Knowledge Base

Janet DesGeorges/ [email protected]

1.   Lesson #1 -  I have learned the importance of how to overcome the very stigma of even talking about child abuse and neglect (CA/N) .  I learned a great comment from KidPower’s ‘Put Safety FIRST’ founding principle that has sustained my involvement in child abuse and neglect issues: “Safety and wellbeing are more important than ANYONE’S embarrassment, inconvenience, or offense!”.  People don’t like talking about this issue, but keeping child abuse issues in the dark only empowers the ability for perpetrators to act. 
2. Lesson #2 - I can make an impact in at least two ways – my own personal involvement and commitment to ensuring that all children have the opportunity to grow up safe, and get the help they need if they are a victim.   AND I can use my area of influence as a leader in my organization to ensure that everyone in our organization knows where to go, what to do, who can help in any situation, and has basic knowledge about CA/N in their day to day work at Hands & Voices. 
3. Lesson #3 - I don’t need to be an expert in this field.  I can rely on the ‘bright spots’ in the world, and lean on others to help me understand the issues and prevention of CA/N, and also that I can connect my expertise in deafness with those who have expertise in Child Abuse and Neglect. 

Sara Kennedy/[email protected]

1. Abuse is higher for children with any kind of disability. This is still largely unshared with parents and professionals who serve them. This is not about “other people’s kids”. 
2. There are simple strategies that parents and professionals can learn to help them reduce the risk and increase protective factors for their kids/students. 
3. The youngest children are the most isolated and the most at risk. We must find a way to reach families sooner and more effectively to increase all protective factors starting with nurturing and attachment, where language begins during those critical first years of life. 

Chresta Brinkman/[email protected]

1. Trust your “gut” regarding a student/child that you think may be experiencing trauma/maltreatment and ever hesitate to call 1-800-4-A-CHILD. This will help to gain clarity on how to proceed with concerns.  A reporter’s responsibility is convey vs. prove concerns for the safety of a child. For additional guidance and resources search for the child advocacy center in your state. 
2. You likely know at least one individual who has experienced maltreatment as it is more common than some realize. 
3. Though uncomfortable, broaching the topic of abuse/neglect can have a tremendous impact on the life of a child.  A possible conversation starter could be to share your concern for children with disabilities as they are maltreated at a rate 3-4 times greater than their nondisabled peers.  This awareness alone can have great reach

Christine Griffin/[email protected]

1. The incidence of maltreatment, including neglect and physical and sexual abuse is more than 25 percent higher among deaf and hard-of-hearing children than among hearing youths.
2. Given tools and strategies Parents and Caregivers can help keep their child safe by increasing their use of language, to express their feelings/emotions, and name body parts, that are safe and unsafe to touch.
3. Giving our kids permission to say. No.” “We don’t keep secrets, though we can keep surprises.” 

Janel Frost/ [email protected]

1. We have an obligation to mention to parents the higher risks for children with disabilities to be abused. Shame on us for not. 
2. Small steps of change can make a big impact. 
3. We need to be careful in our delivery of the message in order to be heard. 

Meghan Hendrick/ [email protected]

1. Parents, trust your instincts.  So many stories begin with “I knew something didn’t seem right…”
2. Behavior is communication.  Look and listen for changes in behavior and mood and respond in a caring, open way.
3. One caring adult can change the trajectory of a child’s life.  Be that one caring adult and educate others on how to spread Protective Factors to all children

Marcia Philipps/ [email protected]

1. A caring, committed community helps keep us safe.
2. Systemic buy-in is vital.
3. The individual with disabilities and family are core members of the community.

Jess Olson/ [email protected]

1. One of the most foundational needs of young children is the understanding that they are safe and cared for. A few years ago, I had a student who had experienced every possible toxic-stress inducing event that you can imagine in her short five years. She came to school each day in fear. She spent hours every day screaming, trying to escape, and fighting an internal, emotional battle we as her teachers couldn’t even begin to understand. I could see her pain, and while I had been trained on social-emotional practices, this level of emotional distress required more than deep breathing and social stories could fix. Her most basic needs were not being met, and until those most foundational needs for safety, trust, connection, and control were met, school would never feel like a secure place for her. When children don’t even feel safe in our room, how can we expect them to learn and grow? Addressing this basic, foundational need for children intentionally in my practice and in my classroom environment became top priority going forward.
2. Through my graduate coursework, I have been able to learn about the impacts that maltreatment and trauma can have on the body and the brain, particularly in early childhood when development occurs so rapidly and so significantly. There seems to be a common misconception that once a student has experienced maltreatment or trauma, their brain is permanently “damaged”. However, my coursework has helped me to understand the growing body of research that shows the brain can recover, so to speak, from the changes that occur as a result of toxic stress. This has helped me to understand that while we cannot change what a child has experienced, we can change how we view their experiences and how we as adults respond to students and their experiences. Being able to recognize how I needed to change in response to my students needs was a difficult and vulnerable path, but reframing my perspective in this way has significantly helped me to better support my students. In this regard, it was also a difficult lesson to learn that there is no “quick fix” when it comes to supporting students who have experienced maltreatment and trauma. When I saw students in pain, my immediate response was also to fix it or to make the pain go away. It took time and patience to reframe my perspective on the time it takes to support a child in healing, and to trust the process of reframing your perspective and implementing foundational changes in practice. 
3. There is a significant need for more in-depth, ongoing professional development for teachers surrounding the maltreatment and trauma of students with disabilities. I have developed my practice and understanding through direct experience in working with students with disabilities who have experience maltreatment or trauma and guidance from our student support team. Professional development played a minimal part in the way my practice has developed in this area. Many teachers do not have the training, understanding, and skills in practice to respond appropriately to students who have experienced trauma or maltreatment. This is not for lack of empathy or compassion for students, but missing knowledge. Further, one-day training that is most often presented to educators is not sufficient in building this knowledge. Engaging in ongoing, collaborative training with related service providers to build knowledge, skills, and understanding is essential to supporting teachers in supporting students most effectively. 

Megan Hillegas/[email protected] 

1. Behavior has meaning. It is the responsibility of educators to derive meaning from the (often challenging) behavior of children who have experienced maltreatment, in particular children with disabilities who may not be able to conventionally communicate their needs. Children do better when they know better, and response to maltreatment must include flexible learning environments, responsive and fluid instructional methods, and systematic social-emotional instruction and intervention.  I have learned that instead of asking, “What is wrong with this child?”, I reframe the question as “What happened to this child?”. I like to think of behaviors as pieces of a puzzle; when I can figure out how the pieces fit together, I get a clearer picture of who this child is and what his/her unmet needs are. Determining the “why” of the behavior enables me to plan for how to proactively meet the child’s needs and in what ways to best provide support. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it requires a deep understanding of development and learning, trauma-informed approaches, and a consideration of familial and cultural patterns. Effective response to challenging behavior is also an ongoing process, requiring constant observation, reflection, assessment, and revision.
2. Effective responses to trauma are rooted in relationships with both the child and the family. Mutually beneficial relationships with families that address and prevent maltreatment includes empowering them with information on their child’s development while working to understand their individual challenges and circumstances affecting their daily caregiving. An important aspect of this work is understanding my own biases and assumptions as I provide nonjudgmental support that is centered on the individual needs of that child and his/her family. I may have a set of goals in mind for us to collaborate on, but my efforts will be largely ineffective if I have not first determined what the immediate needs are from the family’s perspective. It also requires learning about each family’s cultural understandings and perceptions of disabilities.                 Before any learning can take place and any intervention can be meaningfully applied, teachers must develop relationships with the child and establish a sense of classroom community. Some children with disabilities who have experienced trauma benefit from pairing with one particular adult; others do best when all the adults in the learning environment make an immediate effort to know and love the child. These children also need relationships with peers, whether as a specially paired peer model or as a mutually accepting community of learners.
3. “Success” in school for children with disabilities that have also experienced trauma is measured in small increments and is specific to that child’s journey; however, these children also deserve and require high expectations for their long-term school success.   When I think about successful moments working with children with disabilities that have experienced maltreatment, the first thing that comes to mind is a photo taken in my classroom last year. It depicts my 4-year-old student, C, lying on the floor in the middle of my classroom. He had been playing with flour in the sensory table and he’s still wearing his smock, covered head to toe in white powder. His shoes are off and lying neatly next to him. He’s on his back, arms open out to the sides, legs spread wide like a starfish. His eyes are closed and his face is serene. In the photo, another child sits nearby at the snack table, calmly looking down at him.  This is success?? Well, you had to know where we started. C was in my classroom for two years, starting as a nonverbal 3-year-old with global developmental delays. C’s family had experienced significant DCFS involvement in his first three years of life, and when he started in my classroom he demonstrated an extreme fight-or-flight response as protest behaviors to any perceived adult demand. C would hide under furniture, pushing on tables with his feet until he kicked them over; he would remove all of his clothing and hit/bite us when we tried to stop him. C had episodes where he would repeatedly bang his head on the floor, and my classroom team would hover around him, desperately trying to catch him in a bean bag chair while dodging bites, kicks, and punches. His episodes would last over an hour, and would be instigated by an adult request as benign as indicating where he should hang up his coat when he came into the classroom.   Over the two years that C was in my classroom, I set incremental goals for him to establish trust, understand and cope with his own emotions, and accept redirection from adults. When each tiny goal was achieved, I added another, until C was fully participating in the daily routine with the rest of his typically developing peers. Despite the extremely difficult circumstances of his earliest years, I knew that, with support, C deserved and was capable of meeting high expectations over time. It would have been easy to let him do whatever he wanted and withhold all adult demands; but in our field the easy thing is very rarely the right thing.  Back to the photo. After 1½ years in my classroom, this is what protest looked like for C. He was sad that his turn was over at the sensory table, so he stepped aside and gave himself a moment to feel that emotion. He still needed to feel a bit of control in the situation so he removed his shoes before lying down, but placed them neatly next to himself because he knew he’d need to put them back on once he was feeling better. His body was calm and relaxed, and his prone position was an indication of how safe he felt. He trusted he would be cared for and protected in this classroom no matter what, and he understood that he could feel disappointed in that moment without being completely overwhelmed. The other children in the room recognized that everyone has strong feelings, and gave C the time and space he needed without fear, discomfort, or judgment. For C, this photo depicts almost two years of intensive, individualized, responsive support and intervention. It is a photo that to me will always represent success and the reason why this work is so important.

Paul Garcia/ [email protected]

1. Children experiencing maltreatment may be withdrawn or quiet. With these children it is important to be vigilant and to find a few moments daily to connect with them. 
2. Communication is key; With parents, family, as well as school staff, to ensure success of students, in particular, those experiencing maltreatment.
3. Lower expectations for children with disabilities and inadequate instruction and interventions, in particular in the area of literacy, is a form of systemic maltreatment. 

Ana Adl/ [email protected]

1. Our CPS system to protect our most vulnerable individuals is broken
2. Our current maltreatment information provided by our state department now places the information finding on educators when maltreatment is suspected
3. Only the most severe of cases will be investigated by our CPS and law enforcement

Michael (Ben) Curtiss/ [email protected]

1. Working with children in a public-school setting exposes me to some of the worst parts of human behavior and it is heartbreaking, but showing up for children is always worth the ensuing pain.
2. The biggest mitigating factor in helping children heal from trauma is the quality and amount of positive, supportive, attentive, and attuned relationships they have with caring adults.
3. It’s not what you know, it’s how you are that makes a difference in helping people recover from trauma. 

Kristin Grender/ [email protected]

1. Training helps teachers enhance their awareness of the signs and indicators of maltreatment among children with disabilities. This includes recognizing both physical and emotional signs. Training fosters collaboration between teachers and support services and gives comprehensive support for students.
2. Teachers need to be trained to be culturally sensitive, understanding that different cultural backgrounds may impact the perception and disclosure of maltreatment.
3. Teachers should be educated on trauma-informed practices, which are essential when dealing with students who may have experienced maltreatment.

