Assistive Technology (AT)

For Related Service Providers

Sarah Ward (Processing Speed And Executive Function) April 7, 2023

National Presenter Sarah Ward

Sarah Ward M.S., CCC/SLP

About Sarah Ward

Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP has over 25 years of experience in the treatment of executive dysfunction. Sarah is an internationally recognized expert on executive function and presents seminars on the programs and strategies she has developed with her co-director, Kristen Jacobsen. She has presented to over 1,600 public and private schools and organizations worldwide.

Training Description

Processing Speed and Executive Function 

In this practical strategies seminar, you will learn dozens of techniques for supporting students in developing independent executive function skills and increasing processing speed. Executive function (EF) challenges, slow processing speed, and behavior deficits often go hand-in-hand. EF skills are the core cognitive skills involved in planning and self-directing toward the successful completion of academic and other goals. EF skills point our attention to where we need to go, keep the action plan in mind within working memory, block distractions, filter out extraneous information, and help us to resist temptations and to exhibit goal-driven self-control.

Processing speed difficulties can limit productivity and executive function skills to complete routines, follow instructions, finish homework, listen/read and take notes/summarize, integrate and encode information, write assignments that require complex thought, transition between tasks, acquire new material, and reason under time demands. Slow processing speed can bog students down in the details, and they cannot distinguish relevant from minor details and see the big picture. Learn practical ways to help students to develop independent EF skills and to improve their processing speed to increase the automaticity with which they can follow routines and directions, complete tasks, and manage complex assignments.

Registration for this event must be completed in the Arizona Professional Learning and Development (APLD) registration system. You must be logged in to your ADE Connect account to complete the registration. If you do not have an ADE Connect account, you will need to create one before you register for the course.  

For questions regarding this training, please email our AT inbox.

Carlo Vialu and Peggy Morris (Creating Goals That Are Easy To Monitor And A Stress-Free Companion Monitoring Tool) April 28, 2023

Carlo Vialu Bio Picture

Carlo Vialu, PT, MBA

About Carlo Vialu

Carlo served as Director of Physical Therapy for the NYC Department of Education, where he oversaw a program with over 700 PTs working in more than 1,500 schools. He is project manager of research on normative data for five mobility tests for school-aged children and co-founder of SeekFreaks.

Peggy Morris, OTD, OTR/L, BCP

About Peggy Morris

Peggy is an OT with 30+ years of pediatric experience in early intervention, private practice, and out-patient therapy, but most of her experience and passion is in school-based practice. She coordinates the post-professional MS and OTD programs and school-based certificate program at Tufts University. She is Board Certified in Pediatrics through the AOTA and a regular SeekFreaks contributor.

Workshop Description:

Are you ready for an easy way to write goals and monitor progress? Peggy and Carlo will walk you through setting goals that are easy to monitor and creating a monitoring tool that can help you decide whether your student is on track, if it is time to change the intervention, or if it is time to work on more challenging goals.

Stress-free monitoring begins with a well-written goal. While making a goal SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) is a great start, how many times have we written a SMART goal that contained too many conditions to be easy to measure? So, in the morning, you will learn the three common problems with SMART goals and the four strategies to make your SMART goal easy to monitor. You will practice utilizing Apply EBP’s simple worksheet for goal-creation with the guidance of your instructors. You will then go through the three steps for the creation of an accompanying data-collection system. You will gain four tips for making this system user-friendly for different members of the team and helpful in making informed decisions. You will learn and practice how to use this data-collection system in making objective decisions about whether your student is on track or if it is time to change the intervention or goal.

Finally, you will learn two additional strategies to further elevate your goals: the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) for more complex cases and the five steps for creating collaborative interprofessional goals.

Bring sample goals that you need to improve and case vignettes that you find challenging. There will be multiple opportunities to practice goal creation, monitoring, and decision-making as well as interactive Q&A discussions with the instructors. Leave the day with concrete strategies and the confidence to create goals and monitor them meaningfully!

