented nationally on development, assessment, intervention, working with families as part of the school system and educating students with autism spectrum disorders. She has presented at the International Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL) International Conferences on the topic of the DIR® model in public school systems. Chris has been on the faculty of the DIR® model Training Institute and is on the faculty of Profectum.
Ryan Gresik
Olivia Lofgren
Social-Emotional Learning Curriculums for Special Needs Students
Presenter
Mady K Ahern, MSW, Certified Early Childhood Group Therapist, Profectum Clinical Certification
Mady Kaplan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with a specialization in children and families. She is a Certified Early Childhood Group Therapist, a graduate of the Profectum Advanced Clinical Training Program and a Certified Profectum Trainer. Mady conducts individual and group therapy for children and parents at Celebrate the Children school and in private practice. Throughout her career Mady has offered workshops at a variety of national conferences for educators, parents, social workers and other professionals. Mady is delighted to be presenting at the NY/NJ Profectum Conference on Relationships.
Amy Keveanos
Michelle Rehse, BS in Special Education
Parent Panel-Lessons Learned and Looking to the Future
Presenter
Lauren Blaszak
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