Full Course Description

Beneath the Behavior: Attachment, Trauma, and the Architecture of Executive Function

Every executive function breakdown has a story underneath it, and for a striking number of students, that story starts with attachment.

In this pivotal session, Dr. Melmed — a developmental-behavioral pediatrician specializing in autism and ADHD — demonstrates how attachment, trauma, and early relationships shape the developing brain, and how these forces intersect with (and are sometimes mistaken for) ADHD and autism.

He will also bring differential diagnosis into focus, walking you through where autism, ADHD, anxiety, and trauma responses overlap and where they diverge, with a neurodiversity-affirming, developmental perspective on interventions, including where and when medication fits into that picture.

You'll Walk Away With:

The neurological and behavioral impacts of trauma, attachment disruption, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how they can overlap with or be mistaken for ADHD and autism
Signs of trauma-related stress, safety ruptures, and attachment insecurity in school settings
Trust-based, neurodiversity-affirming relationship frameworks and interventions for supporting dysregulated and neurodivergent students
Differential diagnosis considerations involving trauma, anxiety, autism, ADHD, developmental differences, and defiance-coded behavior

Program Information

Objectives

Identify the neurological and behavioral effects of trauma and disrupted attachment on executive function development.
Differentiate among developmental differences, trauma responses, and defiance-coded behavior in the classroom.
Evaluate ACE scores and their implications for a child's developmental trajectory.

Outline

Attachment as a Biological Foundation

Secure attachment as a prerequisite for regulation and learning, not a soft skill
Transactional development in the first five years of life
Trust-building as a precursor to any behavioral intervention, especially for neurodivergent learners

Trauma's Impact on the Developing Brain

Physical changes in brain architecture resulting from trauma and disrupted attachment
Classroom behaviors that signal underlying trauma exposure versus ADHD or autism traits
Disrupted routines as ruptures in safety and trust for trauma-affected and autistic students

ACE Scores, ADHD, and Autism: Untangling Diagnostic Overlap

Correct interpretation of ACE scores and their link to a child's trajectory
Overlap and divergence among ADHD, autism, anxiety, and trauma responses
A clinician's plain-language view of when medication enters the conversation for ADHD, autism, and trauma-related presentations
Limitations of the research and potential risks

Neurodiversity-Affirming, Strengths-Based Practice

Individualized child centered treatment approaches for ADHD and autism
Practical relationship-building strategies for dysregulated and neurodivergent students
A shift from compliance-based to trust-based, neurodiversity-affirming classroom approaches

Target Audience

School Psychologists
Counselors
Social Workers
Educators
Occupational Therapists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Physical Therapists

Copyright : 02/18/2027

Reading the Nervous System: Sensory-Motor Foundations, Heavy Work, and Regulation in the Classroom

Movement can do far more than “get the wiggles out.”

This session brings together the science of exercise, central nervous system regulation, sensory processing, and development to show educators how to use specific types of movement intentionally — to change arousal states, support regulation, prepare the brain for learning, and strengthen sensory-motor foundations for higher-level skills.

You’ll also explore excessive regulation-seeking — from sensory seeking and screens to constant stimulation and risky behavior — and how movement can provide healthier, more adaptive ways to meet underlying needs.

You’ll Walk Away With:

A framework for understanding bottom-up brain development and the sensory-motor foundations of attention, learning, and executive function
Strategies for choosing movement to help children transition between calm, alert, and activated states
Heavy work, rhythmic movement, aerobic activity, and coordinated movement activities for nervous-system regulation that work with both in-person and virtual learners,
Cognitive-motor movement breaks that combine physical activity with working memory, inhibition, sequencing, coordination, and other executive demands to prepare students for academic work
Cognitive-motor movement breaks that work with both in-person and virtual learners, including classrooms without specialized sensory equipment

Program Information

Objectives

Identify sensory-motor signals that indicate dysregulation in students.
Differentiate healthy self-regulation from compulsive escape behaviors, including screen use.
Formulate heavy work and movement-based strategies for regulating students in classroom and virtual settings.