Because this training has been rescheduled from an earlier date, please register using this link only:

For questions regarding this training, please email our [email protected]

Sara L. Smith (Expanding Expression Training: A Multi-Sensory Approach For Improved Writing, Oral Expression, And Comprehension Across The Curriculum) May 3, 2023

Sara L. Smith, MS,CCC-SLP

About Sara L. Smith

Sara​ ​L.​ ​Smith,​ ​MS,​ ​CCC-SLP,​ ​is​ ​an​ ​ASHA​ ​certified​ ​speech-language​ ​pathologist​ ​and​ ​founder​ ​of​ ​the Expanding​ ​Expression​ ​Tool​ ​(EET).​ ​She​ ​began​ ​her​ ​career​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Bay​ ​City​ ​Public​ ​Schools​ ​(Michigan),​ ​where she​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​developing​ ​and​ ​teaching​ ​language​ ​strategies​ ​to​ ​facilitate​ ​academic​ ​success.​ ​Her​ ​interest and​ ​continued​ ​study​ ​of​ ​language​ ​processing​ ​and​ ​multisensory​ ​approaches​ ​to​ ​learning​ ​have​ ​led​ ​to​ ​her development​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Expanding​ ​Expression​ ​Program​ ​for​ ​improved​ ​oral​ ​and​ ​written​ ​language.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​national speaker,​ ​Sara​ ​provides​ ​insight​ ​into​ ​learning​ ​and​ ​demonstrates​ ​strategies​ ​to​ ​use​ ​with​ ​all​ ​children.​ ​She received​ ​her​ ​Bachelor’s​ ​Degree​ ​from​ ​Central​ ​Michigan​ ​University​ ​and​ ​her​ ​Master’s​ ​Degree​ ​from​ ​Bowling Green​ ​State​ ​University.

Course description

This training will focus on helping students ​comprehend​ ​curriculum​ ​materials,​  ​write using​ ​details,​ ​and​ ​express​ ​themselves​ ​using​ ​multisensory,​ ​brain-based​ ​techniques.​ ​Participants will​ ​learn​ ​how​ ​to​ ​target​ ​general​ ​descriptions,​ ​writing​ ​from​ ​prior​ ​knowledge, biographies/autobiographies​, ​and​ ​summarizing​ ​using​ ​simple​ ​strategies.​ ​Multiple​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​target language​ ​processing​ ​skills​ ​will​ ​be​ ​provided​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​Student​ ​samples​ ​and​ ​hands-on​ ​activities​ ​are included.​ ​The​ ​strategies​ ​discussed​ ​are​ ​being​ ​used for ages​ ​preschool​ ​through​ ​adult​ ​in​ ​both​ ​general​ ​and special​ ​education​ ​settings.

Learner​ ​Outcomes:

Participants​ ​will​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to:

1. ​Teach​ ​students/clients​ ​a​ ​multi-sensory​ ​approach​ ​for​ ​including​ ​more​ ​details​ ​in​ ​their​ ​definitions and​ ​descriptions.
2. ​Explain​ ​how​ ​to​ ​use​ ​strategies​ ​to​ ​target​ ​the​ ​following​ ​areas:​ ​categorization,​ ​function, appearance,​ ​composition,​ ​associated​ ​parts,​ ​location,​ ​and​ ​similarities​ ​and​ ​differences.
3. ​Use​ ​and​ ​teach​ ​a​ ​tool​ ​for​ ​improved​ ​organization​ ​in​ ​writing​ ​from​ ​prior​ ​knowledge​ ​and biographies/autobiographies.
4. ​Explain​ ​how​ ​to​ ​collect​ ​baseline​ ​data​ ​and​ ​monitor​ ​progress​ ​using​ ​the​ ​program.
5. ​Complete​ ​a​ ​therapeutic​ ​or​ ​curriculum-based​ ​lesson​ ​using​ ​a​ ​language​ ​tool.

Registration is now closed

If you have questions, please contact Mary.Keeney@azed.gov