AASR Live

Please join us for “Transformative Mindfulness in Education: A Discussion with Dr. Rhiannon Kim.”

Rhiannon Kim, Ed.D., CGS-RBA, M.S., CCC-SLP, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, is an educator, facilitator, and consultant working with schools and other organizations who are seeking to integrate socially just and trauma-informed practices and ways of being into their work. Prior to her current work, she served in public education as a para educator, 1:1 interventionist, and a school-based Speech-Language-Pathologist. She is the author of Transformative Mindfulness in Education: Caring for Ourselves While Kindling Change.

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Please join us for "Stop the Shock: A Panel Discussion about the Judge Rotenberg Center” with members of the Stop the Shock Coalition.

Elisa Hunt

Driven by the loss of a loved one to institutional abuse, Elisa Hunt is an advocate and coalition leader specializing in institutional care accountability and disability rights. As the lead organizer of the Stop the Shock Coalition, she coordinates grassroots and national efforts to end the use of electric skin shock devices at the Judge Rotenberg Center. Elisa has volunteered for national survivor movements Unsilenced and Breaking Code Silence to re...

Please join us for “Challenges and Progress: A Panel Discussion with our New Zealand Friends” with Jase Williams, Lynda Knight, Frian Wadia, and Kathryn Berkett.

Jase Williams is a TEDx Speaker who has 25 years of experience working as an educator and is the former Principal of Henry Hill School who won the prestigious Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Award - Wellbeing - the top education award in New Zealand. Jase is a certified trainer in the Neurosequential Model in Education (NME), and he is one of the leading voices in Relational Neuroscience & Trauma-Informed Practice in Education and has sh...

Please join us for “Positive Behavior Supports Are Compliance-Based” with Jillian Enright.

Jillian Enright is the founder of Neurodiversity Manitoba and has been working as a neurodiversity specialist and advocate since 2017. Being Autistic and ADHD, and the parent of a neurodivergent child, Jillian brings a unique combination of personal, professional, and academic experience to her work

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Please join us for “A Body of Evidence: An Interview with S. M. Korhonen on her New Book.”

S. M. Korhonen writes about family life, disability, and public systems. With a background in engineering and complex systems work, Korhonen brings an evidence-driven lens to lived experience, tracing how assumptions harden into practice and how institutions struggle to see what does not fit their expectations.

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Please join us for “Ease the Pain in the Classroom: Creating Safety and Regulation for Every Student” with Dr. Bethany Bilodeau.

Dr. Bethany Bilodeau, an expert in human behavior with a Doctorate of Arts in Leadership, has a remarkable career that began teaching high school biology in Guam. She has designed innovative programs to help students achieve academic success and holds numerous certifications in behavioral therapies. She has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2024 Business of the Year in education and Business Excellence for Social Equity.

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Please join us for “The Informed Parent: Navigating Autism Services and Advocacy, an Interview with Anne Borden King.”

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

A co-founder of Autistics for Autistics, the Canadian autistic self-advocacy organization, Anne has presented before the United Nations and the Canadian Senate, among others, abou...

Please join us for “When 'That Kid' Becomes the Teacher,” a presentation with Lindsay Rice. 

Lindsay Rice is an elementary educator, presenter, and advocate based in Columbus, Ohio, dedicated to advancing equitable education for neurodivergent learners. With over a decade of experience presenting for organizations such as the National Education Association (NEA), Ohio Education Association (OEA), NSTA, and ATE, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work.

Lindsay specializes in helping educators understand how the brain works, with a focus on reducing cognitive load, challenging neurotypical bias, and creating classrooms where all stude...

Please join us for “Neuroaffirming Advocacy: Dr. Destiny Huff Joins Us to Discuss Her New Book on Navigating Special Education.”

