Raising the Bar: Climbing the Developmental Ladder in Uncertain Times
The unique feature of this conference includes tracks tailored for parents, clinicians, and educators who are supporting individuals with special needs during a pandemic. Our conference presenters have been working on the front lines during the pandemic to support each other–parents and professionals. Educators, Administrators, Clinicians, Parents, and Autistic Advocates will share their experiences, guidance, and practical strategies for supporting healthy development during these uncertain times! The core principles and best practices of intensive developmental programs will also be a key focus of presentations. Learn strategies presented by professionals from DIR-FCD™ model school and center programs from around the country will demonstrate how the Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-based Model with the principles of the Foundational Capacities for Development (DIR-FCD™ Model) provide the evidence-based framework for intensive programs for children and adults with autism and related special needs.
ADDED TO CART
Included In This Series
Anxiety, Stress, Trauma, and Resilience in the Time of COVID...
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.
Understanding Anxiety and Trauma in the Era of COVID. Practi...
Presenter
Jennifer Carucci, MA School Counseling, Licensed Associative Counselor
Jennifer Carucci, L.P.C., M.A. is a Licensed Professional Counselor who received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Montclair State University. She went on to pursue her Masters Degree in School Counseling from Centenary University. She is working towards her requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Jennifer has been a School Counselor for the past fifteen years in a private school for students with special needs. She provides individual and group counseling, as well as family support, future planning and executive functioning coaching. She works with children, adolescents and young adults with Autism, Anxiety, Down Syndrome, and other Developmental Disabilities. Jennifer uses the Cognitive Behavioral Therapeutic (CBT) model to guide her treatment. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading and spending time with her family.
Moving DIR® Services from Exclusive to Accessible: DIR® Medi...
Presenter
Natalka Kitts, MS
Michael Suiters
Overview of DIR-FCD Programs for Early Intervention through ...
Presenter
Sherri Cawn, MA, CCC-SLP
Sherri Cawn, M.A., CCC-SLP, Principal Speech Language Pathologist and Senior Clinical Adviser( formerly owner/clinical director of Cawn-Krantz and Associates) of The Positive Development Company is a leading practitioner of the DIRFloortime® model and trains clinicians in the US and overseas. Sherri is the author of two ASHA self-study DVD's as well as senior faculty/trainer of the Profectum Online Academy. She co-authored The Profectum Parent Tool Kit, that provides free web-based seminars to guiding families in learning Floortime in the comfort of their home.
Linda Cervenka, MA, CCC-SLP
Linda Cervenka is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist and works primarily with children and adolescents with autistic spectrum and related disorders utilizing DIR® and development language models. She has a private practice in Riverside, Illinois providing mentoring, teaching, case management/guidance and direct service. Linda is also co-founder of Soaring Eagle Academy, an Illinois State Board of Education approved school serving students 5 through 21 years of age with autism and related disorders. She serves as an Expert Clinician/Trainer at the Academy. Linda received her Bachelor's Degree from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL and her Master's Degree in Communicative Disorders from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has worked for over 35 years with children with special needs, in home based and clinic based therapeutic services and public and private schools providing consultation, training and support for children and families. Linda is a Senior Faculty member of Profectum and has presented nationally on the topic of developmental approaches to intervention for children. Additionally, within the Academy and through private consultations, Linda helps parents/caregivers and school programs understand a developmental approach to dysregulation seeing the child’s actions as a stress response versus “behaviors” that are intentional and to avoid/escape learning. The primary areas of support include training all stakeholders in the child’s developmental process including but not limited to the child’s language comprehension profile, recognizing and reading their subtle communicative intentions and understanding their individual sensory, affective and motor systems during a stress response.
Lisa DeFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD
Lisa deFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD is a Certified Senior Clinician and Profectum Founding Faculty member, with over 20 years of advanced training and clinical experience in the DIR® model and the DIRFloortime® developmental play therapy approach.
Lisa trained under Serena Wieder, PhD, and the late Stanley Greenspan, MD. She was previously on faculty with the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL) and was an Associate Professor with the ICDL Graduate PhD program in Early Childhood Development. Lisa has presented at national Profectum and ICDL training symposiums, in addition to regional agency, school and university speaking engagements related to child and parent development. She provides developmental programming consultation and in-service training focusing on pro-active and positive approaches for Early Start/Infant Intervention preschools, elementary/high school and inclusion programs. Lisa has and continues to provide reflective mentorship to advanced clinicians working in the model.
Formerly the founder and director of the Family Center for Developmental Therapies in Monterey, CA, Lisa has since relocated to Washington State. She currently has a private practice on Bainbridge Island, providing child and family-centered consultation and direct services utilizing DIR® and DIRFloortime® approach. While offering general psychotherapeutic services for children and teens, Lisa remains dedicated to focusing on supporting the growth and development of young children with neurodevelopmental challenges, including autism spectrum disorders, difficulties with self-regulation, attending and focusing and those with emerging emotional, behavioral and learning challenges.