Johnna Scheuerman/ [email protected]

1. Just because the students look OK, it does not mean they are OK.
2. Maltreatment comes in every color
3. The mother of the disabled child is usually the one that gets punished for having a “disabled” child 

Andrea Kimsman/ [email protected]

1. Each child, including the lens in which they see and interpret the world is uniquely their own which beautifully contributes to the subjectivity and diversity of life.
2. Children, and especially children with exceptionalities, often communicate through behavior, including behavioral responses and it is the responsibility of the adults to determine an effective interpretation of those choices, rather than viewing them as “bad” behavior or looking at these choices as less intentional. Children deserve for the adults within their environment to not only assume competence but also to assume positive intent.
3. Children have a very interesting way of responding to and engaging with trauma, which often encourages adults to think more abstract and creative; there is SO MUCH we can learn from children if we are willing to be teachable. 

Corey Peters/ [email protected] 

1. Love, love, love. This is the foundation of my time working with young children with various abilities. I try to view every moment in our classroom with these young children as the brightest part of their week. 
2. Connection. 
3. Trust 

Joleen Boelter/ [email protected]

1. I’ve learned that what people often perceive as challenging behaviors are, more often than not, communication attempts to address unmet emotional, sensory, or safety needs.
2. Often, students who have experienced maltreatment benefit most from structured routines with clear expectations and leveled responses from adults.
3. It takes a village to support trauma-informed responses. Collaboration within and outside the school best serves students in need.

Lisa Palese/ [email protected]

1. We need to meet each of our students where they are and adjust our approach, support, and mindset to do everything we can to support them in a compassionate, supportive way.
2. Behavior is communication.  When our students behave in unexpected ways- it’s our job to teach them the skills to communicate their needs safely. 
3. It’s our jobs as leaders to be present, supportive, and deliberate with our team. We must ensure they have the training, the tools, and the support they need to support our most complex learners.

Nick Berger/ [email protected]

1. School Programs that provide evidence-based practices have less need for physical interventions and student behavioral emergencies
2. Robust training and practice help school staff to use PBIS strategies with fidelity when supporting students with disabilities who may be acting out physically to prevent student injury
3. Common understanding of practices throughout staff and community help reduce physical and emotional maltreatment of students with disabilities.

Brittany Seeley/ [email protected] 

1. The Power of Restorative Practices: One significant lesson is that restorative justice practices can effectively address the impacts of maltreatment. By fostering open dialogue, accountability, and community support, we can help students rebuild trust and relationships. This approach not only supports healing for the affected child but also promotes a culture of empathy and understanding within the school community.
2. Understanding Trauma's Impact: I have learned that children with disabilities, especially those with emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs, often carry the weight of trauma. Recognizing the signs of trauma and understanding its effects on behavior and learning is crucial. Implementing trauma-informed practices allows us to respond with compassion and patience, creating a safe environment where students feel valued and understood.
3. Empowerment Through Collaboration: Another important lesson is that collaboration among various stakeholders is essential for effective systemic change. By bringing together educators, mental health professionals, and families, we create a more comprehensive understanding of each child’s needs. This collaborative effort empowers everyone involved to advocate for trauma-informed practices and restorative justice, ultimately benefiting students who have faced maltreatment.

Kory Kutzler/ [email protected]

1. Children are not resilient on their own, they can be resilient with the right supports in place.
2. Positive relationships and role models have a profound impact on the long-term physical and mental health of our children.
3. Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) have a direct impact on the long-term health of an individual

Laura Staats/ [email protected]

1. The context and needs of youth with disabilities are often overlooked or not considered when writing policies for preventing child sexual abuse in youth serving organizations. 
2. Despite knowing that people who want to harm a child use sophisticated manipulation tactics, much child sexual abuse prevention continue to center on teaching children (including those with disabilities) how to recognize safe or unsafe people rather than adults changing the conditions or situations that are allowing abuse to take place. 
3. Across the field of child sexual abuse prevention, there is a lack of research on incidents of child sexual abuse of youth with disabilities and even less empirical research on primary prevention in this population. Available research is often outdated, leaving limited guidance for prevention in current context. 

Kathryn Germer/ [email protected] 

1. Reframing behavior through a social-ecological and neurodiversity-affirming lens reduces punitive responses and increases connection.
2. Students with reliable, respected communication systems experience fewer moments of crisis. Ensuring that students can express refusal, needs, and emotions reduces frustration and increases agency.
3. Skills become durable when we pair them with relational support

Amy Curtiss/ [email protected] 

1. When working with a child who has suffered maltreatment, the number and nature of the positive, supportive relationships he/she has is a better predictor of outcome than what happened to them.  
2. Before traditional interventions (e.g. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) can be effective, the child must first be regulated and feel relationally safe.  Bottom-up approaches are much more effective than top-down approaches.
3. When considering whether an intervention/strategy/policy etc. will be appropriate, effective, and respectful of the individual’s neurobiology, one must consider the 6Rs (from Dr. Perry) and determine whether it is in line with these characteristics.  The 6Rs are:  Rhythmic, Repetitive, Relational, Rewarding, Respectful, and Relevant (relevant includes developmentally matched).  
4. Stress is needed to change, but we have to provide appropriate doses of challenge with adequate space for recovery in order to build resilience.  The dose of stress or challenge that a child can tolerate is based on the individual.  

Ruby Sewell/ [email protected]

1. Accessible communication is crucial for everyone  - it is essential to a person’s sense of connection to the world 
2. Much of our communication happens through our heart, not our mind. Children can feel when we are communicating from a place of love and that invites the possibility for more love and connection within them.     
3. Being an Optimist is for the strong of heart! It requires daily commitment to align with the good in the world and be a beacon of hope in the lives of children who experience systemic oppression.     

Elizabeth Diaz/ [email protected] 

1. The same tools we use to support children with disabilities are beneficial to all. An equitable approach to systems offers immense benefits for all, including those who are not directly impacted.
2. Professionals may hesitate to support children and families with disabilities because they are unsure what trauma or trauma recovery looks like for this population. By intentionally integrating disability into conversations about trauma, we can equip professionals with the understanding and confidence needed to provide effective care. In doing so, trauma professionals move beyond general awareness to becoming truly trauma-informed and able to recognize and respond to the diverse ways trauma and disability intersect in children’s lives. 
3. Our systems will invalidate and dismiss the harm to children with disability because of the same reasons that make them vulnerable and susceptible to violence and harm. 
4. Children who are twice-exceptional (2e), both gifted and living with a disability, are at an increased risk for abuse. Their asynchronous development can lead to misunderstanding and isolation, making them more vulnerable to maltreatment by families and systems. For example, a child who is highly advanced in math, reasoning, and logic, but is not ready for potty-training or maintain emotional regulation with / /their same-aged peers, may be scolded based on their perceived readiness aligned with their gift rather than their actual readiness.

Kelly Carrero/ [email protected] 

1. People use the skills they have, i.e., indi who are maltreating children are often acting as they know how to act…this is within the context of support agents/individuals who work with children with disabilities…such individuals need additional strategies…when these strategies no longer work, we see a heightened incidence of maltreatment…
2. Individuals with disabilities are often acting within their skill set, or competencies…many genuinely do not know how to act in a more socially acceptable manner… this puts them at risk to be both maltreated or to be offenders
3. This work…trying to enhance the safety and success of individuals with disabilities….is hard to look at…to think about…to act on…it is important to realize that maltreatment can be addressed… it is not impossible… there is a “bright” side of the work, e.g., finding solutions that help individuals to be safer and more successful ….”need to stop admiring the problem” ….need to find, share, use solutions 

Catherine Corr/ [email protected]

1. Started focusing upon raising awareness and understanding in the hope that others would care and start to address problem.  Have learned that it is not that people do not want to do this work, they often do not have training or funding to focus on this work. This has resulted in a focus on finding funding to conduct research, develop programs, and provide trainings.  Funding allows people to have time to really focus on these issues. Funding also signifies areas of importance or priority (in our field or others).  
2. The research that I do as an academic is great for other researchers, but it is not available to parents and K-12 educators.  Now, I spend a lot of time trying to craft material for parents and professionals…ones they can actually use in their day-to-day work. 
3. I have learned that while the work is very difficult, there are others who are also working on this topic.  These “others” reinforce me, make my work better and establish a community of collaborators.   

 Jenna Voss/ [email protected] 

1. Avoiding the topic (however you define it – e.g., adversity, harm, maltreatment, abuse, etc.) doesn’t make it go-away or not happen. Professionals need to directly confront their own biases and fears in order to protect children. 
2. Parents/caregivers love and want to do right by their children. Professionals need to believe/know that and then respond accordingly, through family-centered intervention practices implemented across the lifespan. 
3. Relationships matter (Parent -child, professional-parent, and professional-professional). Our collective work must be grounded in relationships.

Debbie Mood/ [email protected]

1. The presentation of trauma symptoms in young children with reduced language and developmental disabilities is very frequently misunderstood by caregivers, teachers, and other allied health professionals and sometimes assumed to be a symptom of the developmental disability itself. 
2. Fostering connection and caregiver responsiveness to their child’s cues, which may not always be intuitively interpreted, is critical to reduce risk of maltreatment. It is critical that children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing have access to language. This both ensures that they are less likely to be selectively targeted and that they are able to give a complete report regarding maltreatment if necessary. They must be explicitly taught names and relationships of family members, caretakers, school personnel, body parts, etc. 
3. Deaf adults are at higher risk of being assumed to maltreat their children and their engagement with DHS/CPS is complicated by systems that are often inaccessible (see https://www.nad.org/about-us/position-statements/position-statement-on-…)

Brook Winchell/ [email protected]

1. Policy needs to change so that children who have been substantiated as abused and/or neglected become automatically eligible for early intervention services. We know the impacts of trauma on young children’s development, yet we ignore research and wait for developmental delays to appear rather than stand behind the “early” in early intervention.
2. Families and children need more high-quality targeted interventions related to experiencing trauma. When children and families are identified as needing these additional services, many early intervention programs do not have additional services to offer them.  Early interventionists often do not have training in trauma-informed care and rely on the child welfare system to assist in additional programming.  Working across disciplines/agencies can add barriers and cause delays in necessary services for children and families in need. 
3. Grassroots efforts can produce impactful programmatic changes. Critical changes and improved outcomes for children and families can happen even if there is a lack of outside support, grant funding, and policy change. Improved practices are possible with community partnerships, dedicated collaboration, and commitment to the field.

Mia Chudzik/ [email protected]

1. Trauma can occur both out of school and in school. Special education professionals need to be aware of the ways in which practices and policies they use can cause trauma or re-traumatize children with disabilities
2. Trauma-informed care is not a checklist of practices, but a mindset shift towards how we view and respond to behavior and children’s needs. Additionally, trauma-informed care benefits all children, not just those who have experienced maltreatment. Therefore, it’s important to remember that we don’t have to know if trauma occurred or what the trauma was before implementing trauma-informed care with children with disabilities. 
3. In order for trauma-informed care to be successful, all professionals that work with a child must be trauma-informed. Because of this, it’s important to include teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and related service providers in research and conversations about trauma. 

Lonna Moline/ [email protected]

1. Develop a trusting relationship with the students
2. Critical to be aware of signs of maltreatment and reporting them. Feel comfortable with reporting even suspicions-you don’t need to be the one making the final decision but so important to make the call
3. Use wellness/resiliency strategies that empower (students/teachers/self). For example: self-compassion, self-expression, exercise, art, reframing, guided meditation, rest/sleep, peer support groups
4. Be aware of your own triggers

Marisa Fisher/ [email protected]

1. Assessment and detection, especially self-report, is difficult but it is necessary to identify the best methods to support children with disabilities in telling about their experiences.
2. Maltreatment impacts the mental and physical health of individuals with disabilities and increases their risk for negative outcomes in school, work, and relationships
3. Protective agencies and mandated reporters are underprepared and current training offerings do not focus on children with disabilities leading to underreporting and potentially impacting investigations and findings.

Janine Darragh/[email protected]

1. In contexts of crisis, children with disabilities are less likely to go to school/have access to schooling than students without disabilities. And girls with disabilities are perhaps the most vulnerable to interrupted schooling in contexts of crisis. 
2. All students can benefit when teachers thoughtfully incorporate trauma-sensitive practices into their pedagogy and practice.
3. Teachers are particularly susceptible to secondary/vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout, especially when working with students who come from trauma backgrounds. They need support and knowledge regarding identifying, accepting, and protecting themselves, so they can better support their own students.

