In-Service Workshops

Explore the world of multilingual accommodations and modifications. What is the difference? How do I know what to do? And how can I use them to promote greater engagement in my classroom?

Adaptive behavior is generally defined as the independent performance of daily activities that are required for personal and social self-sufficiency. Deficits in adaptive behavior are, by definition, criteria to be classified as an Intellectual Disability. Yet in ASD, adaptive delays tend to be above and beyond what would be expected based on cognitive impairments, alone, especially for individuals with ASD who do not have cognitive impairment. This gap between cognition and adaptive behavior appears to widen with age and impedes functional independence into adulthood. This presentation will outline these profiles of adaptive behavior and discuss the importance of assessing for and teaching adaptive skills from initial diagnosis throughout the lifespan.

This presentation addresses the stress and impact of raising a child with significant mental health needs. With an emphasis on the neuroscience of anxiety, this in-service workshop will also address the trauma and fear related to caring for students with a high level of need. Through this lens, we will identify ways to approach caregivers in partnering to support high risk students.

Teen Dating Violence, while incredibly pervasive, is often shrouded in secrecy and shame. Teens who are experiencing dating violence are often hesitant to seek support from an adult, and instead turn to their peers and social media for information and guidance. In this workshop, program participants will receive information and skills to recognize, respond, and support youth experiencing relationship abuse. Learn about common behavioral indicators of dating violence, health effects, and tools to assist youth after disclosures of abuse.

Managing stress and anxiety as well as coping with executive functioning demands are perhaps the two most common and, in many ways, most challenging issues related to education. Anxiety and Executive Functioning affect a large number—some might say majority—of students. Educators often see both in students, and research supports that there is a neurological connection between the sections of our brains that manage each set of behaviors. This set of two workshops examines the aspects of anxiety and executive functioning, covering the issues specific to each and how they interact. Each workshop will cover the characteristics, evaluation procedures, and intervention strategies that a variety of experts have recommended.

Anxiety not only challenges academic progress, but also significantly affects behavior. This workshop will review how anxiety affects student behavior and performance, and strategies that can be employed to help students effectively manage the demands of school and home. This presentation is only available to school staff and administration.

High school students are always being asked things such as “what are you going to major in?” College grads are bombarded with questions such as “what are you going to do for work?” This presentation will guide students (or parents) through the conversations and activities necessary to discover the who, why and how!

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect multiple areas of functioning, demanding a multidisciplinary approach to conceptualization, diagnosis, and intervention. With the prevalence of ASD rising, as well as the percentage of individuals with ASD without cognitive or speech impairments, there is a need for educators to better understand the nuances of autism symptomatology across the spectrum to ensure appropriate detection, diagnosis, and treatment. This workshop will (help educators) identify, assess, and diagnose symptoms of ASD using state-of-the-art measures and best practices in the field.

In this session, we will explore adult and teen perceptions of teen dating violence, discuss messages and barriers that uniquely impact youth relationships, and provide strategies to address these barriers when talking with teens. We will offer strategies for opening the conversation and engaging teens in thinking critically about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Participants will leave with tools for responding to difficult questions, as well as several interactive activities they can facilitate with their students. Participants will learn techniques to create two-way discussions about values, boundaries, and your role in supporting their relationship development.

Core needs for everyone and crucial in creating a supportive, dynamic learning environment are connection and belonging. Creating an environment of safety, trust and engagement is the foundation for fostering healthy relationships amongst students and adults. One key and powerful way to create this environment of trust and engagement is using well-led play. Play helps create a social and emotional learning environment of cooperation, active engagement, joy and social connection. Thus, a Community of Care and Belonging.

Many play activities and Play leadership skills will be taught. Skills and activities that highlight how to use playfulness to engage students, how to add in playful movement as brain breaks, how to interject simple mindfulness activities and offer voice and choice which fosters safety and internal control, all while having fun ourselves.

This workshop will allow the participants to "Expand their bag of tricks." Utilizing energizers, ice breakers, circle games, active games, theater games, team building games, free play and imaginative play, this strand will offer many activities that will support any PBIS and SEL programming, responsive classroom curriculum or restorative circles practices.

There are many barriers that prevent people from disclosing abuse and getting the support that people deserve. In this session, we will identify barriers of receiving support. We will build confidence on having conversations that might make us uncomfortable, especially when working with people we care for. Participants will leave with tools for responding to difficult questions, as well as learn techniques to create 2-way discussions about values, boundaries, and your role in supporting them.

Play is one of the fastest and most direct paths to building genuine connection — at any age. When people play together, something shifts. Guards come down, laughter opens doors, and belonging follows naturally. This highly experiential workshop explores how intentional, well-led play builds the social-emotional foundation every thriving classroom needs.

Drawing on the neuroscience of learning and behavior, the power of a growth mindset, and the science of positivity, you'll discover why play is the brain's most natural path to engagement — and how to use it purposefully. You'll leave with a toolkit of simple games and collaborative problem-solving activities designed to spark curiosity, build student agency, and deepen relational trust.

This workshop is informative, immediately applicable, and genuinely fun. Because when students feel connected, they're ready to learn — and when teachers feel it too, everyone thrives.

This presentation is designed to help educational, mental health, and community professionals both deepen their connections with their colleagues, students, teams, and families and focus on their own self-care as a way to build and maintain professional resilience. We will focus on strategies to foster interprofessional collaboration so that all team members share both the challenges and joys of their work. We will also discuss barriers and share solutions to collaborating and engaging in consistent self-care.

All schools have bullying response guidelines but sometimes school staff struggle with understanding the causes of bullying. This workshop addresses the dynamics between bullies and victims and explores the role bystanders play. Practical suggestions to deal with bullying will be given. This presentation is only available to school staff and administrators.

This dynamic and interactive presentation explores the critical difference between being a bystander and becoming an upstander in the face of bullying. Participants will learn to recognize various forms of bullying—physical, verbal, social, and cyber—and examine the powerful role peers play in either perpetuating or preventing harmful behavior. Through real-life scenarios, discussion, and practical tools, attendees will gain the confidence to intervene safely and effectively. The session emphasizes empathy, accountability, and the importance of creating a culture of respect in schools and communities. Whether you're a student, educator, or community member, this presentation will challenge you to shift from silence to action.