Dr. Destiny Huff, LPC, is an Autistic and ADHD therapist, special education advocate, author, and parent of two neurodivergent learners. She supports families and professionals in developing neuroaffirming, strengths-based practices that center access, autonomy, regulation, and meaningful participation. Through consulting, training, and advocacy, Dr. Huff works to challenge ableism and create more inclusive educational and mental health systems.

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Please join us for “Understanding the Impact of Restraint and Seclusion: A Professional Panel Discussion.”

Dr. Arielle Silverman, PhD, is a researcher by trade and an advocate for all disabled people. Blind since birth, she holds a Ph.D. in social psychology and works as the director of research at the American Foundation for the Blind. Her memoir, Just Human: The Quest for Disability Wisdom, Respect, and Inclusion, calls for a world where all bodies and minds are celebrated. Arielle works both personally and professionally to advocate for disability justice and to support and mentor other disabled peop...

Please join us for “Diving into Michigan Restraint and Seclusion Data: A Discussion with Matt Rische.”

Matt Rische is an educator with more than a decade of experience supporting students with intensive behavioral needs. A certified Trauma & Resilience Specialist, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention instructor, and former Ukeru instructor, Matt has dedicated his career to helping schools reduce dangerous and traumatic behavioral intervention practices to create safer, more supportive learning environments.

Formerly, as the principal of Montcalm Area ISD's Seiter Education Center, he led a reduction in Emergency Seclusion and Restraint from more than 1,000 incidents annually to fewe...

Please join us for “Creating a Culture of Gentleness: It's About Connecting, Not Correcting” with Dr. Anthony M. McCrovitz.

Dr. Anthony M. McCrovitz is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Mental Health Counselor with over 30 years of experience specializing in child development, neurodiversity, and holistic mental health practices. As Executive Director of the Quality of Life Institute, he pioneered the Quality-of-Life Model™ and advances inclusive care through global leadership in Gentle Teaching and multi-sensory therapy. Dr. McCrovitz also serves on international boards and mentors future clinicians through academic teaching and interdisciplinary collaboration.

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Please join us for “The Grand Guide: A New Book for Grandparents of Neurodivergent Grandchildren from Sheena Hill.”

Sheena Hill is a trauma-informed, neurobiologically-focused responsive parenting coach who has been in private practice for 16 years. At Parenting Works, she works with families around the world. Sheena provides education and support for parents and professionals who seek to move beyond rewards and consequences to deepen their understanding of development and attachment while masterfully applying concrete skills in emotional intelligence, limit-setting, and using play therapeutically. She is the author of "The Grand Guide: Mindful Tools for Modern Grandparenting," a reso...

Please join us for “Rooted in Hope: An Interview with Katie McDonald.”

Katie McDonald is an educator, consultant, and therapist with over 22 years of experience in trauma-responsive schools, neuro-informed teaching/parenting, and emotional well-being. Katie has dedicated her career to empowering educators and families through a deep understanding of resilience, often called the science of hope.

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Please join us for “Leveling the Playing Field in School Safety: Lauren Sukhu Shares What She Learned from Her Honors Thesis Project.”

Lauren Sukhu, from Dallas, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S.A. in biology, a minor in Hindi, and a certificate in evidence and inquiry. A member of the Polymathic Scholars Honors program, she conducted research at Dell Medical School on excessive school discipline practices, including restraint and seclusion, serving as project manager for the restraint and seclusion initiative in the lab of Micky Marinelli. Her honors thesis, “Level the Playin...

Please join us for “The Problem with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports” with Rebecca Engle.

Rebecca Engle is an autistic educator, author, and speaker based in Texas. She is the founder of Stitches and Stanzas, where she blends creativity, advocacy, and education to support neurodivergent individuals and the people who teach and love them. Rebecca is an international best-selling author of four books, inspired by her own experiences navigating school as an autistic student.

As a special education teacher and speaker, she is known for challenging traditional behavior systems and advocating for regulation-first, neurodiversity-affirming practices. Rebe...

Please join us for “Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference: A Discussion with Tracy Leonard.”

