EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS CLOSED & GENERAL REGISTRATION IS OPEN THROUGH APRIL 1. This full-day pediatric-focused continuing education conference will be presented by Cari Ebert, MS, CCC-SLP, and is divided into two parts - Autism Strategies and Neurodiversity Affirming Practices and Making Sense of Sensory. This conference qualifies for 6 CEUs for professionals including Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), and Physical Therapists (PTs) and the certificate will be given at the completion of the conference. For questions about this conference, please contact Kristin Fischer, HR & Education Coordinator, at 785-272-4060 or [email protected]. Course Title: Autism Strategies and Neurodiversity Affirming Practices Time: 8:15 - 11:30 a.m. (15-minute break scheduled for 9:45 a.m.) This course provides an overview of how to provide strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming services to autistic children and their families. The strategies and goals addressed in this course are not focused on establishing compliance or fixing deficits identified on standardized tests, but rather on supporting regulation, connection, and communication to help autistic children learn, grow, and thrive as their authentic selves. As a result of this training, participants will be able to: 1. Summarize strategies for providing strengths-based, neurodiversity affirming services to autistic children. 2. Explain the racial and gender disparities in getting an autism diagnosis and in receiving autism services. 3. Describe the differences in how autistic children play, learn, communicate, acquire language, and interact with others using neurodiversity affirming language. Course Title: Making Sense of Sensory Time: 12:30 - 3:45 p.m. (15-minute break scheduled for 2:00 p.m.) Struggling learners benefit when practitioners work together as a cohesive unit to assess and treat the whole child. This trans-disciplinary approach requires pediatric therapists and educators to synthesize knowledge from the fields of speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and special education. Understanding that sensory input drives motor and behavioral output provides the foundation for this 3-hour course. The way young children take in, process, and respond to sensory information affects learning, development, and behavior. As a result of this training, participants will be able to: 1. List and describe the 5 external sensory systems and the 3 internal sensory systems. 2. Contrast how sensory over-responsivity, sensory under-responsivity, and sensory-seeking behaviors affect attention, participation, and behavior in young children. 3. Summarize how to create sensory-rich learning opportunities to support young children with sensory differences who struggle participating in therapy sessions and classroom activities.