Concurrent Sessions

#1 - Alert Parent, Safer Kid - What You Need to Know to be Your Child's First Line of Defense Against Predators

Stephanie Angelo, B.S.; Owner and President, KidzWeyes, LLC; Tempe, AZ

Do your children attend school?  Do they participate in sports?  Are they ever in the care of someone other than you? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions this program is for you!  There is no way we can be with them 24/7 and safety is our greatest concern.  You are your child's first line of defense! Help your children learn to be safer and learn what parents don't know they don't know – without the fear factor! Parents and guardians learn how to identify behaviors used by predators, how to respond, important tools to teach their children and much more.  We focus on information not available in any other safety program for parents - and you’ll have fun learning!

#2 - Mothers' Experiences with Systems Across Their Child's Development Stages

* Pat Conway; Parent of Adult Child with Disabilities; Grand Forks, ND

* Diana Read; Parent of Adult Child with Disabilities; Bismarck, ND

Your participation in this session will expand your thinking and others’ learning as we discuss the issues regarding the role of parents with children with disabilities. Parenting throughout a child’s developmental stages is chock full of wonderful, scary, tender, tedious moments and miracles. Experiences with health care systems and educational settings become exaggerated for mothers of children with disabilities as they endeavor to determine their role as a partner in this process of nurturing their children to be the “best they can be.” The process continues as one’s child moves into adulthood and new systems enter the mix. By working together, we strive to confirm successes and figure out new paths.

#3 - Respectful Conversations: Are They Really Possible?

Kathleen Osta; Vital Clarity; Asheville, NC

If you’ve ever walked away from a meeting feeling like you haven’t been heard or wishing that you had said or done something differently, then this may be the session for you. Learn practical concepts and get practice using a compassionate model for communicating more effectively when there’s a lot at stake. This interactive session offers reusable tools that can be applied in any situation.

Keynote

Illuminating the Fog

Diane Hovey, Ph.D., CPT; Executive Director, Family Institute for Creative Well-Being; Maplewood, MN

In this presentation we will examine the times in our lives when we feel lost in the unknown, uncertain of what our future holds or of the paths we must travel.  We will explore ways we can explain the unexplainable to those who will never walk in our shoes.  And, we will delve into ways to lift the fog and illuminate the journey.

Closing Comments