Friday, January 31

Dr. María Cioè-Peña

María Cioè-Peña is an assistant professor in Educational Linguistics at The University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. As a neurodiverse, bilingual/biliterate researcher, María examines the intersections of disability, language, school-parent partnerships and education policy. She focuses specifically on Latinx bilingual children with dis/abilities, their families and their ability to access multilingual and inclusive learning spaces within public schools. She is also the author of (M)othering Labeled Children: Bilingualism and Disability in the Lives of Latinx Mothers, published by Multilingual Matters. Most recently, María was named as a National Academy of Education/Spencer Post Doctoral Fellow (AY 23-24).

“Descriptive Inquiry at the Margins: The power of stories and storytelling in across (special/language) education contexts”

Anchored in themes surfaced from children’s books, in this presentation, participants will uncover connections between the narratives we encounter in books and those that shape our lives. As part of this session, teachers will learn about the descriptive inquiry processes —particularly reflections on words, recollections and descriptive reviews— and their potential for creating fuller and more expansive understandings of culturally and linguistically diverse special education students and their families. Developed by Patricia Carini and educators at Vermont’s Prospect School, these processes serve to as a means to go beyond viewing students solely through the lens of their disability- and/or language-related learning needs. Rooted in progressive education, they aim to construct nuanced portraits of children, empowering teachers to deepen their pedagogical approaches and recognize the diverse abilities of their students. By embracing these processes, educators can enhance students’ academic and social experiences, providing them with greater opportunities to learn and thrive.

Dr. Tammy Stephens

Dr. Tammy Stephens has over 20 years of experience working in the field of special education. She began her career working as a special education teacher, educational diagnostician, and university professor. Dr. Stephens is one of the authors of Core-Selective Evaluation Process (C-SEP), a PSW model that integrates multiple sources of data into the assessment. Dr. Stephens has presented locally, nationally, and internationally focusing on best practices in assessment.

“Conducting a Targeted Comprehensive Dyslexia Assessment Using C-SEP”

When conducting a comprehensive assessment it is imperative that evaluators utilize multiple sources of data. This session will focus on the importance of integrating multiple sources of data (policy requirements and best practice). The presenter will introduce C-SEP and demonstrate its use when conducting a comprehensive assessment of dyslexia.

Dr. Layne Pethick

Dr. Layne Pethick is a Behavior and Autism Spectrum Disorders Master Consultant for the state of Texas. He has a PhD in Business and Organization Leadership and has a Master’s degree in Special Education with specialization in Human Behavior, Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, and Autism Spectrum Disorder, along with Bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, and Reading. Layne has experience as a general and special education teacher, school administrator, district trainer, program director, and in higher education as a professor of special education, assessment, early childhood and teacher education. He has been deeply involved in brain research for the past 20+ years with a focus on the following areas: behavior, learning, autism, trauma, mental health, screen time, and various disabilities. He continues to work with various countries in the areas of brain research, education and special education to include Mexico (2009-2011), Hong Kong (2011), Canada (currently), Vietnam (currently), and across the United States (currently).

“Dyslexia, The Brain, and Better Understanding”

Join this session to discuss the latest brain research for dyslexia and reading. Participants will enjoy this interactive session all about the brain, dyslexia, and reading. Research, strategies, interventions, and hot topics like screen time and behavior will be a part of the session!

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