Outline

Bottom-Up Brain Development

Cross-modal integration, neonatal reflexes, and autonomic state as the foundation for attention and language
Nervous system readiness as a precondition for learning, before any academic demand
Threshold, interoception, vestibular, and proprioceptive signals behind behavior that looks like one thing but means another

Screens, Heavy Work, and the Regulation-Seeking System

Overlap between screen-seeking and heavy-work-seeking neural pathways
Warning signs that separate healthy self-regulation from compulsive escape
Limitations of the research and potential risks in labeling screen use as purely regulatory or purely compulsive

Movement-Based Regulation Strategies

Rhythmic heavy work and coordinated movement for entering and exiting a regulated state
Calming strategies built on joyful engagement rather than compliance
Movement supports for students who struggle with coordination or impulse control

Adapting Strategies for Every Setting

Heavy work and coordinated movement adaptations for virtual and hybrid learners
Low-resource options for classrooms without a gym or sensory room
Field-tested practices drawn from a dedicated ADHD microschool model

Target Audience

School Psychologists
Counselors
Social Workers
Educators
Occupational Therapists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Physical Therapists

Copyright : 02/18/2027

Building Executive Function from the Ground Up: Cognitive-Motor Strategies for the Developing Brain

Executive function doesn't arrive on schedule, and it doesn't come from worksheets, reminders, or willpower.

Dr. Kenney, a leader in classroom cognitive-motor programming, will expertly guide you through how executive function develops across childhood, why motor skills precede cognition, and how rhythm, music, and movement support attention, working memory, and self-regulation.

You’ll learn:

Core executive function domains and developmental readiness indicators
Brainstem, cerebellar, and cognitive-motor factors underlying executive function challenges
Rhythm, music, and structured movement activities that support regulation, attention, memory, and flexibility
Practical strategies for screening executive function and using data to guide collaborative intervention planning
Strength-based, data-informed approaches for supporting neurodiverse learners and closing developmental gaps

Program Information

Objectives

Identify brainstem- and cerebellar-level indicators of executive function breakdown.
Relate rhythm, movement, and musical interaction to the development of attention, memory, and cognitive flexibility.
Evaluate executive function screening data to build collaborative, data-informed intervention plans.

Outline

How Executive Function Develops

Motor skill development as a precursor to cognitive and executive skills
Core executive function domains and markers of developmental readiness
Early brainstem and cerebellar signs of executive function breakdown

Rhythm and Movement as Neural Scaffolding

Rhythmic heavy work, dance sequences, and coordinated movement for regulation, strength, and balance
Beat competency and musical interaction as tools for attention and cognitive flexibility
Ready-to-use, classroom-friendly cognitive-motor activities

Screening, Data, and Planning

Data-based developmental trajectories and their effect on academic, behavioral, and social outcomes
Executive function screening tools and cross-discipline data integration
Realistic, data-informed catch-up plans for students with academic and developmental gaps
Limitations of the research and potential risks in relying on screening data alone for placement decisions

Strengths in Neurodiverse Learners

Hero highways and superpowers framing for neurodiverse strengths
A shift in language from deficit to strength when discussing executive function
Strength-building as a component of any executive function intervention plan

Target Audience

School Psychologists
Counselors
Social Workers
Educators
Occupational Therapists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Physical Therapists

Copyright : 02/18/2027

Regulation Through the Body: Strategies That Improve Learning and Behavior

For students who struggle with attention, transitions, or self-regulation, the barrier is often sensory-motor rather than motivational. This session translates key sensory and neurological concepts into practical strategies that support participation, learning, and behavior.

You'll Walk Away With:

Far senses, near senses, and their role in classroom regulation and readiness for learning
Stability-before-mobility principles for posture, attention, and academic performance
The Pyramid of Learning as a framework for understanding sensory-motor and academic development
Sensory-motor-informed supports, referral indicators, and low-burden strategies for students who do not respond to typical classroom interventions

Program Information

Objectives

Identify far-sense and near-sense contributions to classroom regulation.
Distinguish sensory-motor-informed interventions for students who don't respond to standard classroom supports.
Evaluate red flags that indicate the need for an occupational or physical therapy referral.

Outline

Sensory Foundations of Classroom Behavior

Far senses and near senses and their combined role in classroom regulation
Stability-before-mobility principles for posture and attention
The Pyramid of Learning as a shared map for sensory-motor and academic growth

When Routines Break Down

Reasons disrupted routines hit sensory-sensitive students hardest
Fast rebuilding of regulation after a routine disruption
Limitations of the research and potential risks in generalizing sensory-motor interventions across diverse student populations

Supports for Students Who Don't Respond

Sensory-motor-informed interventions beyond the standard classroom playbook
Plain-language red flags signaling an occupational therapy referral
Low-burden strategies that fit inside existing routines and transitions

Target Audience

School Psychologists
Counselors
Social Workers
Educators
Occupational Therapists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Physical Therapists

Copyright : 02/19/2027

Language, Regulation, and Participation: Communication Supports that Help Students Access Learning

The student who shuts down during writing, melts down over multi-step directions, or watches everyone else before starting isn't misbehaving — they're communicating. This session reframes classroom behavior through a language lens and hands professionals practical, immediately usable supports for meeting students where they actually are.