Karen Kritzer/[email protected]

1. Trust your “gut.” If it tells you that there is an issue, there probably is one. This does not mean reporting based on a gut feeling, but it does mean to be hyper-aware and observant.
2. The way that D/deaf kids (or kids with other language delays or issues) report abuse or maltreatment is not going to be the same as the way that hearing kids (or kids without language issues) report the same events. Be alert to what kids don’t say (as well as what they do) and be prepared to make inferences, and ask questions to explore further without making leaps.
3. The “problem” is not over when/if the child is removed from the home. Trauma lasts a lifetime. That child has been permanently changed by what has happened to him/her and the way that you/others interact with him/her needs to reflect that.

Katie Graves/ [email protected]

1. Through my work, I’ve realized that simply providing staff training on restraint reduction or disability awareness is insufficient if facility culture and systemic incentives do not change. Staff may default to punitive or restrictive practices when under stress, understaffed, or lacking alternative strategies. Sustainable change requires leadership commitment, ongoing coaching, and embedding trauma-informed, disability-sensitive approaches into daily routines.
2. I have learned that without rigorous data collection, reporting, and oversight, maltreatment and misuse of restraint and seclusion remain hidden. Facilities often lack transparent systems for tracking incidents involving youth with disabilities, making it difficult to identify patterns of abuse or overuse. Meaningful reform requires not only policies but robust mechanisms to ensure accountability and protect vulnerable youth.
3. Seclusion is never warranted!!! (Krezmien, M. P., Travers, J., Valdivia, M., Mulcahy, C., Zablocki, M., Ugurlu, H. E., & Nunes, L. (2015). Disparate disciplinary confinement of diverse students in juvenile corrections. In Transition of Youth and Young Adults (Vol. 28, pp. 273-290). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.)

Chad Rose/ [email protected]

1. Maltreatment of youth, including those with disabilities, impacts all of life’s domains, including psychosocial, psychosomatic, behavioral, social, and academic.
2. Youth with disabilities are disproportionately involved within the bullying dynamic, including experiencing higher rates of victimization.
3. Social and communication skill deficits are two of the strongest predictors of bullying involvement, and should be considered when designing and implementing bullying prevention programming. 

Gaylen Kapperman/ [email protected]

1. Many teachers of blind children do not understand that their students are at high risk for child sex abuse
2.  Many teachers of blind children receive little or no training regarding mandated reporting
3.  Teachers of blind children do not know how to effectively train their students on how to recognize child sex abuse

Stacey Kelly/ [email protected]

1. Many teachers of blind children do not understand that their students are at high risk for child sex abuse.
2.  Many teachers of blind children receive little or no training regarding mandated reporting.
3.  Teachers of blind children do not know how to effectively train their students on how to recognize child sex abuse. 

Elizabeth Gormley-Liffley/ [email protected]

1. Signs of maltreatment may differ for children with disabilities, especially those with extensive support needs, from children without disabilities. Yet, this area is underexplored. 
2. Teachers play a pivotal role in detecting and reporting maltreatment! These are the professionals most consistently in children with disabilities’ lives outside of the home. They have the opportunity to identify nuanced signs of maltreatment that may be missed by others due to their proximity and close relationships. 
3. Communication skills are essential for self-reporting! As this is an area of difficulty for many children with disabilities, developing methods for teaching related vocabulary and conversational skills is vital for them to effectively communicate their experiences with maltreatment. On the flip side, children with disabilities are already communicating their experiences with maltreatment; caregivers, family members, and professionals are just not able to interpret their messages. Therefore, tools for detecting signs of maltreatment in children with disabilities are needed. 

Caroline Guardino/ [email protected] 

1. Children with disabilities are at a far greater risk for maltreatment than those without disabilities
2. Sometimes teachers are unaware that they must go to the authorities (i.e., the police, calling a child abuse and neglect hotline, calling child protective services). Instead, they think reporting the incident to a principal or supervisor is sufficient. 
3. Pre-service teachers are uncomfortable when talking about this subject but feel empowered that they have the ability to help children suffering from child abuse and/or neglect. 

Eric Commons/ [email protected] 

1. As special educators, we are privileged professions with regards to protecting (e.g., responding) and also preventing (e.g., in our own practice) maltreatment. This dual responsibility is a prerequisite in creating positive, safe, and empowering learning environments. 
2. The more I learn about primary prevention practices and universal design for any one cause, the more I see it about being what we do for just everyone. Too often, differentiation and Tier 1 or UDL are tied to call and response (e.g., under ADA or IDEA) when it's just good for all, no matter what student or vulnerable population you are interested in. 
3. I haven’t learned the lesson yet, but I think like trauma maltreatment is individually contextualized. What is maltreatment for one student may not be for another. Also, what is considered not maltreatment today, may not be later. As professionals and in protecting professional’s well-being and reflective practices, we need to think about these issues too. 

Amiee Hackney/ [email protected] 

1. One of the most powerful things we can do to help youth with a history of trauma exposures is to foster the development of safe, healthy relationships between youth and the adults working with them. 
2. Youth must feel safe and connected to others before any academic or behavioral interventions will be effective. 
3. The behavior we see is the youth communicating an unmet need. It is our job to find the unmet need and design supports and interventions that will assist students in having the need met and/or communicating that need in a more socially appropriate way

Joanna Cannon/[email protected]

1. Lack of knowledge among educators of all three levels of maltreatment work 
2. Deaf children with a disability/ies are more likely to experience maltreatment
3. Some view as an issue 'in the past' that is 'solved' today, so further awareness is necessary

Cara Wilmot/[email protected]

1. In all my work, I utilize the Root Causes and Key Impact Areas framework from the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC) to focus on actionable changes. I strive to be a strong advocate for the needs of deaf and hard of hearing (d/DHH) students, working to foster understanding and equity in settings where hearing privilege often dominates. https://nationaldeafcenter.org/resource-items/root-causes-and-key-impact-areas/ 
2. Professionals in deaf education may identify with some of the factors that shape a student’s identity, but not all. Therefore, collaborating with cultural brokers is essential to effectively address the diverse needs of d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/DHH) students.
3. Social skills for d/Deaf and hard of hearing students should be assessed annually. These skills should then be explicitly taught using a structured approach that includes: providing a rationale, demonstrating the skill, identifying areas of need, practicing through role-plays, offering feedback, and supporting generalization.

Jennifer Kilpatrick/: [email protected]

1. While estimates are imprecise and variable, research reports that 30 – 60% of children in foster care have a disability.   
2. Children with disabilities in foster care face additional challenges such as continuity of care and schooling, as well as access to medical and related services. 
3. Foster parents and caseworkers have little training on the needs of children with disabilities.   

Christina McDonnell/[email protected]

1. The intersection of maltreatment and disability is a critical area to focus research, teaching, and clinical services, in partnership and collaboration with communities (co-designed research, participatory research). 
2. Existing evidence-based interventions, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), have strong potential for supporting children with disabilities, although much more research is needed to understand for whom these therapeutic programs work best and for whom adaptations and/or other programs may be more helpful. 
3. A lifespan approach is essential, including supporting adults with disabilities (Autistic adults) who have experienced childhood maltreatment, and supporting both caregivers and their children (intergenerational, family-based supports). 

Ruth Brown-Ennis/[email protected]

1. There are critical gaps in professional training around disability and trauma.
   Despite years of clinical and academic training, I was not prepared to support children with disabilities — especially those with higher support needs — who had experienced maltreatment. This gap is not unique to me. Educators, healthcare professionals, therapists, and caseworkers across disciplines often lack foundational knowledge about disability and are rarely trained in trauma-informed approaches tailored to this population. We need systemic changes in training programs to ensure the next generation of providers is equipped to serve children with disabilities with competence and compassion.
2. Bridging the gap between research, practice, and policy is essential to making an impact.
   Evidence-based interventions and trauma-informed practices are only meaningful if they reach the people who need them. That means more than publishing papers — it requires strategic dissemination, translation for families and frontline providers, and sustained engagement with policymakers at all levels. Embedding research into systems of care, school protocols, and service funding structures is critical to reducing the risk and impact of maltreatment among children with disabilities.
3. Families and providers need clear, accessible, and actionable guidance.
   Even the best research can fall flat if it’s not communicated clearly. I’ve learned that families and providers are hungry for simple, direct guidance on how to recognize signs of trauma, respond effectively, and support healing — especially when navigating complex disability needs. Investing in the co-creation of resources that reflect real-world challenges and lived experience is essential for uptake and effectiveness.

Mickie Wong-Lo/ [email protected] 

1. Children with Disabilities Experience Overlapping Forms of Maltreatment, Both Online and Offline
2. Protective Systems Often Fail to Recognize or Address Digital Abuse of Children with Disabilities
3. Empowerment, Advocacy and Inclusion Are Essential to Prevention and Recovery

Peter D’Amico/[email protected]

1. Trauma has been basically invisible in youth with IDD and continues to be overlooked for several reasons not the least of which is diagnostic overshadowing—attributing the trauma symptoms to the disability
2. Many clinicians are reticent in treating individuals with IDD, referencing the need for extensive specialized training, however modest training to help clinicians accommodate for neurodiversity has shown to be successful in raising levels of confidence and competency and perhaps most importantly has led to clinicians increasing number of IDD cases in their caseloads.
3. The strongest messaging has come from those with lived experience.

Juliet Vogel/[email protected]

1. Children with disabilities are as a group at heightened risk for experience of maltreatment and other traumas, but often trauma symptoms are ignored/misattributed to their disabilities so it is important to raise awareness of the possibility of trauma and its impact 
2. Among young children who have experienced maltreatment, there is heightened risk of developmental delays. It is important for providers to be aware of this and make appropriate referrals for assessment and intervention as needed (including awareness of regulation of referrals for PART C evaluations for children under the age of 3 who have substantiated maltreatment cases)
3. Trauma treatment can be adjusted to be suitable for youth with developmental disabilities. It is important to include their parents/caregivers when possible and also address their needs.

Daniel Hoover/[email protected]

1. Children with disabilities are just as affected by trauma as anyone else; more so in many cases
2. We have to “ask the questions” about trauma as many children will not share about their trauma spontaneously
3. There remains much work to be done, to educate and advocate for the needs of children with disabilities exposed to trauma and maltreatment- even “experts” in the field often do not understand these hidden issues.

Theresa Andrzejewski/ [email protected] 

1. Youth with disabilities experience high rates of traumatic events, particularly events of a social or interpersonal nature which may include maltreatment-related experiences. Existing assessment and intervention tools that screen for traumatic events may not be expansive enough to capture the broad range of social events that youth with disabilities experience and consider to be traumatic (e.g., bullying, disability-focused discrimination/mistreatment). This then creates issues in identifying trauma and trauma-related stress symptoms, and in guiding interventions and supports for trauma-related symptoms.
2. Youth with disabilities and their families are subject to higher rates of intergenerational trauma, meaning that parents who experience maltreatment are more likely to have children who will experience maltreatment. This underscores the importance of holistic support for families, including support for parents or other family members in addition to support for youth who experience maltreatment. 
3. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is a flexible intervention that has begun to show support for intervening successfully among families of youth with disabilities (e.g., reduces levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms). Additional research should seek to further modify TF-CBT as needed, in addition to modifying or developing other therapeutic interventions to prevent maltreatment, support youth with disabilities and their families, and foster resilience among youth with disabilities.

Abby Hardy/ [email protected]

1. Lack of respect for access needs and disability accommodation can intensify traumatic experiences, especially in the medical setting. When children are not given the time to process the events around them, or when medical staff do not interact with them appropriately given their accessibility needs, children’s stress levels increase and events that could be tolerable can become traumatic. 
2. Many children are resilient and able to recover from stressful experiences, but trauma is very impactful for others. It can be hard for caregivers to support children with extensive support needs to process their trauma given the communication challenges that are often present, even when caregivers notice behavioral indications that the child is struggling. 
3. Trauma informed care and education is crucial for children with intellectual disabilities, but little is known about how exactly to implement trauma informed care for children with extensive support needs and special education teachers are often excluded from meaningful professional development around this topic. 

