2015 Early On Conference

Dates:

November 11-12, 2015

Location:

Grand Traverse Resort
100 Grand Traverse Village Boulevard
Acme, MI 49610

100 Grand Traverse Village Boulevard
Acme, MI 49610

Cost:

$170.00

Details:

This year’s conference, Everyday Heroes and Quality Practices: The Power of Early Intervention offers opportunities for early intervention personnel to consider the foundation of quality practices in many areas of early intervention, including: building the capacity of parents to support positive social-emotional outcomes, using a Primary Service Provider approach, support for roles as providers, feeding, autism, infant brains and language acquisition, trauma, hearing loss, routines-based intervention, and much more. A variety of sessions are offered that meet the needs of providers, administrators, faculty, and parents. This year we’re pleased to feature M’Lisa Shelden and Dathan Rush who will offer a full-day Pre-Conference session, our opening keynote, and workshops throughout the conference.

Register early and save!

Early bird conference registration is $140.

After October 16, registration is $170.

Click here to download the brochure.

Hotel Information

For conference participants, a block of rooms is reserved at the Grand Traverse Resort at the rate of $75.00, applicable Sunday, November 8, through Thursday, November 12. An assessment tax of 5% for local lodging applies. A daily resort fee of $14.95 will also be added to the guest room charge.

The Grand Traverse Resort is happy to honor the Early On discounted group rate for our block of rooms until October 19, 2015, subject to availability. Please remember to bring your tax exempt ID information with you to supply to hotel staff upon check-in. Registration can be made by either:

Calling the hotel directly at 1-800-968-7352 and mention the Early On Conference
Click here to book your reservation online

Agenda:

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Wednesday - November 11, 2015

Session 0: Wednesday - 8:30am to 10:00am

A - Keynote: Building Parent Capacity to be Available, Mindful, and Responsive

M’Lisa Shelden, PT, Ph.D., Family, Infant and Preschool Program, Morganton, North Carolina
Dathan Rush, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, Family, Infant and Preschool Program, Morganton, North Carolina

This exciting keynote presentation will focus on the use of promotional strategies to build the capacity of ALL parents to support attainment of positive social-emotional outcomes for young children. The presenters will provide an overview of the research to support parent-mediated intervention strategies as well as the importance of parent responsiveness throughout daily life. Coaching as an adult interaction style will be highlighted as an evidence-based strategy that can be used by early intervention practitioners to build the capacity of parents.

Governors Hall

Session 1: Wednesday - 10:30am to 12:30pm

A - Roadmaps for Child Learning: Guides for Supporting Parents and other Caregivers

M’Lisa Shelden, PT, Ph.D., Family, Infant and Preschool Program, Morganton, North Carolina
Dathan Rush, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, Family, Infant and Preschool Program, Morganton, North Carolina

This interactive session will enhance the abilities of early childhood practitioners to have conversations that assist parents and caregivers in supporting the learning of the children in their care. Practitioners will receive and practice using Roadmaps that support practitioners in engaging parents and caregivers in reflection, action, practice, observation, feedback, and joint planning to assist them in using everyday routines and activities as the venue for child learning.

Michigan Ballroom AB

B - “A Gut Feeling” - Natural and Dietary Strategies for Improving Health in Infants and Toddlers

Paula Johnson, OTR, Ingham ISD

This workshop will give participants an in-depth understanding of the digestive system and how the function of the “gut” sets the stage for health issues. Attendees will learn about what factors break down the “gut” wall, what health issues are related to poor “gut” function, and specific strategies for infants and toddlers on how to navigate removing problem foods, and how to use supplements to repair “gut” function.

Peninsula Room

C - Using Principles and Strategies from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to Teach Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Amy Matthews, Ph.D., Grand Valley State University
Jamie Owen-DeSchryver, Ph.D., Grand Valley State University

Maximizing learning opportunities through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles can be highly effective to accelerate skill development in the areas of communication, imitation, attention, play, social engagement, and adaptive skills. Learn how to use ABA principles, such as prompting, shaping, reinforcement, and capitalizing on motivation to increase learning opportunities in daily activities and routines.

