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Applied Behavior Analysis: Teaching the Disordered Learner (Ages 1 - 12 Years) SPED562N
The science of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a well-known and effective approach to teaching some young children with developmental disorders, including those with difficulties in sensory processing. Participants will learn how to tailor programs for individual students using ABA curriculum, task analysis procedures, and errorless learning. Data collection, graphing skills, and program adaptation and monitoring are also covered in detail, thereby providing participants with the tools they need to successfully execute an ABA model.

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

Bibliotherapy in the Early Childhood Setting (Pre-School - Grade 3) SETE513N
Bibliotherapy is the art of using children's literature to help children understand difficult experiences and resolve developmental issues that may interfere with their growth. Participants will learn how to choose books that address developmental and experiential difficulties. They also will explore how the use of story can help children better understand their own personal experience and learn how to make books that address children's individual and group needs.

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.

June 30, July 1 and 2
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 am - 1 pm
1 CEU $395/ 1 credit $1010
Materials fee $10
Registration Deadline 6/29

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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:
TBD

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

Learning Difference or Disability? SEWS567N
We are fast becoming a nation of early interventionists. We know a lot about behavior and have definite ideas about what is considered normal. While this creates useful parameters by helping us define what behavior is acceptable and what is not, we must remain open to the broad range of what is normal. By analyzing case studies and drawing upon participants' classroom experiences, teachers will learn how to determine whether a child is exhibiting difference or has a disability. Knowing the distinction between the two is one way to ensure that children with disabilities get the help they need while preserving the self-esteem and uniqueness of those who are simply different.

Karen Brody is a school psychologist at Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, NY. She is also a psychologist in private practice, a psycho-educational consultant, an instructor at Brooklyn College, and a workshop facilitator.

July 1
Tuesday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
.6 CEU $265(not offered for credit)
Materials fee $10
Registration Deadline 6/24

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

Patricia A. Flynn is a reading and learning specialist for private schools in Manhattan, including St. Luke's, Immaculate Conception School, and The Browning School. She recently presented workshops on literacy at The Association for Teachers of Independent Schools (ATIS) and at the International Orton Dyslexia conferences, held in NYC.

July 10
Thursday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
.6 CEU $265(not offered for credit)
Materials fee $10
Registration Deadline 7/3

Talking with Parents of Children with Special Needs (Ages 3 - 6 Years) SEWS555N
While early childhood educators and program directors are often the first to speak with parents about their child's delayed or atypical development, many feel unprepared to assume this role and responsibility. To make these encounters less awkward, we will review and discuss the stages of awareness that parents experience as they process and integrate information about their child's special need. Participants will learn approaches to parent/teacher conferences that will help them work with parents who need time to let go of their old expectations and adjust to new realities. Drawing from their own experiences with parents, participants will examine teacher/parent relationships and discuss obstacles that impede respectful collaborations.

Wanda Frankel is a Mental Health Consultant through the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, where she had also worked as a Clinical Coordinator for the Early Childhood Playgroup Therapy Program. Previously, she was a pre-school special education teacher working with deaf children, and a staff developer and workshop facilitator for Bank Street College's Continuing Education Division.

June 30
Monday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
.6 CEU $265(not offered for credit)
Materials fee $10
Registration Deadline 6/23

Teaching Writing to Learning Disabled Children: The Writer≠s Workshop Approach in Special Education Settings (Grades 1 - 6) SPED518N
Writer's Workshop, developed by Donald Graves, Lucy Calkins, and others, is a popular method for teaching writing that encourages students to use the process practiced by professional writers. This course begins with Writer's Workshop as it was developed for a regular classroom setting, and then discusses modifications, accommodations, and adaptations in areas that present particular difficulty for students with learning disabilities. We will consider underlying causes for problems in handwriting, spelling, organization, and developing ideas, among other topics, and how to help students who struggle even to write a simple sentence that expresses their thoughts.

Rachel McBride is a sixth grade teacher at the Churchill School in NYC, a private school for students with learning disabilities. She spent her final year of graduate school at Bank Street working on a master's project to adapt Writer's Workshop for use with students who have learning disabilities.

June 30 and July 2
Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 am - 4 pm
1 CEU $395/ 1 credit $1060
Materials fee $10
Registration Deadline 6/23