Aidan Campagnolio/ [email protected] 

1. Children with disabilities are often met with disbelief when they report instances of maltreatment to trusted adults.
2. Children with disabilities who have additional marginalized identities experience disproportionately unjust consequences compared to children with disabilities. One must incorporate an intersectional framework when working with children with disabilities, as Black children with disabilities will have a different lived experience of disability than White children with disabilities, for example. An additive framework of marginalization will fail to capture the nuance of disability and other identities. 
3. Professionals do not receive adequate training in diagnosing and treating maltreatment of children with disabilities. This truth is best explained by diagnostic overshadowing: when clinicians falsely attribute mental health symptomology to a preexisting disability (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, etc.). In other words, children with disabilities may experience delays to receiving care because their mental health symptoms are incorrectly conceptualized as disability-related behaviors.

Yue Xu/ [email protected]

1. The fields of social work, special ed, rehab sciences (OT, ST, PT) are not equally educated on this intersectional issue, with some disciplines with much less awareness/training.
2. Sometimes, child protection services are used as an institutional disciplinary tool against families that are different (language, cultural differences, parenting approaches).
3. The field of social work needs more training on differentiating what is maltreatment, what is symptoms of developmental disabilities, and the power structure/struggles families of children with special needs are caught in.

Kelli Esteves/ [email protected]

1. I have observed firsthand that misunderstandings about disability and ability often contribute to maltreatment in various ways and in various degrees. Children with disabilities may face judgment, social isolation, neglect, or bullying because of stereotypes and lack of awareness. This reinforces the critical need for education to challenge misconceptions.
2. Communication barriers can significantly increase vulnerability. When children have difficulty expressing themselves, they may struggle to report abuse or make their needs understood which can result in unmet care.
3. Caregivers of children with disabilities often experience high levels of stress, which can increase the risk of maltreatment. While stress does not excuse harmful behavior, it underscores the importance of providing caregivers with resources such as respite care, support groups, and counseling. Strong support systems can improve caregiver well-being and ultimately protect children.

Carie Bires/ [email protected]

1. There is low awareness about the rate of maltreatment among the very youngest children and the impacts on child development, which leads to lack of attention on the importance of connecting infants and toddlers to Early Intervention. A big lesson learned has been how important it is to start with the basics and build greater awareness of the issue in general so that folks have a better reason to engage in systems building efforts that strengthen accessibility to supports for families with infants and toddlers that experience maltreatment.
2. It’s critical to center families and children in this work; however, it can be very difficult to engage families involved in the child welfare system. Because of past negative experiences with human services and stigma, families may be reticent to identify themselves as having experience with the child welfare system or may fear re-experiencing traumatic events. When families have open child welfare cases, they also tend to have very little bandwidth to engage in things like surveys, focus groups, or co-design processes related to building better systems of care and support. The other challenge is incorporating the voice of foster parents or relative caregivers who may only be caring for children temporarily and have very different perspectives from birth parents. However, without family perspective, we make a lot of assumptions that turn out to be wrong about what families need and want. Identifying better strategies to engage families with lived experience in systems building efforts is a key area of focus for the field moving forward.
3. There are many policies that facilitate access to early childhood programs and services for children who have experienced maltreatment and those with disabilities; however, the policies are not well-understood or implemented and significant gaps remain. Navigating the early childhood system for a child who has both a disability and has experience maltreatment adds to the complexity of an already complex process. Furthermore, the inclusion framework of access, participation and supports is critical to operationalize in all efforts to strengthen policy, implementation and practice in this area. Policy makers and practitioners must focus on both removing barriers to early childhood programs and greatly streamlining processes, identifying and implementing program and policy enhancements and adaptations that ensure children can participate fully in the program once enrolled, and additional supports for staff who are working with children with these very complex needs.

Dustin Bindreiff/ [email protected]

1. The value of highly skilled caring staff
2. Understanding the principles of behaviorism
3. Teaching replacement behaviors

Irene Van der Zande/ [email protected]

1. Powerful, positive, and respectful adult leadership is essential to keeping children safe, especially young people with disabilities.
2. Just talking and worrying about problems is likely to raise anxiety without making anyone safer.
3. Practicing what to say and what to do to handle different kinds of safety problems with people increases confidence, reduces anxiety. and increases competence.
4. Safety skills are at the foundation of self-determination.
5. Don’t assume that people can’t do something just because how they look or act.  We have known people who have worked with individuals with disabilities for years who were astonished at what they were capable of doing when they have the opportunity to practice safety skills in a step-by-step fashion starting from where they are. 

Harold Johnson/ [email protected]

1. Talking and learning about child maltreatment are the necessary first steps to enhancing child safety and success.
2. Children with disabilities are significantly more vulnerable to maltreatment due to their lack of specific knowledge and skills that can be acquired through day-to-day interactions with their parents and teachers.
3. Most teachers, while confident in their ability to recognize and report suspected child maltreatment, lack the necessary knowledge, skills and resources needed to reduce their students’ vulnerability to maltreatment. 

Jamie Hopkins/ [email protected]

1. Children with disabilities are at much greater risk for experiencing maltreatment
2. Children can learn to advocate for themselves and to report their concerns to trusted adults
3. Educators can help prevent maltreatment when given the tools to implement strategies in the classroom

William (Bill) Bogdan/ [email protected]

1. CEC Policy on the Prevention of and Response to Maltreatment.  Before the development of this CEC policy, it was critical to view this complex issue as a systems issue, thus requiring a complex approach in which a CEC policy would serve as a basis for addressing this issue in our schools and communities today…i.e., a multi-agency, collaborative approach, based and imbedded in a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS and PBIS foundations). 
2. The original CEC work related to the maltreatment of children and youth with disabilities grew from the leadership of the CEC Division for Communication, Language, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DCD) and was championed as an interdivisional initiative originating from the CEC Interdivisional Caucus (IDC). The lesson learned, at that time…given the opportunity to partner, CEC’s 18 divisions have the power and leadership to enact change through their collaborative and leadership efforts. 
3. Basically, it takes a village...both within CEC and within our schools and communities to address complex issues such as this.  I think of the tenets of Collective Impact (Stanford Social Innovation Review) as a means toward a positive outcome in bringing multiple community organizations and agencies together to address a critical social issue that affects our children, youth, families and the professionals who serve them in our schools today. 

Mary Ruth Coleman/ [email protected]

1. Each child/person’s experience is uniquely theirs
2. Kindness is the key to connections
3. Individuals can be both strong and fragile

Janet DesGeorges/ [email protected]

1. IEP Safety Attachment: http://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/OUR/SafetyAttachmentPlanTemplat…
2.  Parent Safety Toolkit:  https://www.handsandvoices.org/pdf/OUR-Toolkit.pdf
3. International statement on Children’s Safety:  https://www.gpodhh.org/site/user-assets/docs/GPODHH-safeguarding.pdf
4. International statement:  Call to Action:  https://www.gpodhh.org/safeguarding-our-children-a-call-to-action
5. Articles Archive from Hands & Voices:   https://www.hv-library.com/our/#gsc.tab=0 

Sara Kennedy/ [email protected]

1. The Oct-June monthly Community of Learners through the OUR Children’s Project at Hands & Voices https://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/OUR/index.htm 
2.  The Parent Safety Toolkit: https://www.handsandvoices.org/pdf/OUR-Toolkit.pdf 
3. Helping Parents Talk to Children (about abuse/neglect) https://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/OUR/helping_parents.htm
4. Hands & Voices newspaper articles such as Abuse in a Nice Family: A Cautionary Tale https://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/OUR/2014/nicefamily.html also in Spanish https://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/espanol/bully.html

Chresta Brinkman/ [email protected]

1. Hands & Voices Vook Club 
2. Hands & Voices Parent Safety Tool Kit 
3. Kid Power International Child Abuse Prevention 

Christine Griffin/ [email protected]

1. Keeping Our Children Safe 2019 article
2. Keeping Our Children Safe 2016 article
3. Summer Camps Keeping Our Kids Dafe and Included
4. What’s Safety got to Do With It

Janel Frost/ [email protected]

1. MI H&V Safety Policy & Procedure Manual - Abuse Prevention
2. ACEs to PACES - EHDI Conference Presentation

Meghan Hendrick/ [email protected]

1. Child Safety Overview
2. Empowering Parents
3. Safety and Success of Your Child 

Marcia Philipps/ [email protected]

1. Collaborative Problem-Solving Process
2. Code
3. Covenant of Support

Jess Olson/ [email protected]

1. Safe Space-This space in our classroom is explicitly taught as an area where you can safely feel any feelings you may have. It is equipped with all the tools that we teach and model on a regular basis for emotional regulation. It corresponds with our “I feel/I need…” visual board to support understanding, selection, and use of the strategies. [copy of file “Jess Olson – Safety Space” in Bright Spot sub directory]
2. “I Feel - I Need…” visual-This visual contains a multitude of strategies and tools that students can use in response to big feelings. We emphasize in our classroom that it is always okay to feel whatever feelings you may have, but you always need to do so safely. These tools are safe alternatives to behaviors that may occur as a response to big feelings. The tool helps students identify how they are feeling, and then give them a sense of control by letting them choose how they respond to the feeling. The tool is designed to be individualized as needed based on what works for individual students by reducing or adding visuals, matching the labels of the locations of the tools to the visuals on the board for easy access, and independent or supported use. [copy of file “Jess Olson – I feel - I need” in Bright Spot sub directory]
3. Safekeeping box and Safekeeping Social Story -This is our classroom’s version of the Safekeeping Ritual from Conscious Discipline. It is our daily commitment and reminder that our job as a classroom community is to keep each other safe, and that my job as their teacher is to keep everyone safe. This is an essential part of our this is an essential part of our daily routine as it re-establishes the priority we place on safety and security. [copy of file “Jess Olson – Safekeeping Box” in Bright Spot sub directory] [copy of file “Jess Olson – Safekeeping Social Story” in Bright Spot sub directory]

Megan Hillegas/[email protected] 

1. Op-Ed on play and social-emotional learning
2.  Relationship-Based Learning in PreK: Presentation that I have given multiple times at the district, local, and state level on the importance of developing relationships in the early childhood classroom. [copy of file “Megan Hillegass – Child Sfety Overview” in Bright Spot sub directory]
3.  Mastering KIDS: Voices from the Field While not directly related to working with children with disabilities that have experienced maltreatment, this policy brief is part of a larger advocacy effort I have been engaged in at the state level for the past 5 years. My work has focused on elevating teacher voice to improve data collection and address inequities present in the Kindergarten readiness assessment tool (KIDS) that is required of all new Kindergarten students in Illinois. The publication of this policy brief (and the ensuing presentations of our findings throughout the state) led to my appointment by the Illinois State Board of Education to two state-wide committees: KIDS Advisory Committee and the Full-Day Kindergarten Task Force. I continue to serve on both committees and am proud to provide teacher voice to ensure equity for marginalized students in Kindergarten programs in the state of Illinois.

Paul Garcia/ [email protected]

1. Mindfulness Video created for my school: https://youtu.be/JKz92c0Gvf8?si=Lg6mLWemxxrkFF8M 
2. School Song “Children of Valor” : Children of Valor 
3. Ferny the Dragon’s video messages: https://youtu.be/AxWCWP1xuHI?si=kX2kP3SnSiO70lzL

Michael (Ben) Curtiss/ [email protected]

1. https://nmestatecheckin.com/ A project that has fizzled out, but we used it as a tool to check in with students about their state, and track baseline states over time. We demonstrated the site to Dr. Perry, but nothing ever came of the project. At one point, we were able to identify two suicidal students and get them support 
2. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TgVmkK86OqIWLx9MlDartfkVRMhif0py?usp=sharing Book study and student designed activities for a .5 credit psychology course at the high school level. Half of the class working on this were students in a level D, EDP self-contained setting. The other half were from a public high school in the same district. 
3. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Mt2aoNM3mf7nT4h2tVMNt8y104P7XJJlJNQtddwYfsQ/edit?u sp=sharing Student reated lesson about the states in NME analogous to super heroes

Kristin Grender/ [email protected]

1. Recognizing Signs of Maltreatment in Students who are blind or have low vision
2. The Role of O&M: Recognizing Signs of Maltreatment in Students who are blind or have low vision
3. Understanding and Preventing Maltreatment with ARFID: A Guide for Teachers and Families
4. A Teachers Role in Keeping DHH Students Safe

Andrea Kimsman/ [email protected]

1. I recently gave a presentation at Florida Educators for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (FEDHH) conference titled “The Fallacy of the ‘Bad’ Kid” which highlighted the importance of understanding how our own lens impacts our ability to establish and maintain meaningful relationships with students, specifically students who exhibit non-preferred behaviors as a result of trauma and/or experiences that are outside of their control. The presentation can be accessed by clicking here.
2. I have also had the pleasure of participating in an international research study in which teachers of the Deaf were asked to collaborate on Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies to promote inclusion and accessibility within the classroom setting. The results of this collaboration can be found by clicking here.

