May 1 from 11 am to 12 pm ET

Description

No one builds their lives on remediated weaknesses. Who does a deficit-based approach benefit? Those we serve, or the professional community? Do our current models of practice support flourishing? Our professional biases make it hard for us to see not only how our practice may be getting it wrong today but also perpetuating systems that prevent us from getting it right tomorrow. A paradigm shift to a strengths-based model that interrogates the educational, research, and practice systems we work in is proposed. It is a shift that we must see, speak, and act on. Our vulnerability and willingness to rethink is our strength, which will meet the changing needs of society. This presentation will draw on literature from positive psychology, disability justice, well-being, and research that centers the voice of self-advocates.

Learning Objectives

What does it mean to shift away from the deficit-focused paradigm?

How does professional bias show up in our schools and impact our students?

What are some steps professionals can take to shift to a more strength-based model?

About Kristie Patten (she/her)

Dr. Kristie Patten is Counselor to the President and she oversees the priorities of the Office of the President and is a key liaison to the Office of the Provost and major administrative units to coordinate planning, implementation, and assessment around these joint efforts. Dr. Patten has been at NYU since 2007. She has served as Vice Dean of Academic Affairs at NYU Steinhardt and Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy. As a professor, her research examines strength-based practices in inclusive public school settings. Dr. Patten is the Principal Investigator of NYU Steinhardt's ASD Nest Program, supporting New York City Public Schools’ most extensive inclusion program for autistic students, and is on Chancellor Banks’ Special Education Advisory Council. She co-chairs the Global Center for Inclusion’s Research Collaborative and co-founded, along with colleagues from the Moses Center, the NYU Connections program for neurodivergent students at NYU. She is currently Co-PI of an NSF grant that engages autistic college students mentoring autistic high school students in STEM interests and career pathways. She received her B.S. from Elizabethtown College and a Masters and PhD (Educational Psychology) from Temple University.

May 1 from 1 pm to 2 pm ET

Description

Students are often told what to learn, how to learn it, and what will happen if they don’t. In these traditional classrooms, the adults managing the learning environment–and its students–make all the decisions. But what if that wasn’t the case? In this talk, we will explore how to shift from classroom management towards co-creating a class community where students are continually practicing and building self-regulation skills. In this new type of classroom, students actively participate in the creation of community and culture, collectively make decisions based on their needs, and make school feel more meaningful and relevant. Across this session, teachers will learn the value of sharing power so students can exert agency and feel responsibility–and care–for their class community. This deliberate process of hearing everyone’s ideas, trying things out, reflecting on what works and doesn’t, is the foundation for self-regulation.

Learning Objectives

Explore a new model of holding space with students away from management and towards collective decision-making.

Consider the skills of self-regulation and co-regulation as not isolated to each person but rather part of how we engage with our community and build culture.

Learn inclusive techniques for sharing power with students so that school becomes more meaningful and relevant.

About Kade Friedman (they/them)

Kade Friedman (they/them) is a white, non-binary, neurodivergent, New York-based educator with 20 years of experience teaching pre-K through higher ed. They are the Director of Education at PINE, the Program for Inclusion and Neurodiversity Education, as well as an adjunct professor at NYU, and a consultant on inclusion projects around the world. Kade works with teachers to uncover their biases so they can co-create equitable and inclusive learning communities with neurodivergent, disabled, and gender-expansive youth.

May 1 from 3 pm to 4 pm ET

Description

Our classrooms are neurodiverse, and let's not overlook a vital truth: the professional community driving our schools forward is also wonderfully neurodivergent! In this lively panel discussion, participants will gain firsthand insights from three dynamic neurodivergent education professionals as they draw upon their experiences, revealing essential ingredients for co-creating professional spaces with neurotypical colleagues. Discover actionable strategies to infuse neuro-affirming practices into every facet of our educational community.

Learning Objectives

Identify challenges faced by neurodivergent professionals in predominantly neurotypical work environments.

Reflect on steps educators can take to co-create professional spaces and collaborate both authentically and effectively across neurotypes.

Identify at least one thing professionals can do to provide neuro-affirming support to their students.

About Zosia Zaks (he/him)

For more than twenty years, Zosia Zaks has counseled and supported hundreds of autistic teenagers and adults and those with related conditions to live and work in their communities and to reach their personal goals. He now consults with schools, companies, and community organizations, providing training and assisting entities with developing practices and procedures for the full inclusion of neurodivergent and other disabled people. Previously, he worked at Towson University's Hussman Center for Autistic Adults in various capacities from 2009 - 2022. Highlights from his time at the Hussman Center include developing and running Work Possibilities, an on-campus job readiness program for autistic adults, and designing and supervising the College Orientation & Life Activities (COLA) program to support neurodivergent college students. He also has taught autism courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels, including an undergraduate diversity education course that incorporated disability justice service-learning activities. Dr. Zaks also has experience advocating for legislation and public policies that ensure disabled people have access to the supports and services they need to live full lives and has served on the Maryland Commission on Disability, the Maryland Rehabilitation Council, and the Maryland Commission for Autism. He helped found Itineris, Inc., a Baltimore-area service agency that utilizes a customized employment support model to help autistic adults succeed at work. He writes about autism-related topics for various publications and has published scholarly work on best practices for supporting individuals who are both gender-divergent and neurodivergent. He recently earned his Ph.D. in human development from Fielding Graduate University, where his research focused on paradigm change in clinical support. Dr. Zaks brings a unique mix of perspectives to his endeavors as a rehabilitation counselor, an educator, a parent of two neurodiverse young adults, and as an autistic self-advocate.

About Honey Schneider (they/them)

Honey is a trans & neurodivergent survivor whose work is rooted in disability justice and systemic frameworks. They are a mental health counselor, a consultant, and a facilitator as well as a working artist, committed to building and sustaining healthy and resilient relationships and community.

About Alex Newson (she/her)

Alex Newson (she/her/hers) identifies as a white, cisgender, autistic and disabled woman. Alex is a doctoral candidate in Special Education at the University of Oregon. She is a recipient of Project COLEAD – an OSEP funded leadership grant focusing on autism, evidence-based practices, diversity, and collaboration across universities. Her current research interests include equitable neuroinclusive research methodologies, collaborative neurodivergence-informed training and mentorship, and promoting the mental health and well-being of neurodivergent and disabled educators. Before beginning her doctoral studies, Alex received a Master of Science at the University of Oregon in Special Education with K-12 licensure under Project STEP – an OSEP funded personnel preparation grant focusing on low-incidence disabilities. Alex taught in private and public school settings in the Pacific Northwest as a certified Special Educator and educational assistant. As an educator, advocate and researcher, Alex hopes to support and empower disabled and neurodivergent educator perspectives and lived experiences while providing space for critical pedagogy, productive disruption, and disabled joy.