AASR Live

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...

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 familie...

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 st...

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 guidi...

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 cl...

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 resea...

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 cele...

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 developm...

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, Cli...

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 neurosc...

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,...

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,...

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 an...

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...

Please join us for "Preschool to Prison": An Interview with Dr. Karen Baptiste About the New Documentary Film. Karen “Dr. K” Baptiste is a visionary who can make magic and transform any space she’s in. Dr. K leads with compassionate courage and has bridged her love of supporting individuals with special needs and individuals impacted by the criminal justice system with storytelling in fi...

Please join us for “Neither Comprehension or Learning Can Take Place in an Atmosphere of Anxiety” with Linda Cervenka, Michele Ricamato, and Deanna Tyrpak.  Linda, Michele, and Deanna are the co-founders of Soaring Eagle Academy, a not-for-profit ISBE-approved therapeutic day school serving students 3 to 22 years of age with autism and related disorders.  Linda Cervenka is a licensed speech-langua...

Please join us for Designing an Environment for Everyone with Daniel Hodges, JD.  Daniel Hodges, JD, is an activist dedicated to assisting others with disabilities and chronic illnesses to reach their full potential. While in law school, Daniel founded Peaces of Me Foundation; a nonprofit that promotes universal access and inclusion. Daniel’s perspective has been shaped by his experience as a blin...

Join us for “Why This Matters: Stories from AASR Volunteers” with Guy Stephens, Karen Bures, Amy Kriewaldt, Braden Flax, Heathyr Watson, Sidney McGillicky, Arielle Silverman, Chantelle Hyde, Angie Vigliotti, Cass Griffin Bennett, Erica Cotter, and Courtney Litzinger. In this episode of AASR Live, you’ll have an opportunity to meet some of our amazing AASR volunteers and hear their stories. Learn w...

Please join us for “Getting to the Deeper Why: Exploring The Why Toolkit” with Connie Persike, M.S., CCC/SLP, hosted by Jennifer Abbanat, C-TSS, EXA-CE, SSP Provider. 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 educat...

Learn about the upcoming 7th Annual Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference. Learn about the largest gathering of trauma-informed educators in the United States with Ginger Healy and Kimberly Smathers. The 7th Annual Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference is dedicated to building trauma-reformed schools. It is being held in Dallas, Texas, on February 18-23, 2024. Registration is now OPE...

Join us for The CALMER Approach: Sharing how to co-design the right level of therapeutic support at the right time to end seclusion with Francisco and Amy De Paula. Francisco de Paula is passionate about supporting all to reach their potential. The CALMER Approach developed out of his passion to close the gap between theory and practice while looking for ways to make a more meaningful impact in po...

Join us for the Release of the Audio Documentary: “We Warned Them: Freedom Village” with Creator Margaret Mayer. A Deep Dive into an IFB Troubled Teen School Margaret is a 24-year-old artist and activist originally from Rochester, NY. In 2020, Margaret became aware of the Troubled Teen Industry after hearing horror stories from her friends who had been trafficked to a private, for-profit religious...

Join us for "What is EMDR, and how can it help in the treatment of complex trauma?" with Sidney McGillicky. Sidney is an Approved EMDR Consultant and also a Certified EMDR therapist who specializes in the treatment of complex and developmental trauma with 20 years of experience working as a therapist. Sidney also is a Certified NMT(c) Level One Practitioner utilizing advanced knowledge a...

An interview with Liora Schwartz: Trauma-informed and neuro-developmentally sensitive approaches for parents and professionals. Liora Schwartz (she/her) has over two decades of experience in the trenches of the New York City public school system and is a parent of a complicated, brilliant, neurodivergent teen. As such, she has a unique perspective that has broadened outside many traditional boxes....

Author McAlister Huynh joins us to talk about: "Listen, Learn, and Grow: A Whole Body Listening Larry Story." McAlister Greiner Huynh is an educator, also known as The Neurodivergent Teacher. McAlister Greiner Huynh is a National Board Certified special educator, behavior support specialist, consultant, and international speaker who calls North Carolina, USA home. She has been working wi...