Tower Ballroom AB

D - Maximizing Parent Involvement in Your LICC

Sandee Koski, MA, Michigan Alliance for Families
Clare Brick, Michigan Interagency Coordinating Council (MICC) Parent Representative, Wayne RESA
Kristen Carmany, MICC Parent Representative Alternate, C.O.O.R. ISD

Research has shown that parent involvement helps improve outcomes for children and families. By participating in this workshop, you will gain an understanding of the needs of parents to be effective members of your LICC including tools for assessing your LICC practices for building capacity in parents and resources available to support and educate parents.

Directors

E - Supporting Parents through the Grief Process: A Workshop for Service Providers Working with Parents Who are Grieving Their Child’s Death

Julie Kaylor, LMSW, Ingham ISD
Karen Hoene, MS, Ingham ISD

Supporting parents during their grief process can be emotionally challenging and stretch service providers beyond their current capacities. Strategies and resources that will enable service providers to meet their own needs while providing support to families during their grief and loss process will be highlighted in this workshop.

Mackinac Room BC

F - Infants and Toddlers with Hearing Loss: How are We Supporting Their Language Development and How Does this Align with Best Practices and Parent Perceptions? (This session has reached capacity)

Kalli Decker, Ph.D., Montana State University
Tricia Foster, OTR/L, Ph.D., Eastern Michigan University

The target audience for this session is service providers who have worked with or currently work with infants or toddlers who have permanent hearing loss. Michigan research conducted from the 2014 Early On Faculty Grant Award will be shared. Participants will take part in group conversations and provide feedback about how to best serve parents of children with hearing loss in ways that align with best practices.

Mackinac Room A

G - Reflections on Our Journey to Implement the Routines Based Interview (RBI)

Jessica Savoie, Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD
Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD Service Providers

This session will highlight the challenges and rewards of one service area’s journey towards implementing the RBI in hopes to help create more functional, family-driven Individualized Family Service Plan outcomes. Come hear why we took on the challenge, what our first steps entailed, and how families have responded to the RBI.

Tower Ballroom C

Session 2: Wednesday - 1:45pm to 3:00pm

A - Resource-Based Roadmaps: Coaching Families in Complex Situations

M’Lisa Shelden, PT, Ph.D., Family, Infant and Preschool Program, Morganton, North Carolina
Dathan Rush, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, Family, Infant and Preschool Program, Morganton, North Carolina

Research suggests that there is a better way to address complex family issues while supporting parents’ confidence and competence. Roadmaps for Reflection are conversation guides that demonstrate an appropriate flow for resource-based coaching conversations. During this practical session, the facilitators will use specific scenarios and video to support early interventionists and service coordinators to practice using Roadmaps for Reflection.

Michigan Ballroom AB

B - ‘Oh, Baby!’ Infant Brain Development and Language Acquisition

Cynthia Sommerfeld, MA, SLP, Speech Sound Stories LLC

Come listen to an overview of the findings from recent research regarding infant brain development as it relates to language development. Find out what makes today’s research more defensible than the information that we have gotten from research in the past. Explore what happens in the earliest months of language development and what parents can do to encourage language development.

Tower Ballroom AB

C - What You Need To Know to Influence Public Policy on Behalf of Children and Families

Mina Hong, MSW, MPP, Michigan’s Children

Learn how families, providers, and administrators can bolster the skills they already have to become effective advocates on behalf of children and families in Early On. Participants will learn the “who, what, when, and how” of influencing policymakers and learn about key opportunities to strengthen the Early On system in Michigan.

Mackinac Room BC

D - Sharing Parent Expertise: Top 10 Ideas Parent Leaders Want Practitioners to Know About Parent Engagement

Lauren Heilman, MICC Parent Representative, Wexford-Missaukee ISD
Melissa Epstein, MICC Parent Representative Alternate, Washtenaw ISD

The focus of this session is on increasing parent engagement in the provision of quality early intervention services to support a child’s participation in family life. Michigan Interagency Coordinating Council parents will share personal stories and specific tips that could help enhance and improve the relationship between service providers and parents.

Directors

E - A Recipe for Play Across a Day (This session has reached capacity)

Ann Gendron, MA CCC-SLP, Marquette-Alger RESA
Michelle DenBeste, MA CCC-SLP, Marquette-Alger RESA

Hear what the experts are saying about the importance of play, how play has changed, and the role of the early interventionist in promoting play with families. Participants will become well-informed in how to use play to impact language development. Audience members will explore recipes for play activities and leave with ideas for devising play opportunities throughout a day.