Tracy Leonard serves as the Executive Director of the Attachment & Trauma Network (ATN), bringing extensive experience in child advocacy, prevention, and trauma-informed education.

Before stepping into the Executive Director role, Tracy served as ATN’s Board President (2023–2025), helping guide strategic growth while strengthening governance, partnerships, and long-term planning. Her board service gave her a deep understanding of ATN’s mission and the communities it serves.

Tracy’s professional career has focused on equipping adults with the knowledge and tools needed to protect a...

Please join us for “Building a Trauma-Informed School: What to do When All Your Students Are Traumatized” with Kathleen Hilchey.

Kathleen Hilchey spent over 10 years in the classroom and 10 more in camping. She is a conflict specialist and a Qualified Mediator. She also founded a trauma-informed student-directed school called The Village School. Most importantly, she is the mom of 3 beautiful kids.

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Please join us for “Multi-tiered Systems of Support for Adults: A Discussion with Dr. Lori Desautels.”

Dr. Lori Desautels began teaching undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Education at Butler University in 2016. She was previously an Assistant Professor at Marian University in Indianapolis for eight years, where she started the Educational Neuroscience Symposium, which is now in its 15th year and has reached thousands of educators. Dr. Desautels focuses on teaching her students how to apply social and relational neurosciences to education. She does this by incorporating the tier one trauma accommodating Applied Educational Neuroscience fram...

Please join us for “Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Discussion with Jenn Wisdahl and Kristen Eriksen.”

Jenn Wisdahl leads strategy and operations at FASD United, the national organization supporting people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and promoting healthy pregnancies. With FASD impacting 1 in 20 Americans, a critical part of her role involves the national legislative and policy agenda for this highly prevalent and under-recognized disability. Using a data-driven strategy that keeps people at the forefront, Jenn has supported substantial growth at FASD United, supporting the Family Navigator Program, National FASD Impact Week, and the return of the...

Please join us for “The Early Years Guidebook: A Discussion with Emily Read Daniels and Chrissy Dagostino.”

Emily Read Daniels is the author and creator of The Regulated Classroom™. Daniels is an internationally recognized trainer and has served thousands through in-person and virtual professional development training, workshops, conferences, webinars, and keynote addresses.

Daniels and her work have been featured in the Associated Press, Fox News, ABC News, Los Angeles Times, and NPR.

Daniels holds an M.Ed. in School Counseling, an MBA in Organizational and Environmental Sustainability, and is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) t...

Please join us for “Applied Self-Reg for Education Assistants: A New Book by Susan Hopkins and Kristin Wiens.”

Susan Hopkins is Executive Director of The MEHRIT Centre, Dr. Stuart Shanker’s organization and the home of the Self-Reg framework. An international leader in Self-Reg, she co-creates online courses with Dr. Shanker that have reached thousands of educators worldwide. With more than 25 years of experience across Canada and internationally, Susan works across early childhood, K–12, and the systems that support children and youth. She has led in school administration, inclusion, and the early years, and has delivered hundreds of prese...

Please join us for “When 'Doing Well' Is a Warning Sign: The Cost of Holding It Together at School” with Courtney Hart.

Courtney Hart, LCSW-C, is the founder of Healing Hart Wellness, where she specializes in supporting ADHDers and Autistic people through evaluations, parent consultation, and therapy. Courtney also writes two newsletters on Substack: one focused on supporting parents and helping professionals understand the impacts of advancing technology and the other on high-masking neurodivergence. When Courtney isn’t working, you can find her starting random projects at home, playing fetch with her dogs, scouring the internet to resear...

Please join us for “Providing Neurodiversity-Affirming Support: A Relational Neuroscience-Informed Child and Youth Care Perspective” with Nancy Marshall. 