Corey Peters/ [email protected] 

1. Conscious Discipline Brains 
2. Simple tips provided by national teacher’s union concerning teacher focused, classroom based, trauma-informed practices

Joleen Boelter/ [email protected][hyperlink to be added]

1. Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs)
2. Individualized Safety and De-escalation Plans
3. Visual Support Systems (First/Then boards, choice boards, calming strategies)

Lisa Palese/[email protected]

1.  IAASE Presentation on Restraint & Time Out Reduction 
2. I added most of the links at the end of the presentation on the “tools page.”
3. We follow the guidelines set up by ISBE for Restraint/Time-Out- one of the presentations I linked is one we used for our staff to ensure the guidelines are clear.  We also speak with our families about these state guidelines as so many new students come here sharing that they faced restraint/time-out regularly before coming to our program.   This question- does give me some thoughts, though, about making this more transparent as a part of our student/employee handbooks. 

Nick Berger/ [email protected]

1. Instructional Assistant Power Point

Brittany Seeley/[email protected]

2. Documents and Grant Work - Capacity-Building-to-Eliminate-the-Inappropriate-Use-of-Seclusio…
3. https://padlet.com/fredb3/trauma-informed-care-mj5sj4t0i1jwxqrv
4. https://padlet.com/fredb3/executive-functioning-resources-and-supports-b2e4ao1jsrobz01o

Kory Kutzler/ [email protected]

1. Resilient Edge Book List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11PQLzNL-lYnxb8piYCs-9j_Zw7xZzF2DmYjKJMTqxjg/edit?tab=t.0 
2. Trauma 101 Presentation (link to pdf file “Kory Kutzer – Trauma 101 Presentation)
3. Beyond the Classroom Ep. 9 Trauma (YouTube)
4. Kindness Spotlight: November 2024 (YouTube)

Laura Staats/ [email protected]

1. https://www.a2awisconsin.org/A2AWisconsin/Prevention.htm - Workshop on using best practices in policies & procedure to prevent child sexual abuse.
2. Additional modules and context to be added surrounding focus populations, including youth with disabilities, with anticipated completion in 2026. https://www.a2awisconsin.org/WCSAP1/Infographics/CS_A2A_Questions-to-Ask-YSO-Card_1144.pdf - \ Safe Programs - Safe Kids

Amy Curtiss/ [email protected] 

1. We started to create a website, www.nmestatecheckin.com, to use with students.  This website allows users to complete scheduled “check-ins” where they rate their “state” (based on Dr. Perry’s Neurosequential Model) to indicate their level of regulation and what regulation activities they prefer.  This site keeps data over time so that the student’s state, based on their check-ins, can be monitored and sends alerts to the teacher when they have a student who has checked in as dysregulated.
2. While working in the Florence Unified School District, my husband and I developed a high school psychology course to teach high-school students about Dr. Perry’s Neurosequential Model (with approval and in consultation with Dr. Perry) and co-taught this class.  Ben’s general education 9th grade students collaborated weekly through Google Meet with my high school students in ED-P to develop this curriculum and share their experiences.  Chapter Activities for "Boy"  
3. My husband also taught these concepts to his 8th grade students with whom he worked during the COVID shutdowns.  These students then created and shared their own presentations and presented at the district SEL conference.  I came into his classes once a week to help teach the concepts and answer questions.  Here is one of the student-created presentations NME States Lesson 2
4. We have developed a 1-hour overview of the neurosequential model and adapted this overview as we work with different audiences.  Here are some examples A Dose of the Neurosequential Model-Ironwood & First Dose of NM-PreK
5. We have developed a 10-hour introductory course to introduce the Neurosequential Model to school staff as an alternative to the 100 hour official certification course.  Using Dr. Perry’s vocabulary, we refer to each class as a “dose.”  This introduction provides an overview of all of the core concepts and a book study of Dr. Perry’s “The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog” but without the longer commitment that deters some individuals from enrolling in the full certification.  Here are a couple of the “Doses”
   1. 2nd Dose of the Neurosequential Model-CG Psychs and Counselors
   2. 5th Dose of Neurosequential Model-CG psychs and counselors 

Ruby Sewell/ [email protected]

1. I have borrowed all of the materials I use from those who have come before me or are doing this work alongside me.
2. Helpful links for D/HH youth: https://www.cdhy.wa.gov/resources/social-emotional/
3. This site has helpful links for understanding mental health needs unique to D/HH youth: https://deafpatients.webnode.page/

Elizabeth Diaz/ [email protected] 

1. Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center – Keeping my Family Safe – I did not author this content; however, I was contracted as a consultant to provide guidance and recommendations on making the material more accessible and inclusive for families and children of all ability levels and across cultural lines. In this role, I also developed the Spanish Translation for the organization. 
   1. One of my key contributions was recommending the use of concrete visuals and examples rather than abstract concepts. For example, rather than simply stating “stay calm and listen carefully,” I recommended offering parents specific language such as, “I’m glad you shared this with me. Is there anything else you’d like to share?” 
2. Body Safety Curriculum 
   1. Presentations for school staff, teachers, and parents explored how intersecting vulnerable identities, such as disability, can increase a child’s risk of experiencing abuse or maltreatment. During these sessions, I discussed how principles from trauma-informed care, which encourage systems to lead with compassion by assuming that most individuals have experienced some form of trauma and can experience trauma, can be adapted to create disability-informed care. This approach assumes that individuals may experience some form of disability or neurodivergence, whether visible or not, and encourages systems to respond with awareness, inclusion, and respect that are ultimately supportive of the entire population.
      1. Presentation with children includes accessible songs that anchor on simple song and chord structures, easily digestible and repetitive lyrics, that utilize music and movement to facilitate the internalization of the content. For example, “Feelings are for you and me. Feelings are for everybody,”
3. Presentation at the International Association of Social Work for Groups (IASWG) 2024 Symposium in Madrid, Spain, on: Demystifying Sexual Abuse Intervention and Primary Prevention Education in a Group Setting for Preschool and Kindergarten Aged Children. This includes snapshots of the above-mentioned curriculum
   1. This presentation navigates the landscape of child sexual abuse prevention, addressing systems of oppression that perpetuate child sexual abuse and introducing diverse theoretical frameworks. Attendees explore primary, secondary, and tertiary education approaches in a group setting, using music, and engage in interactive modules on sexual abuse education. They also participate in breakout groups. The session concludes with a collaborative concert, symbolizing the need for collective protection of children and experiential learning of the content, much like children would. 

Catherine Corr/ [email protected]

1.   The major journals on this topic, e.g., Child Maltreatment & Child Abuse & Neglect.  One possibility is using “Google Scholar” to find pertinent articles. “Research Gate” is another search tool that is available to the public.
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA)
3. Equity-centered Trauma-informed Education: Transforming Classrooms, Shifting Systems.  Use it with doctoral and master degree students to inform them re. good practices re. trauma informed instruction.   

Jenna Voss/ [email protected] 

1. Rosenzweig, E. & Voss, J. (2022). Their Words, Their World: A Paradigm for Culturally Relevant Family-Centered Intervention. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_PERSP-21-00074
2. Voss, J. (March 10, 2020) Putting Ourselves into the Story: Promoting Resilience for Children Who are DHH and their Families. [Invited Closing Plenary]. 19th Annual Early Hearing Detection and Identification Conference: Kansas City, Missouri.
3. Voss, J., & Lenihan, S. (2020). Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Families Experiencing Adversity: The Role of the Auditory-Verbal Practitioner. In W. Estabrooks, H. M. Morrison, & K. MacIver-Lux (Eds.), Auditory-Verbal Therapy: Science, Research, and Practice. Plural Publishing. https://www.pluralpublishing.com/publications/auditory-verbal-therapy-science-research-and-practice

Debbie Mood/ [email protected]

1. Mood, D, Szarkowski, A, Brice, PJ, & Wiley, S. (2020). Relational factors in pragmatic skill development: Deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers. Pediatrics,146(Suppl 3):S246-S261. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0242D

Brook Winchell/ [email protected]

1. Adrihan, S., Winchell, B., & Greene, S. (2018). Transforming early intervention screening, evaluation, assessment, and collaboration practices: Increasing eligibility for children impacted by trauma. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 38(3), 174-184. [copy of file “Brooke Winchell -Topics Publication” in Bright Spot sub directory]
2. Winchell, B., & Adrihan, S. (October, 2018). Increasing CAPTA part c eligibility through improved screening and evaluation practices. Paper presented at International Division for Early Childhood Annual Conference, Orlando, FL. [copy of file “Brooke Winchell -Increasing CAPTA Part C Eligibility Through Improved Screening” in Bright Spot sub directory]
3. Adrihan, S., & Winchell, B. (January, 2021). Collaborative approaches for working with children impacted by trauma. Presentation at International DEC 2021 Conference. [copy of file “Brooke Winchell -Collaborative Approaches for Working with Children Impacted by Trauma” in Bright Spot sub directory]

Mia Chudzik/ [email protected]

1. https://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/understanding-trauma/
   This is a tip sheet focused on helping early childhood professionals understand the impact of trauma and what the importance of trauma-informed care
2. https://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/trauma-informed/
   This is a tip sheet builds off of the first one by providing strategies early childhood professionals can use in their classroom to support children who have experienced trauma. From this study, we learned that these teachers have a baseline understanding of concepts related to trauma, such as the importance of supporting social-emotional development, and learned about specific areas they would like more training and support in.
3. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10538151231164898
   This article highlights the areas of professional development related to trauma-informed care that are needed for early childhood special education teachers. [copy of file “Mia Chudzik  – Trauma-Informed Care…” in Bright Spot sub directory]

Lonna Moline/ [email protected]

1. Collective Trauma Summit: Creating a Global Healing Movement

Marisa Fisher/ [email protected]

1. A population-based examination of maltreatment referrals and substantiation for children with autism spectrum disorder (https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318813998)
2.  Child abuse among children with disabilities: What we know and what we need to know (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0074-7750(07)35007-6)
3.  Chapter Seven – victimization of individuals with intellectural and developmental disabilities across the lifespan (https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irrdd.2016.08.001)

Janine Darragh/ [email protected]

1. Supporting All Students: Teacher Education and the Realities of Trauma https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/RIFOP/article/view/89435 [copy of file “Janine Darragh – Supporting All Students…” in Bright Spot sub directory]
2. “I feel like I’m teaching inn a landmine”: Teaching in the context of political trauma https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0742051X18313271?via%3Dihub [copy of file “Janine Darragh – I feel like I am teaching in a landmine…” in Bright Spot sub directory]
3. YouTube Video: “Social-Emotional Learning & Trauma-Sensitive Practices in English Language Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg5HFugz67w

Katie Graves/ [email protected]

1. Restraint and Seclusion: A Review of Practices and Policy (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10534512231179099) 
2. Bullying and Youth with Disabilities: Understanding the Complexity of Involvement (https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/s0735-004x202300000…)
3. Opportunities to Respond and Behavior-Specific Praise in the Juvenile Justice Setting: Teacher Professional Development and Coaching (https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/handle/10355/104680)

Chad Rose/ [email protected]

1. https://www.mizzoubullypreventionlab.com/ 
2.  https://research.missouri.edu/news/translating-research-practice 
3.  https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/mu-researcher-develops-curriculum-to-combat-bullying-of-students-with-disabilities/article_def34c54-475f-11ee-95aa-3b7bae49f43b.html 

