AASR Live

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

Jeff Spitzer-Resnick, is a nationally recognized attorney with thirty-eight years of experience in the fields of civil rights, disability and education law. He currently owns and operates Systems Change Consulting, a consulting and training law firm providing local, statewide, and national...

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

Tania DuBeau has worked for The Pathways Schools since 1988 and is now finishing her 36th school year. She began as one of the social workers at the school and moved into various administrative positions, including principal of one of the schools. Tania became CEO/Executive Director in 2014. She has her LCSW...

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

Joe Brummer is a trauma survivor. Having lived through early exposure to violence, child abuse and neglect, and two violent anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, he turned his healing journey into a career in peacebuilding, restorative justice, and consulting in trauma-informed education. ...

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

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

Currently, Diane has a private practice in the suburbs of...

Please join us for “Offering Support to Caregivers and Children During a Challenging Moment” with Nancy L. Weaver, PhD. MPH.

Dr. Weaver has a keen interest in promoting emotional health and working with schools and agencies to nurture the growth of all kids and adults using strength-based methods. She consults in the areas of messaging, community and team engagement, teacher training, strategic planning, and program design and evalu...

Please join us for “An Interview with Antwan Morris: Moving Beyond Incarceration to Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline.”

Antwan Morris lived the stereotypical lifestyle of a young black male growing up in the inner city. By 14, he’d essentially dropped out of school, and by 17, he was incarcerated. With 20+ years of hard work, advocating, healing, and public speaking, he changed his path and has dedicated his life to helping today...

Please join us for “The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) Therapeutic Listening System: A Journey to Better Nervous System State Regulation” with Jennifer Abbanat, C-TSS, EXA-CE, SSP Provider.

 Jennifer is a parenting coach, Expressive Arts Educator, IEP advocate, Safe and Sound Protocol Provider, and trauma-informed consultant who uses neuro-affirming and trauma-informed approaches to empower families to make the most informed decision...

Author Katie Pagnotta joins us to talk about: "Brain and Body-Aligned Responsive Systems of Excellence.”

Katie Pagnotta is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, functional success educational consultant, parent coach, and author. She is also the creator of the Brain- and Body-Aligned Responsive Systems (BBARS) of Excellence framework. She guides educators, administrators, and school staff in strengths-based approaches th...

Please join us for “What Toddler AAC Taught Me About Regulation and Nervous System Supports” with Cass Griffin Bennett.

Cass Griffin Bennett is an autistic and ADHD self-advocate and parent of multiple young autistic children. Cass is passionate about all things equity, early access to robust high-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and anti-behaviorism harm reduction. Her guiding goal in parenting is to raise her...

Please join us for “Disproportionate School Brutality Upon Black Children” with Nicole Tuchinda.

Nicole Tuchinda, JD, MD, LLM is a special education attorney, Assistant Professor, and Director of the Health Law Program at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. She writes about the need to make education trauma-informed and attachment-driven, and she co-founded a medical-legal partnership clinic at Georgetown University Law Ce...

Please join us for "Educator Well Being: Discussing the Current Conditions of Stress Response in Education" with Angelina Zara.

Born and raised in the heart of Washington, DC, Angie found her passion in education in 2015, serving students and caregivers in her hometown. As an elementary school teacher in a Title 1, full-inclusion classroom, Angie learned early on about the power of research-based, trauma-informed strategie...

Celebrating 5 Incredible Years: A Live Interview with Guy Stephens on the Past, Present, and Future of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint

 Join us for a unique event for the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR) as we present a Live, in-person interview with Guy Stephens, the visionary Founder and Director of AASR, that promises to be both heartwarming and enlightening, in celebration of AASR's 5th Anniversa...

Please join us for “How Neuroscience and a Mother’s Love Led to the Creation of CapeAble® Weighted Products” with Marna Pacheco.

Marna Pacheco is the founder of CapeAble® Weighted Products and inventor of SmartWeight® Technology proudly manufactured in the USA. Marna embodies the saying: “Necessity is the mother of invention.” To help her adopted daughter with significant neurological and developmental early childhood trauma, Marna ...

Please join us for “Our Story - From Suffering to Hope and on to Flourishing. Strategic Self-regulation, Co-regulation, and Coproduction: Leadership Lessons from My Brother” with Jamie Emberson.

Jamie possesses extensive years of both lived and professional expertise across diverse roles in healthcare, social care, and wellbeing. His career has encompassed positions such as Care Worker, Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Tutor,...

Please join us for “The Why Toolkit: A New Tool to Better Understand and Support All Students” with Connie Persike, M.S., CCC/SLP

 Connie Persike, M.S., CCC/SLP, is a highly experienced Speech-Language Pathologist and Educational Consultant. She has 20+ years of experience in educational settings and holds a certificate in instructional coaching, positive education, and applied educational neuroscience.

 She served as a member of the...

Please join us for “Opposition Isn't Always Defiance: A Brief Introduction to the PDA Profile of Autism” with Courtney Hart.

Courtney Hart, LCSW-C, RYT 500, RCYT, founded Healing Hart Wellness in 2018, a pediatric mental health and wellness practice, where she and her team, and their two therapy dogs, specialize in supporting anxious ADHDers and Autistic families through parent consultation, ADHD/Autism assessments, individual ...

Please join us for “Lessons Learned from Working with Neurodivergent Learners: An Interview with Zach Morris.”

Zach Morris M.Ed. is an advocate for learning and personal agency. His work aims to help individuals, families, and schools build structures that honor autonomy, celebrate strengths and interests, and prioritize a sense of safety and connection. With a focus on trauma and neurodiversity, Zach offers a lens into the psychoph...

Please join us for “Reframing Behavior: A New Program to Bring the Neuroscience of Behavior to Schools” with Susan Driscoll.

Susan Driscoll is President of Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) and oversees the development of all products and programs, the trainers who deliver them, and for the support and care of the clients who use them. She joined CPI in 2017 and is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and in 2022 was named a Director of th...

Learn about the 5th Annual PDA North America Conference with Diane Gould.

Join us to learn more about the 5th annual PDA North America Conference on March 6 & 7 (virtual), and March 7 & 8 (in person). The event will include some incredible experts, including keynote speaker – Linda K. Murphy, MS, CCC-SLP and author of Declarative Language Handbook and Co-Regulation Handbook. Other experts & speakers include Diane Gould, ...