Tower Ballroom C

F - How is Early On Helping Families?: Many Voices from the Family Survey

Charo Hulleza, MPA, Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies
Kristina Donaldson, MICC Parent Representative, Kent ISD

From the perspective of family-centeredness, the best interests of a child are viewed as being served not only through child-specific services but also by strengthening the family’s ability to support their child’s positive development. This presentation will provide an overview of the annual Family Survey, a federal accountability requirement under Part C of IDEA. Survey results will be available for all 56 service areas, providing information that could be considered for local improvement efforts.

Mackinac Room A

G - The Impact of Trauma on Young Children

Mary Mueller, LMSW, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

This session is designed to provide information about trauma and toxic stress and their impact on child development. Concepts about trauma and early brain development will be explored. Strategies for fostering resilience and mitigating the impact of trauma will be discussed in the context of home-based early intervention services.

Peninsula Room

Session 3: Wednesday - 3:30pm to 4:45pm

A - Home Visiting and Early On: Building Strong Systems for Young Children (This session has reached capacity)

Reneé DeMars-Johnson, MS, Michigan Department of Education
Tiffany Kostelec, MA, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

This session is intended to provide a clear understanding of the difference between evidence-based prevention-focused home visiting and intervention-based home visiting. The presentation will provide participants with an understanding of how each program works, how to build collaboration, and how to work together to support the needs of the child and family.

Tower Ballroom C

B - I Want That!: Teaching Manding to Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Jamie Owen-DeSchryver, Ph.D., Grand Valley State University
Amy Matthews, Ph.D., Grand Valley State University

Manding, or making requests, is a critical skill, yet this can be very challenging for young children with ASD and other developmental disabilities. Increasing manding skills can decrease challenging behavior and improve social engagement. Participants will leave the session with ideas and strategies to support them in teaching requesting to young children in home or community environments.

Governors Hall

C - Nurturing Relationships: Supporting the Bond and Social Connections with Music, Movement, Literature and More

Gari Stein, BA, Early Childhood Music and Movement Specialists

Research supports the influence of music and movement on all developmental domains including social and emotional well-being and self-regulation. Learn songs and rhymes for everyday infant routines and lots of movement strategies for toddlers. Experience how music and movement can be your best friend, whether a home visitor, parent or administrator.

Michigan Ballroom AB

D - Everyday Heroics to Strengthen Collaboration for CAPTA Referrals

Rachel Harmon, MSW, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Victoria Meeder, BA, Office of Innovative Projects, CCRESA

This session will share insight on the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) operational systems relating to collaboration with Early On. The new Michigan Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System, MiSACWIS, will be highlighted and updates will be shared on work to provide better communication and quality referrals to local Early On programs.

Mackinac Room A

E - Documentation Made Easy

Lynn Legg, BS, PT, Royal Oak Schools
Susan L. Wit, M.Ed., OT, Early On Oakland Schools

How can we streamline the necessary paperwork requirements for Early On and still make it meaningful? Learn and use methods that were created to be easily accessed and shared with others and walk away with templates to document daily work, monitor progress, create notes that meet Medicaid requirements as well as share information with families.

Tower Ballroom AB

F - Maintaining Your Professional Identity as an Early Interventionist Working within a Transdisciplinary Approach: Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist and Speech Language Pathologist Perspectives

Kathryn A. Edick, MS, OTRL, Grand Valley State University and Ionia County ISD

How can early interventionists maintain their professional identities while working within a transdisciplinary approach? This presentation will educate participants on the transdisciplinary approach as best practice and then present findings from a current Grand Valley State University research project. In addition, a personal perspective of working within this model will be discussed.

Peninsula Room

G - For Early On Coordinators Only: Support for Your Daily Acts of Heroism

Facilitated by Christy Callahan, MA, Office of Innovative Projects, CCRESA

This session is designed specifically to support ISD level Early On Coordinators in their unique everyday hero administrative responsibilities for the implementation of Early On throughout an ISD/RESA service area. It will provide a blend of state-level updates as well as an opportunity to network on hot topics in the field of early intervention.

