The Right to Belong: Spring Conference

Supporting Children & Youth Academically, Socially & Behaviorally in Inclusive Settings
Saturday, April 26th, 2008
8:00am - 2:00pm
Holiday Inn, Carrier Circle, Syracuse

About the Conference

Arc of Onondaga’s Parent Advocacy Program presents our spring conference on behavior, friendships and inclusion for children and youth with disabilities in both social and academic settings.  The conference sessions will be presented by topic experts, including keynote speaker Dr. Julie Causton-Theoharis, Assistant Professor in the Inclusive and Special Education Program at Syracuse University.

Parents and family members as well as advocates, self-advocates, educators and other professionals and community members will find this conference informative, valuable, and empowering.  Practical ideas on fostering friendships, peer and sibling interaction, as well as supporting and promoting inclusion will be shared. Friendships and inclusion are important elements for children and youth both with and without disabilities.  The program will include a focus on challenging behaviors and look beyond typical ways to support and include all children in the classroom and community to improve self-esteem, self-awareness, academics and mutual understanding.

Information from a variety of organizations and companies will also be available in the conference’s vendor fair.  Funding for this conference comes from several sources including the Advocacy Center through the Parent Training and Information Project, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Arc of Onondaga Foundation.

The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Conference Center, 6555 Old Collamer Rd South, near Carrier Circle in East Syracuse. Registration is from 8 to 8:30am.

The Sessions

Session 1:    Fostering Friendships
Innovative ways to assist children and youth with disabilities to overcome common barriers to building and fostering friendships.
Presenter: Dr. Julie Causton-Theoharis

Session 2:    Challenging Behavior
Practical strategies and suggestions for parents and professionals on how to support children with challenging behaviors within inclusive environments.
Presenter: Dr. Julie Causton-Theoharis

Session 3:   (Concurrent Sessions - Choose One)
Option A:  Brothers & Sisters: Love, Pride, Guilt & Shame
Things your “other child” wants you to know about growing up with a sibling with a disability.
Presenter: Dr. Susan Scharoun

Option B:  IEP’s & 504’s: Foundation to Transition
Writing effective IEP’s and 504 plans, and other considerations, when preparing for transition from high school.
Presenters: Multiple Local Experts

Option C:  Inclusive Recreation
Building Relationships and Creating Opportunities for Inclusive Recreational “Shenanigans!”
Presenter:  Thomas Bull

Option D:  Immunizations, Mercury, & Autism
Safety of childhood vaccines, how childhood vaccines became implicated as a contributing factor for the development of autism and what is being done about it.
Presenter:  Dr. Joseph Domachowske

The Presenters

Dr. Julie Causton-Theoharis is an Assistant Professor in the Inclusive and Special Education Program in the Department of Teaching and Leadership at Syracuse University.  She teaches courses on including students who have traditionally been marginalized in school settings and creating student-centered classrooms through differentiation, curricular adaptations and universal design of curriculum and instruction.  Previously, Julie taught special education in diverse and inclusive educational settings at all levels.

Julie’s teaching, research and published writing focus on best practices in inclusive education, innovative ways to educate children with challenging behavior, maximizing interaction through paraprofessional support, inclusive education as social justice, and inclusive teacher training programs.  Her book for paraprofessionals working in inclusive classrooms is due to be published shortly.

Thomas Bull taught for 20 years as a member of inclusive teams in grades K-6th.  He pioneered inclusive classrooms as a member of the team of teachers that created the first model for including all students in elementary classrooms in 1987.  Thomas has presented throughout the US and Europe and created an award winning inclusive summer program called Summer Shenanigans, now in its 16th year.  He is also a doctoral candidate in the Special Education Program at Syracuse University. 

Dr. Joseph Domachowske is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology and Immunology. He is a Pediatric Specialist in Infectious Diseases at  SUNY Upstate Medical University.  Dr. Domachowske served on the statewide Executive Board, American Academy of Pediatrics  and currently a consultant for the Onondaga County Health Department.  He is the recipient of several grants and awards of excellence in medicine and has over 100 peer reviewed publications, books, chapters and monographs.

Dr. Susan Scharoun holds a Doctorate in psychology from Syracuse University and is a professor and the chair of the Psychology Department at Le Moyne College. As a practicing psychologist, Dr. Scharoun has over twenty years experience in the field of developmental disabilities working with adults, children, and families in their homes, schools and in residential programs. She is also a sibling of an person with a disability. 

Registration

Register online by credit card or check at any time.  You can also download the registration brochure and mail or fax to Arc, or request that registration materials be mailed to you or your organization by emailing or calling us.

Questions & Additional Information

For questions, additional information or registration packets please contact:

Lisa Coggi • Arc of Onondaga Parent Advocacy
600 South Wilbur Avenue • Syracuse, NY 13204
Phone: 315.423.0100 • Fax: 315.476.7446
lcoggi@arcon.org