Gaylen Kapperman/ [email protected]

1. Kelly S., & Kapperman, G. (2024) Knowledge is Power for Young Children with Visual Impairments and Learners with Visual and Multiple Impairments: How Knowing One’s Own Body is Important for Safety and Well-Being, Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired, International Conference, Charlotte, NC.  [see link: Kelly – Kaperman – 2024 – Knowledge is power – AER presentation + Handouts]

Stacey Kelly/ [email protected]

1. https://www.aph.org/product/health-education-for-students-with-visual-impairments-a-guidebook-for-teachers-2/
2. Kelly, S. M. (2014). Guest editor. Forty years in the making: Special issue on sex education. Council for Exceptional Children Division on Visual Impairments Quarterly, 59(2), 1-70. https://dvidb.exceptionalchildren.org/dvidb-publications/vidbeq-issues
3. Kelly, S. M., Kapperman, G., Kalas, R., & Spitz, C. (in press). Methods and tools for decreasing vulnerability to physical and sexual assault among people with visual impairments. The New Review. https://meridian.allenpress.com/the-new-review

Elizabeth Gormley-Liffley/ [email protected]

1. Forthcoming: “A Call to Action: Extending the Research on Trauma Assessment and Treatment for Children with Intellectual Disabilities and Extensive Support Needs”. This article is accepted by Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15407969241268664
2. Forthcoming: “The Role of Special Educators in Maltreatment Identification and Trauma Treatment for Students with Extensive Support Needs”- a chapter in the Handbook on Maltreatment and its Prevention in Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 

Caroline Guardino/ [email protected] 

1. Deaf Ed Chapter with Dr. G. Lomas [see attached “Caroline Guardino – Deaf Ed Chapter…”]
2. CAN presentation to Hands and Voices (2017) [see attached “Caroline Guardino – Hands and Voices”]
3. CAN presentation adapted for intro classes (2011) [see attached “Caroline Guardino – CAN presentation…]
4. Dwayne Case Study from our book published by GUP (2018) [see attached “Caroline Guardino – Dwayne Case Study”]

Eric Commons/ [email protected] 

1. Newsletter Article: New Study Spotlight: Confronting the Silent Impact of Verbal Mistreatment (Common & Ennis, 2023) [see attached]
2.  Panel: TECBD 2024 ‘The Harm We May Cause and How Not To: Ethical Navigation in Helping Professions’

Amiee Hackney/ [email protected] 

1. Exploring Facilitator and Student Conversations Within Check-In/Check-Out Intervention: A Systematic Review With Links to Trauma-Informed Conversations - https://doi.org/10.1177/01987429241256319
2. This Prompt or That Prompt: Applying a Trauma-Informed Lens to Writing Instruction for Students With and at Risk for EBD - https://doi.org/10.1177/10742956231219947 
3.  Integrating Trauma-Informed Practices Into Check-In/Check-Out for Use in Alternative Education Settings - https://doi.org/10.1177/10534512231183968

Joanna Cannon/ [email protected]

1. Deaf with disabilities resources for increasing language to increase prevention
2.  Deaf and hard of hearing learners who come from families who have recently immigrated - resources to increase language and culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices to increase prevention
3. Family-centered infographics that summarize chapter information, available in English, French, Spanish, Punjabi, Persian, Mandarin, and Korean - to help families who are recent immigrants understand the educational system and the importance of language to increase family awareness and access to information

Cara Wilmot/ [email protected]

1. RMTC-DHH Mental Health, Resiliency, and Life Skills https://www.rmtcdhh.org/resources/mental-health 
2. TA-Live! Optimizing Outcomes Ten Essential Principles Webinars: https://www.rmtcdhh.org/video-library/optimizing-outcomes 
3.  NRSC @ AIDB STEM Academy aidb.org/StemAcademy
4. Accessible Educational Materials in ASL: https://sites.google.com/view/aem-in-asl/home 

Christina McDonnell/ [email protected]

1. Research article published in Child Maltreatment:  “A Pilot Proof of Concept Study of Telehealth-Based Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Autistic Youth:  Initial Evidence of Efficacy and Acceptability” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10775595251323215?casa_token=-3yQri1_S6wAAAAA%3Ac3D1m3j5fd2f5CS_fJ059XOcaO7k4PRQ1EBbwzUyixdCsYLr6sDq114OD_5iIVEuqzKEgAQpe0X3
2. Research article published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry: “Child maltreatment in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability: results from a population-based sample” https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcpp.12993?casa_token=r94ZaMv8AXoAAAAA%3A_SVCKv9Z30LJha9UeD0P2BE6Hf57XHBWZm9h_U6Uf0C60g0Zs_MfVO_XKvEEO-YQySIKDfW3TbH_pQ 
3. Research article published in Autism Research:  “Intergenerational trauma:  Parental PTSD and parent-reported child abuse subtypes differentially relate to admission characteristics in the autism inpatient collection” https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aur.2669?casa_token=i89Onx1CRj0AAAAA%3ApRCgXFT4hZFbSjtptaLWW7kA4YXwArCFniCZlMdhVCW37NRevLbDeZ_fPcXLiy5CUKvoPyFDFJ7LRA

Ruth Brown-Ennis/[email protected]

1. Thriving: Helping Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Heal and Thrive Following Trauma: https://hope.lab.vcu.edu/thriving/ (technically focused on adults with disabilities)
2. VCU Autism Center for Education webcast series Part 1: The Essential Messages of Trauma Responsive Practices https://vcuautismcenter.org/te/webcasts/details.cfm/623 
3.  VCU Autism Center for Education webcast series Part 2: Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses https://vcuautismcenter.org/te/webcasts/details.cfm/624
4.  VCU Autism Center for Education webcast series Part 3: Trauma Responsive Strategies for the Classroom https://vcuautismcenter.org/te/webcasts/details.cfm/625

Mickie Wong-Lo/ [email protected] 

1. Cyberbullying Research Center https://cyberbullying.org/ 
2. National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) https://ncjtc.fvtc.edu/ 
3.  National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) https://www.nctsn.org/ 

Peter D’Amico/ [email protected]

1. D’Amico, P.J., Vogel, J.M., Mannarino, A.P, Hoffman, D.L., Briggs, Tunno, A.M., Smith, C.J, Hoover, D. & Schwartz, R.M.  (2022). Tailoring trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A survey of nationally certified TF- CBT therapists, Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 7:1, 112-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2021.1955639
2. Hoover, D., D’Amico, et al, TF-CBT for IDD Implementation Guide https://tfcbt.org/idd-implementation-guide/
3. NCTSN Fact Sheets (developed by NCTSN Trauma and IDD Collaborative Group with participation from STRYDD Center)
4. The Impact of Trauma on Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Fact Sheet for Providers: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/the-impact-of-trauma-on-youth-with-inte…
5. Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities can Experience Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Parents and Caregivers: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/children-with-intellectual-and-developm…
6. Trauma and Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/trauma-and-children-with-intellectual-a…
7. Understanding Trauma Responses in Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and When to Seek Help: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/understanding-trauma-responses-in-child…
8. Choosing Trauma-Informed Care for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Fact Sheet for Caregivers: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/choosing-trauma-informed-care-for-child…

Juliet Vogel/ [email protected]

1. Vogel, J.M. (2024). Addressing Trauma-Related Needs of Young Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities. In: Osofsky, J.D., Fitzgerald, H.E., Keren, M., Puura, K. (eds) WAIMH Handbook of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48631-9_22
2.  Hoover, D, D’Amico, P., Vogel, J., . et al., TF-CBT for IDD Implementation Guide https://tfcbt.org/idd-implementation-guide/
3. D’Amico, P.J., Vogel, J.M., Mannarino, A.P, Hoffman, D.L., Briggs, Tunno, A.M., Smith, C.J, Hoover, D. & Schwartz, R.M.  (2022). Tailoring trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A survey of nationally certified TF- CBT therapists, Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 7:1, 112-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2021.1955639
4. NCTSN Fact Sheets (developed by NCTSN Trauma and IDD Collaborative Group with participation from STRYDD Center)
   • The Impact of Trauma on Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Fact Sheet for Providers: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/the-impact-of-trauma-on-youth-with-inte…
   • Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities can Experience Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Parents and Caregivers: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/children-with-intellectual-and-developm…
   • Trauma and Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/trauma-and-children-with-intellectual-a…
   • Understanding Trauma Responses in Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and When to Seek Help: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/understanding-trauma-responses-in-child…
   • Choosing Trauma-Informed Care for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Fact Sheet for Caregivers: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/choosing-trauma-informed-care-for-child…

Daniel Hoover/ [email protected]

1. TF-CBT IDD Implementation Guide - TF-CBT Certification Program
2.  Hoover, D., Fleming, T.C, & Khan, M. (2022). Treating traumatized children with intellectual disabilities: Tailoring Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for a vulnerable population.  Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 37(4), e13243. 
3.  Hoober, D. & Romero, E.M.G. (2019). The Interactive Trauma Scale: A web-based measure for children with autism. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 49, 1686-1692.

Theresa Andrzejewski/ [email protected] 

1. Research article published in 2023 (Andrzejewski et al., 2023): Adverse childhood experiences in autistic children and their caregivers: Examining intergenerational continuity https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35412212/ 
2.  Research article published in 2022 (McDonnell et al., 2022): Intergenerational trauma: Parental PTSD and parent-reported child abuse subtypes differentially relate to admission characteristics in the autism inpatient collection https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aur.2669?casa_token=i89Onx1CRj0AAAAA%3ApRCgXFT4hZFbSjtptaLWW7kA4YXwArCFniCZlMdhVCW37NRevLbDeZ_fPcXLiy5CUKvoPyFDFJ7LRA 
3.  Research article published in 2025 (McDonnell et al., 2025): A pilot proof-of-concept study of telehealth-based trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for autistic youth: Initial evidence of efficacy and acceptability https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10775595251323215?casa_token=-3yQri1_S6wAAAAA%3Ac3D1m3j5fd2f5CS_fJ059XOcaO7k4PRQ1EBbwzUyixdCsYLr6sDq114OD_5iIVEuqzKEgAQpe0X3

Abby Hardy/ [email protected]

1. Chudzik, M., Hardy, A., & Corr, C. (2025) What influences early childhood special education teachers’ use of trauma-informed practices in Pyramid Model classrooms? Topics in Early Childhood Special Education.  https://doi.org/10.1177/02711214251327359

Aidan Campagnolio/ [email protected]

1. Campagnolio, A.P., Lynch, A., Weiss, K.E., Suarez, J., & Aguilar Walls, M. (2025). The state of early childhood education in Pennsylvania: Exclusionary discipline and preschool-to-prison pipeline. Paper (roundtable) presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. [see attached “pdf” file]
2. Reinhardt, J., & Campagnolio, A. P. (2024). Understanding complexity: The convergence of disability and trauma in clinical practice. Positive Approaches Journal, 13(1), 24–32. https://www.myodp.org/mod/book/view.php?id=53788&chapterid=1070
3. Hallock, T. M., Kelly, P. J. A., Campagnolio, A., Dysart, M., Fülöp, R., Kaufman, I., McGiffert, N., & Gould-Taylor, S. (2025). The healthcare experiences of LGBTQ people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States: A scoping review. Social Science & Medicine, 383, 118431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118431

Harold Johnson/ [email protected]

1. Parent Safety Toolkit
2. Recommended Book List from Vook Club, an O.U.R. Children Project
3. Safety Check List: IFSP & IEP documents

Jamie Hopkins/ [email protected]

1. https://exceptionalchildren.org/policy-and-advocacy/position-statements - CEC’s Policy on the Prevention of and Response to Maltreatment 
2. The O.U.R. Children Project: Advocating for IFSP and IEP Documents to Include Safety Objectives
3. Assisted with creation of webinar series: “Students Exposed to Trauma, Maltreatment & Neglect: Getting the Healing Going and the Learning Happening”. Sessions included:
   1. Behaviors in the Classroom: How to recognize, report, and prevent trauma caused by maltreatment
   2. Trauma-informed Lens: What does it take to develop resiliency in students?
   3. In the Trenches at Ground Zero: Trauma-informed Supports and Strategies for Protecting and Empowering Your Students