Directors

Thursday - November 12, 2015

Session 4: Thursday - 10:30am to 12:00pm

A - Family-Friendly Behavior Supports for Everyday Routines

Katrina Wandrie, MA, Lapeer Community Schools
Heather Giguere, MA, SLP, Lapeer County ISD

This session will provide a variety of strategies that can be implemented within the family’s everyday routines. Information shared will include the basics of behavior, emotions and adult interactions and how early interventionists can help build parental confidence and empowerment in addressing challenging behaviors utilizing evidence-based practices.

Michigan Ballroom AB

B - Motor Skill Development: Seeing Beyond a Test Item

Lynn Legg, BS, PT, Royal Oak Schools
Susan L. Wit, M.Ed., OT, Early On Oakland Schools

What should we be looking for when we determine if a child can stack three 1-inch cubes? Participants will look at motor development and recognize that test items are just a small portion of that whole picture. Participants will review and analyze videos and photographs to strengthen task analysis skills for movement. Activities, handling techniques, environmental modifications and ways to build supports into daily routines to promote motor development will be shared.

Tower Ballroom AB

C - To Bill, or Not to Bill Medicaid, That is the Question (This session has reached capacity)

Michelle Nicholson, MA, Ingham ISD
Nicole LaRue, BS, Ingham ISD
Michael Grasseschi, MA, Public Consulting Group
Jane Reagan, MPA, Michigan Department of Education

Many Early On providers want to understand how, and if, they can bill for Medicaid services. This presentation will provide benefits and challenges to billing Medicaid for Early On services. Participants will also become familiar with how providers are identified as eligible to bill Medicaid and for which services they can bill.

Directors

D - Parents and Young Children in Nature: Benefits, Strategies, and Organizing (This session has reached capacity)

Sam Cornelius, MAE, Cheboygan Otsego Presque Isle ESD, Kids Outdoors Otsego
Carolyn Belknap, MA, NW Michigan Community Action Agency
Nancie Kersey, BA, Crawford County Early Head Start

Direct activity in nature helps build creativity, curiosity, and confidence in young children. Made a regular part of a child and parent’s routine, the benefits just multiply! Participants will learn ideas for adventures, activities, and motivating parents to do more outdoors with their children. If setting and conditions permit, we will go outdoors!

Mackinac Room A

E - Improving Outcomes for Young Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: The Impact of Early Identification, Parent Support and Early Intervention (This session has reached capacity)

Amy Miller, MNS, SLP, Ingham ISD
Michelle Garcia, Au.D., MDHHS - Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program
Kristen Carmany, MICC, Parent Representative Alternate, C.O.O.R. ISD

What can Early On do to help parents support their children who are deaf or hard of hearing? In this session, discussions will include Early On service coordination and service provision for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Working with medical teams and transition to preschool to provide the most appropriate services will be highlighted.

Mackinac Room BC

F - Trauma-Informed Caregiving: A Trauma-Informed Perspective for Working with and Caring for Infants, Toddlers and Their Families

Pamela Green, MSW, Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham

This session will help participants develop a trauma-informed perspective for working with infants, toddlers, and their families who have been traumatized. Information regarding the neurobiology of attachment and examples specific to infants and toddlers will be shared. Learn about strategies to create safety for infants and toddlers leading to better developmental, social-emotional, learning, and behavioral outcomes.

Peninsula Room

G - Autism: Early Identification, the Medical Home and Working with Families

Jane Turner, MD, Michigan State University
Bambi VanWoert, Children’s Special Health Care Services

What might early interventionists expect from primary care doctors (especially pediatricians) in their work with young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and developmental delays? This session will highlight the “how” and “why” of early identification and what families can expect from a family-centered medical home. Discussion will include how to help foster effective relationships between early interventionists, behavioral health providers, medical providers and families.

Tower Ballroom C

Session 5: Thursday - 1:30pm to 3:30pm

A - Relationships Count: Supporting the Social-Emotional Competence of Infants, Toddlers and their Families

Marian Orihel, MA, IMH-E® (III), Early On Oakland Schools
Jennifer Champagne, Ph.D., IMH-E® (II), Early Childhood Oakland Schools

Come explore how early interventionists can promote secure attachments and strong relationships between caregivers and children during each early intervention home visit and what early intervention home visitors can do to promote positive interactions when challenges are evident. Participants will learn about providing support and gathering information through attentive listening and gentle inquiry and be able to recognize the importance of reflecting on thoughts and feelings before, during and after home visits.

Governors Hall

Deadline Passed:

The registration deadline for this event has passed.