What You'll Walk Away With:

A fresh read on "misbehavior" as a signal of overwhelm or unmet language need
Early red flags for dyslexia, developmental language disorder, and executive-function vulnerability
Assessing language and literacy levels to build realistic catch-up plans after disrupted routines or extended absences
Classroom-ready supports — pacing, visuals, modeling, repetition — with expectations intact
Clear triggers for screening, referral, or additional language support

Program Information

Objectives

Identify language-based signals underlying regulation, communication, and literacy difficulties.
Distinguish early red flags of dyslexia, developmental language disorder, and executive-function vulnerability.
Evaluate language and literacy levels to build realistic catch-up plans.

Outline

Language as the Hidden Pillar

Language's role beneath regulation, communication, and literacy
A reframe of “misbehavior” as a signal of overwhelm or unmet language need
Everyday classroom moments that actually reflect language-processing gaps

Spotting the Early Signs

Early red flags for dyslexia and developmental language disorder
Executive-function vulnerability signals tied to language processing
Limitations of the research and potential risks in using red-flag checklists as standalone screening tools

Building Realistic Catch-Up Plans

Language and literacy level assessment after disrupted routines or extended absences
Realistic pacing for catch-up plans that don't overwhelm students
Classroom-ready supports — pacing, visuals, modeling, repetition — with expectations intact

Knowing When to Refer

Clear triggers for screening or additional language support
Coordination between classroom staff and language specialists
Documentation practices that support a smooth referral process

Target Audience

School Psychologists
Counselors
Social Workers
Educators
Occupational Therapists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Physical Therapists

Copyright : 02/19/2027

Putting It All Together: Regulation, Risk and Resilience – A Whole-Child Framework for Today’s Schools

Supporting students requires more than isolated strategies. In this practical session, Dr. Kenney guides you through a whole-child framework that connects subcortical brain development to ADHD, autism, anxiety, learning differences, and emotional regulation.

You'll learn how factors such as sleep, nutrition, play, sports, and screen use influence learning readiness, while gaining practical tools for identifying concerns, making appropriate referrals, and supporting students across in-person and virtual settings. The session also addresses provider well-being, helping professionals sustain their own regulation while supporting others.

What You'll Walk Away With:

A unified framework connecting brain development, regulation, and common neurodevelopmental and mental health challenges
Practical strategies for evaluating risk factors related to sleep, nutrition, play, physical activity, and screen use
Decision-making tools for determining when concerns warrant additional support, referral, or crisis intervention
Approaches for recognizing and responding to anxiety, withdrawal, and distress in both in-person and virtual environments
Self-regulation, engagement, and resilience-building strategies

Program Information

Objectives

Relate subcortical brain architecture to ADHD, autism, anxiety, and learning differences.
Evaluate the role of nutrition, sleep, play, and screen time in regulation and learning readiness.
Formulate engagement and regulation strategies suited to a virtual classroom setting.

Outline

One Framework for the Whole Child

Subcortical brain architecture as a shared foundation across ADHD, autism, anxiety, and learning differences
Nutrition, sleep, play, and sports as regulation and readiness factors
The line between healthy and compulsive screen use

Deciding When and How to Refer

Ready-to-use questions for the “should I refer, and to whom” decision
Everyday concerns versus crisis-level situations
Limitations of the research and potential risks in applying general referral frameworks to individual student circumstances

Regulation in a Virtual Classroom

Reading signs of anxiety, withdrawal, or distress without the in-person read
Engagement and regulation strategies built for virtual settings
What's lost — and what can be rebuilt — without the hallway conversation

Sustaining the Work

Provider self-care practices that protect your own regulation
A categorized menu of school- and home-based activities
Parent handouts and citation resources for extending the work home

Target Audience

School Psychologists
Counselors
Social Workers
Educators
Occupational Therapists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Physical Therapists

Copyright : 02/19/2027

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Strategies for School-Related Anxiety: Building Strength, Openness & Resilience

This session shows how ACT can support regulation and flexibility so students can re-engage with learning, relationships, and values despite anxiety.

In this session, you’ll learn:

Common patterns of school-based anxiety across developmental stages and neurotypes, viewed through a nervous-system lens
ACT processes that promote grounding, psychological flexibility, and values-aligned action under stress
Practical tools for unhooking from worry loops, avoidance cycles, and threat-based thinking
Strategies that strengthen resilience across academic, social, and performance-related demands
How reassurance traps, over-accommodation, and overcorrection can inadvertently reinforce survival responses

Program Information

Objectives

Summarize the basics of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, including the concept of defusion.
Utilize multiple interventions and micro-interventions with children and adolescents to help them manage their mental health regarding school-related stressors.
Define ACT-related concepts, such as the Hexaflex, for children, adolescents, and adults.