Lisa has a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Southern California and holds dual licensure in California and Washington State as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW/LICSW) and is a Board-Certified Diplomat (BCD) in Clinical Social Work. Lisa is an accredited member of the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work, the National Association for Social Work, the Washington Society for Clinical Social Workers, and the Bainbridge Island Psychotherapy Guild.
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.
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.
Michele Ricamato, MA, CCC-SLP
Michele is a licensed speech and language pathologist, who works primarily with children diagnosed on the autistic spectrum. Michele is one of three founders of Soaring Eagle Academy, a school for children with special needs that utilizes developmental language intervention and the DIR® model. In addition, she has a private practice in the western suburbs of Chicago. Michele has a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Northwestern University (1995).
Lauren Blaszak
Interdisciplinary Cross-Curricular Lesson Planning
Presenter
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.
Developmental & Relationship-Based Strategies in the Home - ...
Presenter
Sherri Cawn, MA, CCC-SLP
Sherri Cawn, M.A., CCC-SLP, Principal Speech Language Pathologist and Senior Clinical Adviser( formerly owner/clinical director of Cawn-Krantz and Associates) of The Positive Development Company is a leading practitioner of the DIRFloortime® model and trains clinicians in the US and overseas. Sherri is the author of two ASHA self-study DVD's as well as senior faculty/trainer of the Profectum Online Academy. She co-authored The Profectum Parent Tool Kit, that provides free web-based seminars to guiding families in learning Floortime in the comfort of their home.
Lisa DeFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD
Lisa deFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD is a Certified Senior Clinician and Profectum Founding Faculty member, with over 20 years of advanced training and clinical experience in the DIR® model and the DIRFloortime® developmental play therapy approach.
Lisa trained under Serena Wieder, PhD, and the late Stanley Greenspan, MD. She was previously on faculty with the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL) and was an Associate Professor with the ICDL Graduate PhD program in Early Childhood Development. Lisa has presented at national Profectum and ICDL training symposiums, in addition to regional agency, school and university speaking engagements related to child and parent development. She provides developmental programming consultation and in-service training focusing on pro-active and positive approaches for Early Start/Infant Intervention preschools, elementary/high school and inclusion programs. Lisa has and continues to provide reflective mentorship to advanced clinicians working in the model.
Formerly the founder and director of the Family Center for Developmental Therapies in Monterey, CA, Lisa has since relocated to Washington State. She currently has a private practice on Bainbridge Island, providing child and family-centered consultation and direct services utilizing DIR® and DIRFloortime® approach. While offering general psychotherapeutic services for children and teens, Lisa remains dedicated to focusing on supporting the growth and development of young children with neurodevelopmental challenges, including autism spectrum disorders, difficulties with self-regulation, attending and focusing and those with emerging emotional, behavioral and learning challenges.
Lisa has a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Southern California and holds dual licensure in California and Washington State as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW/LICSW) and is a Board-Certified Diplomat (BCD) in Clinical Social Work. Lisa is an accredited member of the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work, the National Association for Social Work, the Washington Society for Clinical Social Workers, and the Bainbridge Island Psychotherapy Guild.
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.
The Key Principles of a DIR-FCD Classroom
Presenter
Lynn Abelson, MA, CCC-SLP, OT
Lynn Abelson is a speech-language pathologist at Therapy Associates, and early intervention system comprehensive agency. She provides speech-language intervention to neurodiverse toddlers in their home and daycare settings and partners with their caregivers. Lynn also provides private DIR®-based speech-language intervention to children with developmental differences and works closely with their families. She has extensive experience in DIR® program development, leadership, and staff training at The Phoenix Center, a special education school that serves students ages 5-21. She was a speech language specialist and DIR® program manager at this school for 19 years. Additionally, Lynn is a Senior Faculty member of Profectum and a member of its Faculty Promotion Committee.
Linda Cervenka, MA, CCC-SLP
Linda Cervenka is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist and works primarily with children and adolescents with autistic spectrum and related disorders utilizing DIR® and development language models. She has a private practice in Riverside, Illinois providing mentoring, teaching, case management/guidance and direct service. Linda is also co-founder of Soaring Eagle Academy, an Illinois State Board of Education approved school serving students 5 through 21 years of age with autism and related disorders. She serves as an Expert Clinician/Trainer at the Academy. Linda received her Bachelor's Degree from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL and her Master's Degree in Communicative Disorders from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has worked for over 35 years with children with special needs, in home based and clinic based therapeutic services and public and private schools providing consultation, training and support for children and families. Linda is a Senior Faculty member of Profectum and has presented nationally on the topic of developmental approaches to intervention for children. Additionally, within the Academy and through private consultations, Linda helps parents/caregivers and school programs understand a developmental approach to dysregulation seeing the child’s actions as a stress response versus “behaviors” that are intentional and to avoid/escape learning. The primary areas of support include training all stakeholders in the child’s developmental process including but not limited to the child’s language comprehension profile, recognizing and reading their subtle communicative intentions and understanding their individual sensory, affective and motor systems during a stress response.