William (Bill) Bogdan/ [email protected]

1. CEC Policy on the Prevention of and Response to Maltreatment: https://exceptionalchildren.org/blog/cecs-policy-prevention-and-response-maltreatment and https://exceptionalchildren.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/FINAL%20Policy%20on%20Maltreatment%2020180925.pdf

Mary Ruth Coleman/ [email protected]

1. Educating Exceptional Children, 15th Edition Gallagher, Coleman, Kirk

 Irene Van der Zande/ [email protected]

1. Safetypowers Resource Page for all abilities: Advocacy, Safety and Independence 
2. Safetypowers online course for teaching teens and young adults with disabilities (free on-line course with role play and teaching guides) – English - Spanish
3. Kidpower Mini Safety Lessons: For Parents and Caregivers of Young Children – English – Spanish
   1. Kidpower Safety Signals for Everyone, Everywhere
   2. Unlimited Adaptability: Teaching “People Safety Skills” to Individuals With Different Abilities
   3. Kidpower Safety Plans for Children with Disabilities
   4. Little Books for Literal People
   5. Managing Wandering for People with Autism 
   6. Self-Protection for People with Disabilities
   7. What Educators of Kids With Disabilities Can Do to Reduce Their Risks of Maltreatment
   8. Changing Systems to Protect Kids with Disabilities From Maltreatment

Carie Bires/ [email protected]

1. Building Inclusive State Child Care System (https://www.childcareaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/CCDF-and-Inclusion-Final-Sept.-2017.pdf) 
2. Independent research to help children & youth thrive (https://www.childtrends.org/publications/five-steps-for-state-and-community-leaders-to-increase-equitable-access-to-early-care-and-education) 

Dustin Bindreiff/[email protected]

1. Belonging: How Social Connections Can Heal, Empower and Educate Kids [Thebookonbelonging.com]
2. Transformative Educators are Warm Demanders [https://corwin-connect.com/2022/11/transformative-educators-are-warm-de…]
3. Middle School Students Face a Trifecta of Challenges. Here’s How to Help  [https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-middle-school-students-face-a…]

#5: Janet DesGeorges/ [email protected]

1. O.U.R  resources at H&V in this area: https://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/OUR/index.htm
2. KidPower:   https://www.kidpower.org/
3. Harold Johnson  [email protected]
4. Child Help:  1-800- 4-A-CHILD   https://www.childhelp.org/

Sara Kennedy/ [email protected]

1. The OUR Project library of articles and recorded meetings: (https://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/OUR/index.htm) 
   and the H&V Library site  https://www.hv-library.com/our/#gsc.tab=0
2. https://kpjrfilms.co/resilience/ Resilience: Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope
3. Pragmatics Supplement: Pediatrics Journal https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/issue/146/Supplement_3?autologi…;
4. Zero to three Healthy Steps https://www.zerotothree.org/issue-areas/trauma/ 

Chresta Brinkman/ [email protected]

1. Hands & Vices O.U.R. Children Project monthly calls & recordings To be added to the calls, please contact Sara Kennedy at sara@handsandvoices or go to https://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/OUR/index.htm to register
2. Ted Talks and podcasts on topics related to maltreatment, bullying and trauma informed care as well as following respected professionals on their social media pages and blogs
3. Ongoing searches for children’s literature and resources for professionals on the topics of maltreatment, bullying and trauma informed care in addition to other relevant books 

Christine Griffin/ [email protected]

1. Hands & Voices O.U.R. Children Safety Project recorded meeting links  
2. Kid Power  
3. Parent Safety Toolkit 

Janel Frost/ [email protected]

1. Our Project Safety Kit - https://handsandvoices.org/pdf/OUR-Toolkit.pdf
2. IEP Safety Checklist https://deafed.net/pdf/safety-checklist
3. StarRaft Project by David Wethrow ([email protected])

Meghan Hendrick/ [email protected]

1. Childhelp https://www.childhelphotline.org/ 
2.  Parent Safety Toolkit  https://www.handsandvoices.org/pdf/OUR-Toolkit.pdf
3.  Children’s Trust Fund Alliance https://ctfalliance.org/protective-factors/

Marcia Philipps/ [email protected] 

1. Colleagues, families and individuals with disabilities The Arc Ohio/United States
2. Tash, CEC articles, research, webinars

24: Jess Olson/ [email protected]

1. Related service providers, student support team in our building. I collaborate heavily with our speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and school psychologists and social workers, as well as our student resource leaders and curriculum coaches in order to continue to develop my practice, problem solve student supports, and ensure positive, safe approaches to supporting students in all areas of their development. I also participate in practice-based coaching related to the pyramid model for ongoing development of my practice related to inclusion and social-emotional development. 
2. Pyramid Model. Our building uses the pyramid model to support social emotional development of all students and support families in understanding and using social emotional strategies. The Pyramid Model has become the foundation upon which we build our environment, practice, and relationships with our team, with our students, and with our families. We embed pyramid model practices into everything we do each day. [copy of file “Jess Olson – Pyramid Model” in Bright Spot sub directory]
3. Collaboration with colleagues. During my graduate coursework, I engaged in an action research project (“Supporting Cross-Program Collaboration to Enhance Inclusion Practices”) that highlighted the benefit of collaboration with teachers across programs to support development of inclusion practices. Through this process, I developed relationships with teachers in our self-contained programs that have become an invaluable resource. They have supported me in creating and sharing resources that will support students in my classroom, provided guidance on accommodations and adaptations, and helped reframe my perspective many times when it comes to identifying and solving a concern with students with disabilities. This kind of relationship with teachers from across programs provides insight into first-hand experience from others that cannot be acquired in other ways. [copy of file “Jess Olson – Supporting Cross-Program Collaboration to Enhance Inclusion Practices” in Bright Spot sub directory]

Megan Hillegas/[email protected] 

1. National Center for Pyramid Model Interventions: https://challengingbehavior.org
2. Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center:  https://ectacenter.org
3. National Association for the Education of Young Childrenhttps://www.naeyc.org/

Paul Garcia/ [email protected]

1. Four Powerful Ways You Can Shift Your Language to Welcome Students (https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/four-powerful-ways-you-can-shift-yo…
2. Music Therapy for Traumatized Children (https://www.edimprovement.org/post/music-therapytraumatized-children) 
3. School counselor/Social Worker or School nurse

Ana Adl/ [email protected]

1. Wisconsin Dept of Public Inst. - Child Abuse and Neglect Training – Important Information Regarding the Mandated Reporter Training Content [updated 9/21/23] (https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/pupil-services/schoolsocial-work/contents/child…)
2. School Social Worker 
3. Police Liaison Officer 

Michael (Ben) Curtiss/ [email protected]

1. Dr. Bruce Perry - NM Founder (https://www.neurosequential.com/ourteam ) 
2. Ross Greene - Lost at School Livesinthebalance.org ( https://livesinthebalance.org/connect/#get-in-touch )
3. Dr. Amy Curtiss - School Psychologist ( [email protected] ) 

Kristin Grender/ [email protected]

1. Violence Prevention Home Page. (2019). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/index.html
2. UNICEF. (2023). Children with Disabilities. Www.unicef.org. https://www.unicef.org/disabilities
3. Child Abuse and Neglect. (1969, December 31). Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/pupil-services/school-social-work/contents/chil…;

Johnna Scheuerman/ [email protected]

1. Ms. A. Medina/Teacher…the wrap around specialist in the Houston ISD  
2. Ruby Payne’s books 

Andrea Kimsman/ [email protected]

1. The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF)
2. Florida’s Resource Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (RMTC-DHH); a non-discretionary project in Florida 

Joleen Boelter/ [email protected]

1. Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules  (https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/afirm-modules/)
2. Inform. Influence. Inspire. Impact.  Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness (CLR) Is For Everyone (https://culturallyresponsive.org/)
3. Students Matter (https://www.ourstudentsmatter.org/home-coherence)

Lisa Palese/ [email protected]

1. My team members- Tanner Seal & Melissa Mills- I could not have made these changes in our culture and mindset without their never-ending support.  Our Admin Team. 
2. ISBE Website and team:  Link
3. Our Attorney, Laura Sinars is a fantastic advocate for students and our staff and has a wealth of knowledge in special education compliance. 

Nick Berger/ [email protected]

1. Crisis Prevention Institute (https://www.crisisprevention.com)
2. Positive Environments, Network of Trainers (https://www.pent.ca.gov/)
3. California Autism Professional Training & Information Network (https://www.captain.ca.gov/)

Brittany Seeley/ [email protected]

1. https://traumaresearchfoundation.org/
2. International Institute for Restorative Practices https://www.iirp.edu/
3. https://www.samhsa.gov/

Kory Kutzler/ [email protected]

1. U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration: https://www.samhsa.gov/ 
2. Nicole Baker, LPC, BCBA   [email protected]
3. Creating Presence with Dr. Sandra Bloom: https://www.creatingpresence.net/ 

Laura Staats/ [email protected]

1. Scott Modell – Modell Consulting Group https://www.modellconsultinggroup.com/
2. Jones, L., Bellis, M. A., Wood, S., Hughes, K., McCoy, E., Eckley, L., Bates, G., Mikton, C., Shakespeare, T., & Officer, A. (2012). Prevalence and risk of violence against children with disabilities: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. The Lancet, 380(9845), 899–907. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60692-8 
3. Legano, L. A., et al. (2021). Maltreatment of Children With Disabilities. Pediatrics, 147(5): e2021050920. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-050920  

Kathryn Germer/ [email protected]

1. Practical Functional Assessment (https://practicalfunctionalassessment.com/) 
2. Culturally Responsive Interventions & Trauma-Informed Care Checklist (https://ed3bd4fa-2c24-4287-8745-38d09dc5424f.filesusr.com/ugd/c9638a_360f1344d217491486558f950a83d0ff.pdf) 
3. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (https://casel.org/)

Amy Curtiss/ [email protected] 

1. Dr. Bruce Perry and his books “The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog” and “What happened to You?”
2. Dr. Stuart Ablon’s “The School Discipline Fix” and Ross Greene’s “Lost At School”
3. My husband, Ben Curtiss, an amazingly talented and innovate teacher with a knack for immediately apply concepts and sharing what he has learned with his students.  

Ruby Sewell/ [email protected]

1. Text: We All Have Parts by Colleen West: (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1683734165/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1) 
2. Ross Green’s work in parenting children with intense emotional needs: (https://livesinthebalance.org/) 
3. Richard Schwartz and his work and collaboration to provide resources for caregivers to use the Internal Family System Model with loved ones: (https://ifs-institute.com/resources/videos) 

Elizabeth Diaz/ [email protected]  

1. https://www.understood.org
2. Smart but scattered: Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Help Kids Reach Their Potential by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare
3.  The Whole Brain Child by Dan Siegel

Kelly Carrero/ [email protected]

1. multi-cultural site: https://ccpep.org/home/what-is-cultural-proficiency/the-continuum/

Catherine Corr/ [email protected]

1. Center for the developing child Harvard University…focus on early childhood education and how trauma impacts on early dev and what is trauma
2. The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma and Adversity  Use book as a text for graduate classes.  Very easy read + accessible and informative re. trauma and adversity re. health and development.
3. The film “Resilience: The biology of Stress & The Science of Hope”  We use this to establish the topic of trauma with educators and students.  Serves to establish why the topic of trauma is important and why it should be addressed by professionals   

Jenna Voss/ [email protected] 

1. ChildHelp https://www.childhelp.org/
2. Garner, A.& Yogman, M.. (2021). Preventing Childhood Toxic Stress: Partnering With Families and Communities to Promote Relational Health. Pediatrics, 148(2), e2021052582. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-052582
3. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University https://developingchild.harvard.edu/

Debbie Mood/ [email protected]

1. Hands & Voices Our project- (for children who are DHH) https://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/OUR/index.htm
2.  National Child Traumatic Stress Network (not perfect but at least somewhat helpful guide for non-deafness trained therapists working with DHH children experiencing trauma when I have to refer out) https://www.nctsn.org/resources/addressing-trauma-treatment-needs-child…
3.  Child Welfare Information Gateway https://www.childwelfare.gov
4. Zero to three Healthy Steps https://www.zerotothree.org/issue-areas/trauma/ (connecting with their providers in one rural area in CO has been very helpful!)