Outline

What is ACT and the Hexaflex?

Brief overview of the hexaflex: Acceptance, Defusion, Self-as-Context, Mindfulness, Committed Action, and Values
Foundations of ACT with children and adolescents in the context of school-related anxiety
Brief overview of the history of ACT

School-Related Anxiety in Context

Common stressors of school anxiety
Noticing and normalizing school-related anxiety
ACT to help address the anxiety
Anxiety and Shame/Embarrassment/Guilt

Practical Interventions

Hexaflex-based interventions
- Monsters on a Ship
- Cartoon Character Inner Voice
- Tell Your Story
- Thank Your Brain
- balloons and letting go
- what I wish my teacher knew about me
Philosophy of ACT: thoughts and feelings are not morally good or bad
Adapted interventions to fit client needs

Risks and Limitations

Not originally designed for use with children and adolescents
Unintentional minimalization of a client’s emotional experience
Unintentional strengthening of unhelpful core beliefs

Target Audience

Psychologists
Social Workers
Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Physicians
Speech-Language Pathologists
School Administrators

Copyright : 08/06/2026

Self-Injury, Suicidality, and the Path Back to Connection: Reaching Kids in Deep Pain through Creative Interventions

When survival responses dominate, words alone often aren’t accessible. This session explores how creative, body‑based approaches can help restore regulation and connection for youth experiencing profound distress.

A nervous‑system–informed lens for understanding self‑injury and suicidality as signals of overwhelm, not pathology
Connection‑first, regulation‑focused responses that reduce fear and open pathways to safety
Strategies for staying grounded and present amid intense emotions and high‑risk moments
Practical clinician wellness practices that support regulation, capacity, and long‑term resilience

Program Information

Objectives

Identify several types of self-injury and forms of suicidal ideation or behavior as they present across different developmental stages and clinical contexts.
List three or more clinically appropriate replacement behaviors or coping strategies that can support individuals who engage in self-injurious behaviors or experience suicidal thoughts.
Develop a personal wellness and resilience plan that addresses the emotional and professional impact of working with clients who exhibit self-injurious behaviors or suicidality.

Outline

Self-Injury and Suicidality

Common types of self-injury
Forms of suicidality (passive/active)
Developmental considerations
Warning signs and risk factors specific to self-injury vs. suicidality .

Supportive Alternatives & Replacement Strategies

Purpose of replacement behaviors
Three or more alternatives to self-injury
Strategies supportive for suicidality
Integrating alternatives into safety planning

Verbal & Nonverbal Support

Three helpful things to say/do
Three nonverbal support techniques
Maintaining boundaries and safety

Provider Wellness

Impact of working with self-injury/suicidality
Personal wellness and resilience plan

Application

Brief case examples will be provided

Risks and Limitations

Target Audience

Psychologists
Social Workers
Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Physicians
Speech-Language Pathologists
School Administrators

Supporting Youth Mental Health in Schools: Culturally Responsive, Trauma-Informed Strategies for Diverse Learners

This session cuts through the noise and gets real about what today’s students are facing—and what adults can actually do about it to restore safety, regulation, and belonging within school environment.

You’ll walk away with:

Nervous-system-informed indicators for recognizing distress before it escalates into behavior or shutdown
Regulation-supportive, trauma-responsive tools you can use immediately in classrooms and school settings
Collaboration strategies that align schools, families, and clinicians around shared cues of safety and support
Simple, regulation-based self-care resets to help you stay grounded, effective, and compassionate
Culturally humble practices that promote felt safety and inclusion for diverse learners

Program Information

Objectives

Identify key mental health challenges impacting youth in educational settings, and examine how trauma, systemic inequities, and school climate influence student functioning and academic engagement.
Select culturally responsive and trauma informed interventions and integrate them to support the mental health and educational success of students from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Develop strategies to collaborate across school and community systems and produce integrated support plants that promote wellbeing, family engagement, and academic outcomes.