Nancy Marshall (she/her) (PhD, MA CYC, RSW) is a Child and Youth Care (CYC) practitioner, a registered social worker (RSW), an educational consultant, and a part-time instructor in the Faculty of Education at York University teaching Disability and Inclusion in Education. Nancy recently launched AffirmAbility in Practice - a small private practice in Toronto providing neurodiversity-affirming training to schools and organizations, and therapy services to children, youth, and families. She has over 20 years of experience supporting neurodivergent young peopl...

Please join us for “Understanding the Impact of Restraint and Seclusion: A Parent Panel Discussion.”

Chantelle Hyde
Chantelle’s advocacy began with her desire to support families after learning that her daughter was locked in a room at school. She has appeared on Global News and CTV W5, sharing her family's journey. With a background in adult education, business, and Self-Reg Foundations, she is working with politicians and top provincial advocates to bring the issues and alternatives to seclusion and restraint to public light. Chantelle hopes to bring positive change to systems across Canada.

Courtn...

Please join us for “Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward: A New Book from Doris and Rick Bowman.”

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

Having lived through the opposite ends of what...

Join us for “What Social Psychology Says About Behaviorism, and Five Things to Try Instead” with Dr. Arielle Silverman.

In this presentation, Dr. Silverman will share research and theory from social psychology explaining why behaviorism (rewards and punishments) so often fails to improve children's long-term behavior. She will then discuss five strategies to use in place of behaviorist methods: co-regulation, communicating clearly and reasonably about behavioral expectations, proactively solving problems, building a child's self-regulation toolbox, and intentional role modeling.

Arielle is a disabled activist and a social scientist who is passionate about improving public understanding of l...

Please join us for “Fighting Ableism and Exclusionary Practices in Schools: A Conversation with Kara Dymond.”

 Kara Dymond, Ph.D., is a late-diagnosed autistic/ADHD advocate, teacher, researcher, and award-winning teacher educator from Toronto, Canada. Her work supporting autistic students inspired her books Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming Classroom (2025) and The Autism Lens (2020). Kara researches accessibility in graduate teacher education and teaches graduate courses on Accessible Education & Classroom Neurodiversity at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, attempting to counteract the segregated and ableist ways in which education faculties teach about learner variability.

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Please join us for “Lighting Up the Learning Brain: An Interview with Jessica Sinarski.”

Jessica Sinarski, LPCMH is an award-winning author, dynamic speaker, and the founder of BraveBrains. She has spent her entire career working with children who have challenging behaviors and the caring adults in their lives. She loves spicy food, Diet Coke, and her sweet, silly family…not in that order.

Jessica has worked with thousands of teachers, counselors, and administrators to get to the root of problematic student (and staff) behavior. She translates neuroscience into action steps through comprehensive professional development, diverse books...

Please join us for “No Restraint: Disabled Children and Institutionalized Violence in America's Schools, an Interview with Dr. Charles Bell.”

Dr. Charles Bell is an award-winning associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences at Illinois State University. His research explores how out-of-school suspension, seclusion, and restraint impact families and teachers throughout the U.S. The Society for the Study of Social Problems selected Dr. Bell’s book Suspended: Punishment, Violence, and the Failure of School Safety as a finalist for the C. Wright Mills Book Award. Additionally, he has worked a subject matter expert on school...

Please join us for “Building Neuroinclusive Spaces Where Every Child Belongs” with Lauren Hough Williams.

Lauren (she/her) is a neurodiversity and inclusion specialist and an experienced special educator and is the Executive Director of the Program for Neurodiversity and Inclusion, or “PINE.” PINE educates and empowers schools and communities to embrace neurodiversity, creating inclusive, accessible, and supportive spaces for children wherever they go. Her work centers on building neuro-inclusive spaces where every child belongs.

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Please join us for “Understanding Autism in Context: A Discussion with Dr. Peter Vermeulen.”