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.
Michele Ricamato, MA, CCC-SLP
Michele is a licensed speech and language pathologist, who works primarily with children diagnosed on the autistic spectrum. Michele is one of three founders of Soaring Eagle Academy, a school for children with special needs that utilizes developmental language intervention and the DIR® model. In addition, she has a private practice in the western suburbs of Chicago. Michele has a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Northwestern University (1995).
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.
Christine DeLoughry-Lama, MA
Special Session for Administrators/Schools: Navigating COVID...
Presenter
Amy Keveanos
Randy Rossilli
Mary Alice Landis
Dads who rock!: Empowering Fathers to Engage with their Chil...
Presenter
Laura Baldwin
Joanne Keilty
How to Leverage the Virtual Platform to Target DIR-FCD IEP G...
Presenter
Lynn Abelson, MA, CCC-SLP, OT
Lynn Abelson is a speech-language pathologist at Therapy Associates, and early intervention system comprehensive agency. She provides speech-language intervention to neurodiverse toddlers in their home and daycare settings and partners with their caregivers. Lynn also provides private DIR®-based speech-language intervention to children with developmental differences and works closely with their families. She has extensive experience in DIR® program development, leadership, and staff training at The Phoenix Center, a special education school that serves students ages 5-21. She was a speech language specialist and DIR® program manager at this school for 19 years. Additionally, Lynn is a Senior Faculty member of Profectum and a member of its Faculty Promotion Committee.
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.
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.
The Principles and Best Practices of DIR-FCD Programs for Ad...
Presenter
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.
Developmental & Relationship-Based Strategies in the Home - ...
Presenter
Sherri Cawn, MA, CCC-SLP
Sherri Cawn, M.A., CCC-SLP, Principal Speech Language Pathologist and Senior Clinical Adviser( formerly owner/clinical director of Cawn-Krantz and Associates) of The Positive Development Company is a leading practitioner of the DIRFloortime® model and trains clinicians in the US and overseas. Sherri is the author of two ASHA self-study DVD's as well as senior faculty/trainer of the Profectum Online Academy. She co-authored The Profectum Parent Tool Kit, that provides free web-based seminars to guiding families in learning Floortime in the comfort of their home.
Lisa DeFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD
Lisa deFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD is a Certified Senior Clinician and Profectum Founding Faculty member, with over 20 years of advanced training and clinical experience in the DIR® model and the DIRFloortime® developmental play therapy approach.
Lisa trained under Serena Wieder, PhD, and the late Stanley Greenspan, MD. She was previously on faculty with the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL) and was an Associate Professor with the ICDL Graduate PhD program in Early Childhood Development. Lisa has presented at national Profectum and ICDL training symposiums, in addition to regional agency, school and university speaking engagements related to child and parent development. She provides developmental programming consultation and in-service training focusing on pro-active and positive approaches for Early Start/Infant Intervention preschools, elementary/high school and inclusion programs. Lisa has and continues to provide reflective mentorship to advanced clinicians working in the model.
Formerly the founder and director of the Family Center for Developmental Therapies in Monterey, CA, Lisa has since relocated to Washington State. She currently has a private practice on Bainbridge Island, providing child and family-centered consultation and direct services utilizing DIR® and DIRFloortime® approach. While offering general psychotherapeutic services for children and teens, Lisa remains dedicated to focusing on supporting the growth and development of young children with neurodevelopmental challenges, including autism spectrum disorders, difficulties with self-regulation, attending and focusing and those with emerging emotional, behavioral and learning challenges.
Lisa has a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Southern California and holds dual licensure in California and Washington State as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW/LICSW) and is a Board-Certified Diplomat (BCD) in Clinical Social Work. Lisa is an accredited member of the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work, the National Association for Social Work, the Washington Society for Clinical Social Workers, and the Bainbridge Island Psychotherapy Guild.
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.
Nora Dangiola, PhD, CCC-SLP
Nora D’Angiola is a speech-language pathologist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has specialized in psycholinsguitiscs, in language development and language disorders, in programs of transdisciplinary Assessment and Intervention in early childhood and in particular, in working with infants and children with pervasive developmental disorders. She has experience as a clinician as well as a university professor and researcher, both in Argentina as in the USA, where she has resided for more than 15 years. Nora has been an attending clinician at Children’s Hospital in Buenos Aires and has been on the staff at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, CA, and at the Pasadena Unified School District, CA. She has been a professor at UMSA (Universidad del Museo Social Argentino) in Buenos Aires, at CSUN (California State University, Northridge, CA ) and has been a research assistant at NPI, UCLA.