Outline

Youth Mental Health in Schools

Key mental health concerns impacting K-12 students
Social-emotional learning (SEL) and mental health: overlaps and distinctions
Warning signs and risk factors for school-aged children and adolescents
The role of systemic inequities and school climate in mental health

Culturally Responsive & Equity-Centered Interventions

Understanding the impact of race, culture, language, and immigration on student wellbeing
Culturally adapted CBT tools for youth
Incorporating cultural identity and strengths in treatment planning

School-Based & Community-Clinician Collaboration

Effective communication with school staff, families, and external providers
How community-based clinicians can aid with positive educational outcomes
Creating wraparound support systems that foster student success
Working across IEP/504 plans, behavioral intervention teams, and outside care providers

Tools, Modalities & Practical Application

Trauma-informed care in school settings: grounding, regulation, and sensory strategies
Mindfulness-based interventions adapted for classrooms and home use
Limitations of the research and potential risks of applying techniques without cultural/contextual adaptation

Target Audience

Psychologists
Social Workers
Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Physicians
Speech-Language Pathologists
School Administrators

School Refusal & Resistance: Strategies that Work When Nothing Else Has

School refusal can range from subtle to loud and dramatic. It might look like daily stomachaches, missed buses, or quiet withdrawal – or it can escalate to emotional meltdowns, outright aggression, or fleeing school mid-day.

Behind these behaviors are often deep emotional barriers – not defiance, but distress.

You witness parents and educators grappling with uncertainty, desperate to help as students become trapped in a cycle of avoidance – one that fuels anxiety, depression, and academic disengagement.

Led by Susan Haarman, LCPC, a seasoned expert in adolescence, trauma, and school-based care, this course delivers practical, collaborative strategies for addressing school refusal in even the most challenging cases.

In this training, you’ll gain:

Accurate Assessment Tools – Improve diagnostic clarity and select the right interventions for each student.
Personalized Intervention Plans – Utilize templates designed to create effective, individualized school refusal strategies.
Deeper Understanding of Root Causes – Address the role of family dynamics, cultural expectations, and environmental stressors in school refusal behavior.
Evidence-Based Treatment Approaches – Learn how cognitive-behavioral therapy, family systems interventions, and pharmacological options can support school reintegration.
Collaborative Strategies – Work effectively with parents and educators to build a compassionate, non-punitive plan that fosters attendance and emotional well-being.

This interactive training goes beyond theory, delving into real-life case studies and actionable solutions. Through expert insights and practical applications, you’ll leave with a toolbox of interventions designed to help students shift from avoidance to engagement.

Don’t let another student fall behind. Join this essential training and become the clinician who helps turn school anxiety into school success. Register today!

Program Information

Objectives

Identify the behavioral features of school refusers to better inform clinical decision making.
Analyze the functional purpose of school refusal behavior to determine appropriate treatment strategies.
Identify co-morbid psychological disorders associated with school refusal to improve participation in school.
Identify cultural and social factors that impact refusal behavior.
Compare behavioral and pharmacological approaches for the treatment of school refusers.
Choose strategic school refusal plans that target the underlying motivation and reinforcement systems.
Choose functional tips to remedy school refusal behavior for parents and school personnel.

Outline

The WHAT and the WHY of School Avoidance and Refusal

Undercover the sources of the rising rates of refusal

The dynamic difference between school refusers and truants
Common characteristics of school refusers
Avoiding of negative affect situations
Escape aversive social, cultural, and evaluative situations
Attention seeking behavior
Reinforced school refusal

Get to the Root of the Issue

Assessment and Diagnostic Strategies

Functional Analysis of School Refusal
- Categorical-dimensional approach
- Reinforcement contingencies
Tools to identify co-morbid DSM-5® disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- ADHD
- ASD
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Depressive disorders
- Phobias
- Conduct disorders
- Learning disorders
Cultural considerations
The role of standardized assessments
Critical questions to ask refusers and their parents
Case Studies of complex school refusal cases

Get Refusers Back in School and Keep Them There

Select interventions based on assessment results

Individual therapy to address co-morbidities
Systematic desensitization strategies
Exposure therapy: A step-by-step approach
Video modeling, social stories, and more
Cognitive therapy to challenge thoughts and beliefs about school
Individualized educational supports to enable academic success
Structured family therapy to address underlying stressors
Systemic family therapy to unlock potential for change
3 powerful DBT techniques to change school mindset
The role of meds:
- Tricyclics
- SSRI’s
- Beta blockers
- Benzodiazepines
Creative therapies to address the functions of school refusal
The role of rewards, positive attention, and more
Case studies:
- “School Makes Me Want to Throw Up”
- “Everybody There Hates Me – Even the Teachers!”
- “Can’t I Stay at Home and Have You Teach Me?”
- What’s the Point of Being There?”
Experiential learning: Create an individualized intervention plan

Not In This Alone

Getting School Personnel and Parents Involved

Build on student interests and skills
School escorts: When, who, what, and why
35 concrete tips for parents and teachers
Multidisciplinary collaboration
Virtual schooling – pros and cons for school avoiders

Target Audience

Educators
School Administrators
Counselors
Social Workers
Occupational Therapists
School Psychologists
School Nurses