Note: It is recommended that you take Early Childhood Assessment before taking this course.

Susan Varsames has taught children with learning disabilities for 20 years. She is the founder and owner of the Holistic Learning Center in Eastchester, NY, where she works with individual students, lectures, trains parents and professionals, and is a consultant for school districts.

July 30 and 31
Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
1 CEU $395/ 1 credit $1060
Materials fee $10
Registration Deadline 7/23

Art for Children with Special Needs (Grades Pre-K - 8) SPED521N
Art is a powerful means of communication for the special needs child. Participants in this course will learn how to develop an engaging arts curriculum based on theoretical goals. We will look at examples of children's work and participate in a series of hands-on activities to highlight techniques and themes of meaning. We will also provide suggestions on how to implement art programs in participants' own settings. Special attention will be given to time and space limitations, material and budget constraints, and developmentally appropriate activities.

Professional artist, Pearl Rosen Golden, is currently a consult for schools and museums in developing art programs for children with special needs. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at Queens College, CUNY. Previously she was the Arts and Culture Coordinator for the National Center for Disability Services in Albertson, NY., and Director of the Long Term and New Initiative Programs for Studio in a School in Manhattan. In addition, she was the Special Education Coordinator at the Queens Museum of Art for 13 years.

July 28, 29, 30 and 31
Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
2 CEU $790 / 2 credits $2120 / 3 credits $2180
Materials fee $25
Registration Deadline 7/21

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Early Childhood Assessment (Ages Birth - 6 Years) SETE517N
This workshop is designed to promote fluency in your early childhood assessment skills across all domains of development. We will review standardized tests [such as the DAYC (Developmental Assessment of Young Children) and the Beery VMI (Visual Motor Integration)] and help you polish your clinical observation skills. This course includes an overview of sensory integration processing and developmental domain integration. You will learn how one area of development influences others, and how a delay or disorder in one domain can impact on others. A holistic approach to development will be presented in a workshop format that includes group work, movement instruction, and video assessment.

Note: It is recommended you take this class before taking Applied Behavior Analysis

Susan Varsames has taught children with learning disabilities for 20 years. She is the founder and owner of the Holistic Learning Center in Eastchester, NY, where she works with individual students, lectures, trains parents and professionals, and is a consultant for school districts.

July 28 and 29
Monday and Tuesday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
1 CEU $395(not offered for credit)
Materials fee $10
Registration Deadline 7/21

The Essential Orton-Gillingham (Grades 1 - 6) SPED585N
The Orton-Gillingham method of teaching decoding, spelling, and handwriting is a multisensory approach that has been used successfully with children who experience difficulty learning these skills. This course trains participants in the Orton-Gillingham techniques and translates high-interest comprehension activities into literacy programs. Required text: Preventing Academic Failure, by Phyllis Bertin and Eileen Perlman (Monroe Associates Publishers). The course addresses NY State English Language Arts Standards 1 and 4.

Section 1
Ginny O'Hare is the Director of Outreach at the Mary McDowell Center for Learning in Brooklyn, NY, an elementary school for children with learning disabilities. In addition, she has an extensive private tutoring practice using multi-sensory methodologies.

July 14, 15, 16, and 17
Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
2 CEU $790 / 2 credits $2120
Materials fee $75 (includes required text.)
Registration Deadline: 7/7

Section 2
Debbie Zlotowitz is the Head of the Mary McDowell Center for Learning, an elementary school for children with learning disabilities in Brooklyn, NY

August 4, 5, 6, and 7
Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
2 CEU $790 / 2 credits $2120
Materials fee $75 (includes required text.)
Registration Deadline: 7/28

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Introduction to TEACCH: Hands-on Core Training SPED563N
The ongoing increase of new cases of autism being diagnosed has created a growing demand for effective programs, practical suggestions and information. The TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children) approach will prepare educators and service providers to assess and adapt the physical environment as well as general educational structure for both preschool and school-age students. Topics to be covered include: the primary characteristics of autism as they relate to classroom practices, the elements of "The Culture of Autism" and how to employ the "Cultural Compromise" how to organize the physical space, create and implement individual daily schedules, plan and execute "One to One" teaching, as well as create independent workstations that include visually clear independent work tasks.

Mindy Small, is the Senior Coordinator of Autism Services for Birch Family Services, Inc. Ms. Small has been educating children with developmental disabilities for the past 26 years. During that time she has worked as a teacher and an Assistant Principal before beginning her work as a Coordinator of Autism Services at Herbert G. Birch Services, Inc. Working with children on the autism spectrum and their families has been and continues to be her passion.

Susan Pomerantz, is the Coordinator of Autism Services for Birch Family Services, Inc. Ms. Pomerantz has been working in the field of special education since 1979 when she began her career as a classroom teacher working with students who had a variety of developmental delays. Her work with Birch Services began in 1986 as a teacher. She eventually became the Educational Supervisor and Assistant Principal of Birch's school-age program, The Herbert G. Birch School for Exceptional Children, prior to becoming the Coordinator of Autism Services and Behavioral Support.

This course is held through Birch Family Services, Inc (www.birchfamilyservices.org)
No credit and 2 credit options are available.

Students should register directly with Birch Family Services at  212-616-1858.
Available dates: July 21 and 22

Integrating Movement Experiences into the Classroom for the Special Needs Child (Grades K - 5)SPED504N
Incorporating movement into your classroom provides a fresh approach to learning about and teaching children with special needs. The problems we will address include   language and social learning disorders, visual/spatial/perceptual difficulties and attentional or other organizational deficits. In this course, you will learn how to integrate creative dance, rhythms, poetry, and chanting games into your curriculum. The emphasis in this course is on developing ways to encourage children's attention, listening, and social skills through the medium of movement. You will come away with a "toolbox' of materials you can use daily to enhance your students' learning experiences  by utilizing techniques that are easily adaptable for all classrooms. No previous dance training is necessary. Come in comfortable clothing.

Sara Kiesel has been teaching creative dance to special needs children for almost 20 years. She has been the resident movement specialist and arts coordinator for the Gateway School in Manhattan, which serves children with special needs. Sara is also a workshop presenter, consultant, and keynote speaker on arts education at Trinity School, the Alberta Arts Council, and Manhattanville College.

July 28 and 29
Monday and Tuesday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
1 CEU $395/ 1 credit $1060
Materials fee $10
Registration Deadline 7/21

Play as a Tool of Early Intervention (Ages Birth - 8 Years) SPED550N
Young children play to express feelings, to gain mastery over materials, and to find meaning in complex experiences. When an emotional crisis interferes with a young child's development, the disturbance manifests itself in the child's play. If early intervention is required to promote healthy development, play becomes an essential therapeutic tool as well as a diagnostic indicator. This course will utilize current theoretical perspectives to gain insight into children's play. Participants will work with these theories to develop play techniques to use in early childhood classrooms and in individual therapy sessions. A basic understanding of early childhood development is required.

Lesley Koplow, author of Creating Schools That Heal, Where Rag Dolls Hide Their Faces, The Way Home, and Unsmiling Faces: How Preschools Can Heal, is Director of the Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street College of Education. She is the former Director of the Karen Horney Clinic Therapeutic Nursery in Manhattan.

July 15 and 17
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
1 CEU $395/ 1 credit $1060
Materials fee $10
Registration Deadline 7/8