Nora is a member of ASHA (American Speech and hearing Association). She holds a DIR® Certificate and served as a Training Leader at ICDL. She has co-coordinated numerous trainings in the DIRFloortime® 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 with special needs. She is a visiting professor at UMSA.
Writing Measurable, Developmental Goals and Objectives for y...
Presenter
Laura Baldwin
Amy Keveanos
Monica Osgood
Regina has worked in special education for 19 years. She has been at Celebrate the Children School in Denville NJ for the past 12 years where she has received much guidance and training from Monica Osgood and Stanley Greenspan. She supports a wide range of students and classrooms through intensive floortime and the 5 C’s developing individual goals for students and supporting staff. She assesses new and prospective students and helps to create and implement a developmentally appropriate plan to progress students emotionally, academically and behaviorally. She has consulted and offered support and guidance to local public schools within the developmental approach. She has helped to organize Profectum conferences throughout the country since 2011. Regina currently resides in Cranberry Lake / Byram NJ where she enjoys swimming and hiking with her dog “Garcia.”
CTC Connections Tour: How to Navigate the Transition from En...
Presenter
Jennifer Carucci, MA School Counseling, Licensed Associative Counselor
Jennifer Carucci, L.P.C., M.A. is a Licensed Professional Counselor who received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Montclair State University. She went on to pursue her Masters Degree in School Counseling from Centenary University. She is working towards her requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Jennifer has been a School Counselor for the past fifteen years in a private school for students with special needs. She provides individual and group counseling, as well as family support, future planning and executive functioning coaching. She works with children, adolescents and young adults with Autism, Anxiety, Down Syndrome, and other Developmental Disabilities. Jennifer uses the Cognitive Behavioral Therapeutic (CBT) model to guide her treatment. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading and spending time with her family.
Parent Stress Busters: Anxiety Management on the Home Front ...
Presenter
Lisa DeFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD
Lisa deFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD is a Certified Senior Clinician and Profectum Founding Faculty member, with over 20 years of advanced training and clinical experience in the DIR® model and the DIRFloortime® developmental play therapy approach.
Lisa trained under Serena Wieder, PhD, and the late Stanley Greenspan, MD. She was previously on faculty with the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL) and was an Associate Professor with the ICDL Graduate PhD program in Early Childhood Development. Lisa has presented at national Profectum and ICDL training symposiums, in addition to regional agency, school and university speaking engagements related to child and parent development. She provides developmental programming consultation and in-service training focusing on pro-active and positive approaches for Early Start/Infant Intervention preschools, elementary/high school and inclusion programs. Lisa has and continues to provide reflective mentorship to advanced clinicians working in the model.
Formerly the founder and director of the Family Center for Developmental Therapies in Monterey, CA, Lisa has since relocated to Washington State. She currently has a private practice on Bainbridge Island, providing child and family-centered consultation and direct services utilizing DIR® and DIRFloortime® approach. While offering general psychotherapeutic services for children and teens, Lisa remains dedicated to focusing on supporting the growth and development of young children with neurodevelopmental challenges, including autism spectrum disorders, difficulties with self-regulation, attending and focusing and those with emerging emotional, behavioral and learning challenges.
Lisa has a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Southern California and holds dual licensure in California and Washington State as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW/LICSW) and is a Board-Certified Diplomat (BCD) in Clinical Social Work. Lisa is an accredited member of the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work, the National Association for Social Work, the Washington Society for Clinical Social Workers, and the Bainbridge Island Psychotherapy Guild.
The 5 C’s at School
Presenter
Amy Keveanos
Monica Osgood
Regina has worked in special education for 19 years. She has been at Celebrate the Children School in Denville NJ for the past 12 years where she has received much guidance and training from Monica Osgood and Stanley Greenspan. She supports a wide range of students and classrooms through intensive floortime and the 5 C’s developing individual goals for students and supporting staff. She assesses new and prospective students and helps to create and implement a developmentally appropriate plan to progress students emotionally, academically and behaviorally. She has consulted and offered support and guidance to local public schools within the developmental approach. She has helped to organize Profectum conferences throughout the country since 2011. Regina currently resides in Cranberry Lake / Byram NJ where she enjoys swimming and hiking with her dog “Garcia.”
Cynthia King, MA
The 5 C’s at Home
Presenter
Anie Knipping
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.
The 5 C’s Virtually
Presenter
Laura Baldwin
Parent’s Open Discussion
Presenter
Lauren Blaszak
Supporting Parents in Working with their Children in the Hom...
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.
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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