Peter Vermeulen, PhD, has a Master's in Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences at the University of Leuven, Belgium (1985) and a PhD in Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands (2002). From 1987 until 1998, he worked for the Flemish Autism Association, first as a home trainer for families with a child with autism, later as director of the home training centre, and finally as a trainer/lecturer. Then, from 1998 till 2018, he was working as a senior autism consultant/lecturer/trainer at Autisme Centraal. He i...

Please join us for “We Don't Need a 2.0 Version: Creating Neuroinclusive Schools by Rejecting Behaviorism and Neuronormativity” with Jenna Goldstein.

Jenna Goldstein, MS/CAGS, Certified School Psychologist, is an AuDHD woman, school psychologist, and parent to neurodivergent children – the '3' perspectives of her practice, 'ND3'. As such, Jenna brings a 360-degree view of children, families, and systems to her work. After 15 years as a school psychologist in public schools, Jenna launched ND3 to offer counseling to children and teens, consultations for caregivers and professionals, and trainings for organizations that are uncompromisingly neuro-affirming and neuroscience-informed. More at ND3...

Please join us for “Reducing and Eliminating Restraint and Seclusion in Your State: An Interview with Cassie Atallah.”

Cassie Atallah is a Trauma Informed Changemaker with 10 years of teaching experience and 12 years of experience parenting her gifted, autistic son, who has become her greatest teacher. She has dedicated much of her time to learning about healthy, equitable approaches to extreme behavior. She shares this knowledge in her work as the co-founder and co-leader of EndSaR-MI and EndSaR-NJ, two organizations dedicated to creating safe schools without seclusion and restraint by finding creative ways to meet student needs in orde...

Please join us for “Uncovering Cross Creek: From Survival to Screen” with Jessy Greer.

Jessy Greer is an actor, writer, and producer with over ten years of experience in entertainment. After moving from Houston to Los Angeles to study at AMDA College of the Performing Arts, she quickly established herself in the comedy scene, sharing the stage with comedians like Amy Schumer and Margaret Cho. Jessy's career spans acting credits on shows like Lessons in Chemistry and Hollywood, performing and writing sketch comedy, and co-producing her feature film 818, showcasing her range and passion for storytelling.

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Please join us for “How to Assess the Hidden Meaning Behind Behaviors” with Staci Neustadt and Susan Golubock.

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

Sus...

Please join us for “Assistive Technology: to Innovate and Integrate Your Future” with Sam Shepherd.

Sam Shepherd is the founder of 3DA, a nonprofit that advocates for individuals with developmental disabilities across the country. 3DA focuses on providing accessible resources on their website (3DA.org) as well as advocating at both the state and federal levels.

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Please join us for “Understanding Issues Impacting Black Neurodivergent Students” with Cheryl Poe.

Cheryl Poe is the founder and Executive Director of Advocating 4 Kids, Inc., a Special Education Advocacy organization that provides resources, information, and workshops to parents and professionals, with a special focus on addressing the needs of Black and Brown children with disabilities.

She is the past board president of the National Allies for Parents in Special Education NAPSE, a national parent-driven organization that works hard to increase access and quality advocacy resources for special education families from underserved populations to improve educational outc...

Please join us for “Leading with the Heart with Jase Williams.”

Jase Williams is a TEDx Speaker who has 25 years of experience working as an educator and is the former Principal of Henry Hill School who won the prestigious Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Award - Wellbeing - the top education award in New Zealand. Jase is a certified trainer in the Neurosequential Model in Education (NME), and he is one of the leading voices in Relational Neuroscience & Trauma Informed Practice in Education and has shared his knowledge through an equity-focused, compassionate, and indigenous lens with thousands of edu...

Please join us for “Disruption in Schools: A New Book from Ben Sacco."

Ben is an education specialist and Author of ‘Disruption in Schools: Understand me before you mark me!’. He works with schools, teachers, and principals to tackle issues like teacher burnout, retention, school culture, and student behavior. Many of his strategies to improve behavior and classroom dynamics in schools are grounded in a deep understanding of neuroscience, child development, and psychology

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