Brook Winchell/ [email protected]

1. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
2. National Traumatic Stress Network
3. Zero to Three
4. Division for Early Childhood. (2016). Child maltreatment: A position statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC). Washington, DC

Mia Chudzik/ [email protected]

1. Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education by Alex Shevrin Venet
2.  SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach: https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4884.pdf
3.  Helping Traumatized Children Learn: Creating and Advocating for Trauma-Sensitive Schools by the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative

Lonna Moline/ [email protected]

1. Fostering Resilient Learners :Strategies for Creating Trauma Sensitive Classroom, Kristin Souers
2. Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma Invested Practices, Souers and Hall
3. The Deepest Well: Healing Long-term Effects of childhood Trauma, Nadine Burke Harris
4. The Body Keep the Score, Bessel Van Der Kolk
5. Building a Trauma-Informed Compassionate Classroom, Jennifer Bashant

Marisa Fisher/ [email protected]

1. Sullivan, P., & Knutson, J. (2000). Maltreatment and disabilities: A population-based epidemiological study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 24(10), 1257–1273. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00190-3
2.  U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2023). Child Maltreatment 2021. Available from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2021.pdf
3. Kendall-Tackett K, Lyon T, Taliaferro G, et al. (2005) Why child maltreatment researchers should include children’s disability status in their maltreatment studies. Child Abuse & Neglect 29(2): 147–151.

Janine Darragh/ [email protected]

1. Best Practices for Trauma-Informed Instruction - https://wasa-oly.org/WASA/images/WASA/6.0%20Resources/Hanover/BEST%20PRACTICES%20FOR%20TRAUMA-INFORMED%20INSTRUCTION%20.pdf
2. Landscape Review: Teacher Well-Being in Low Resource, Crisis, and Conflict-affected Settings.  https://reliefweb.int/report/world/landscape-review-teacher-well-being-low-resource-crisis-and-conflict-affected-settings
3. Trauma and learning in America’s classrooms https://kappanonline.org/trauma-classrooms-learning/

Karen Kritzer/ [email protected]

1. Harold Johnson [[email protected]]  (the guru in this area J)
2.   Hands & Voices – O.U.R. Children Project 

Katie Graves/ [email protected]

1. Restraint and Seclusions:  Resource Document (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/restraints-and-seclusion-resources.pdf) 
2.  Reece Peterson, Ph.D ([email protected] - restraint and seclusion reference point]
3.  Restraint and seclusion in U.S. school settings: Recommendations for allied treatment disciplines (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-01560-009) 

Chad Rose/ [email protected]

1. https://www.stopbullying.gov/
2. https://www.mizzoubullypreventionlab.com/
3. https://www.pacer.org/bullying/ 

Gaylen Kapperman/ [email protected]

1. Our efforts are concentrated on the prevention of child sex abuse perpetrated against  children who are blind or visually impaired.  Very unfortunately, no other individuals on the planet concentrate their efforts in this area. Kelly and I are the only ones who present and publish in this area. 
2. Very unfortunately, the conduct of research in this area is nearly impossible to conduct given the very sensitive nature of the topic. Individuals either have no knowledge to share with us or refuse to provide any information that they may have. We have reviewed texts written by authors who have knowledge about child sex abuse in general. For example the 2020 text Confronting Child Sexual Abuse by A. M. Nurse, published by Lever Press [ISBN 9781643150321, 9781643150338, 9781643150338]

Stacey Kelly/ [email protected]

1. We (Stacey Kelly+ Gaylen Kapperman) are the only ones on the planet actively working on this topic as it relates specifically to children who are blind or have low vision. So, we either look at the general data pertaining with people with disabilities and once in a great while there is a way to parcel out those who report vision loss. Also, we can go way back in the literature and find one or two relevant articles pertaining to people with visual impairments several decades ago, in the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness for example. 
2. FOR EXAMPLE:
   1. Harrell, E. (2021). Crime against persons with disabilities, 2009-2019-statisical tables. U.S. Department of Justice. Available at https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/crime-against-persons-disabilities-2009-2019-statistical-tables
   2. Pava, W. S. (1994). Visually impaired persons’ vulnerability to sexual and physical assault. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 88(2), 103-112.

Elizabeth Gormley-Liffley/ [email protected]

1. Global estimates of violence against children with disabilities: an updated systematic review and metaanalysis:  https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(22)00033-5
2. Child Welfare Outcomes 2020: Report to Congress: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cwo-report-to-…;
3. Exploration of the Relationship between Severe and Complex Disabilities and Child Sexual Abuse: A Call for Relevant Research: https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2019.1645782

Caroline Guardino/ [email protected] 

1. Abuse Hotline: https://www.myflfamilies.com/services/abuse#:~:text=The%20Florida%20Abuse%20Hotline%20accepts,Call%20800%2D962%2D2873 
2. Described and Captioned Media (DCMP) – Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention: https://dcmp.org/learn/430-child-abuse-and-neglect-prevention
3. Hands & Voices: OUR Children/s Safety – Deaf / HH Children at Risk: https://handsandvoices.org/articles/OUR/V13-1_deafhhatrisk.htm

Eric Commons/ [email protected] 

1. Open Professional Learning in Ci3T: Ci3T.org 
2. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration: SAMHSA.gov
3. Center on the Developing Child/Harvard University: Developingchild.harvard.edu

Amiee Hackney/ [email protected] 

1. Relationship, Responsibility and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners (2018, Kristin Souers and Pete Hall) 
2.  Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom (2016, Kristin Souers and Pete Hall)
3.  What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing (2021, Bruce Perry and Ophrah Winfrey

Joanna Cannon/ [email protected]

1. The BC Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect
2.   HealthLink BC Child Abuse and Neglect information
3.  The Deaf, Hard of Hearing & Deaf-Blind Well-Being Program

Cara Wilmot/ [email protected]

1. Florida Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports https://flpbis.cbcs.usf.edu/ 
2.  Described and Captioned Media Program Social Skills, Bullying, Self-Advocacy, Deaf Professionals, and More: https://dcmp.org/ 
3.  The Speak Up Guide: https://osdaohio.org/training-materials/

Jennifer Kilpatrick/: [email protected]

1. Children’s Rights
2. Fostering Families
3. National Child Traumatic Stress Network 

Christina McDonnell/ [email protected]

1. “Tailoring Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth with Developmental Disabilities (TF-CBT IDD) and Their Caregivers” via the STYDD Center: https://tfcbt.org/idd-implementation-guide/
2. Medical University of South Carolina’s Telehealth Outreach Program, and their resources for telehealth delivery of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy: https://www.telehealthfortrauma.com/telehealth-resources/
3. Autism and Intellectual Disability Exchange Network (AIDE Canada) “Becoming More Trauma Informed Collection” https://aidecanada.ca/resources/learn/asd-id-core-knowledge/trauma-collection

Ruth Brown-Ennis/ [email protected]

1. National Child Traumatic Stress Network Road to Recovery Toolkit - https://www.nctsn.org/resources/road-recovery-supporting-children-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities-who-have
2.  Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy IDD Implementation Guide: https://tfcbt.org/idd-implementation-guide/
3. Trauma-Informed Behavioral Interventions: What Works and What Doesn't, by Karyn Harvey https://www.aaidd.org/publications/bookstore-home/product-listing/trauma-informed-behavioral-interventions-what-works-and-what-doesnot

Mickie Wong-Lo/ [email protected] 

1. Cyberbullying Research Center https://cyberbullying.org/ 
2. National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) https://ncjtc.fvtc.edu/ 
3. National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) https://www.nctsn.org/

Peter D’Amico/ [email protected]

1. Daniel Hoover, PhD., University of Maryland                                        
2.  NCSTN.org and https://learn.nctsn.org 
3.  Liesbeth Mevissen
4. Connor Kerns

Juliet Vogel/ [email protected]

1. Peter D’Amico, Ph.D. Northwell Health System                 
2.  NCSTN.org and https://learn.nctsn.org (includes NCTSN Road to Recovery Toolkit)
3. Daniel Hoover, Ph.D. 
4. Kristine Kinniburgh, LICSW

Daniel Hoover/ [email protected]

1. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
2.   Connor Kerns/Associate Professor – Univ. of British Columbia
3.  Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – National Therapist Certification Program

Theresa Andrzejewski/ [email protected] 

1. Training resources from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), such as this one about children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have experienced trauma - https://www.nctsn.org/resources/children-with-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities-who-have-experienced-trauma 
2. Personal safety resources from AMAZE, including resources for identifying and understanding past sexual abuse and various forms of sexual and other interpersonal abuse. These are not specific to youth with disabilities, but the materials incorporate visuals that make them appealing for use with youth with disabilities - https://amaze.org/us/?topic=personal-safety 
3.  The Autistic Guide to Healthy Relationships, developed by autistic researchers for autistic people. This is not particularly youth-focused, but I often reference this and adapt it for youth as needed - https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/neurodiversity-development/impact-and-engagement/healthy-relationships-for-autistic-people/ 

Abby Hardy/ [email protected]

1. National Child Traumatic Stress Network at https://www.nctsn.org/
2. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach manual https://library.samhsa.gov/product/samhsas-concept-trauma-and-guidance-…
3.  I use local Bright Spots (my advisor, Dr. Catherine Corr, and colleague, Dr. Mia Chudzik) as resources often

Aidan Campagnolio/ [email protected] 

1. Disability-Affirmative Therapy: A Case Formulation Template for Clients with Disabilities (Academy of Rehabilitation Psychology Series)  
2. Sins Invalid: 10 Principles of Disability Justice https://sinsinvalid.org/10-principles-of-disability-justice/ 
3. National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Mental Health Resources for Trauma: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-safety-and-crisis/mental-health-resources/trauma

Yue Xu/ [email protected]

1. McDonnell, C. G., Boan, A. D., Bradley, C. C., Seay, K. D., Charles, J. M., & Carpenter, L. A. (2019). Child maltreatment in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability: Results from a population‐based sample. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, 60(5), 576-584.
2.   Bilaver, L. A., & Havlicek, J. (2013). Foster children with autism spectrum disorder: Prevalence, length of stay, and placement patterns. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 7(5), 496-519.
3.  https://www.the74million.org/article/they-stood-up-to-nyc-schools-for-their-disabled-child-then-cps-arrived/ 

Kelli Esteves/ [email protected]

1. www.childwelfare.gov/
2. Prevent Child Abuse America
3. Research and resources related to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Carie Bires/ [email protected]

1. Dr. Catherine Corr ([email protected])
2. Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children With Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/policy-statement-on-inclusion-11-28-2023.pdf )
3. The Risk and Prevention of Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities (https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/prevenres/focus/ )

Dustin Bindreiff/ [email protected]

1. Belonging: How Social Connections Can Heal, Empower, and Educate Kids
   A book that shares best practices and research to help students have a sense of belonging.
2. Transformative Educators are Warm Demanders
   A resource that discusses the balance of high expectations and having a warm demeanor with your students in a classroom.
3. Middle School Students Face a Trifecta of Challenges. Here’s How to Help: Forming Diverse Student Groups Can be an Asset
   A resource that describes steps to take to support the difficulties that middle schoolers face.
4. Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports
5. The Huberman Lab
6. Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides
7. Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities
8. The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging

Irene Van der Zande/ [email protected]

1. We talk with the individuals who have the most knowledge and experience of the person or group we are trying to help. We also learn in the moment from the individuals we are trying to help. 
2. We “tap” into the Kidpower International community and our service partners to seek their knowledge and advice. 
3. We learn something new from each individual with disabilities we teach

Harold Johnson/ [email protected]

1. Hands & Voices: O.U.R. Children Project
2. Child Welfare Information Gateway: Child Abuse & Neglect – The Risk & Prevention of Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities
3. CDC: Adverse Childhood Experiences

Jamie Hopkins/ [email protected]

1. Kidpower International (kidpower.org)
2. The Arc (thearc.org)
3. Rachel Walker, MFT (http://www.rachelwalkermft.com/professionals/resources-for-professionals)