Westfield's Annual Awareness Expo Set for March 20th

The 20th Annual Awareness Expo is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at Edison Intermediate School, 800 Rahway Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. 

The Awareness Expo, presented by the Westfield PTC Special Education Committee, is a symposium designed for parents and educators to explore issues that concern them most about children. The event is open to the public and free of charge. 

For the past 20 years, the Awareness Expo has showcased distinguished speakers ranging from highly acclaimed physicians to educators to attorneys who provide insight into a variety of issues that empower parents to help their children.  The goal of the Awareness Expo always has been to educate the community at large about issues that impact our students and their ability to succeed.  The Expo includes something for everyone and promises to be a rewarding and educational way to spend an evening learning about issues that impact school-age children.

The panel for this year’s Expo consists of several distinguished speakers who will discuss the many resources available to parents and educators to help students achieve their maximum potential.  Attendees can choose any two of nine “break out” type sessions starting promptly at 7:30 pm, covering an assortment of child-related topics.   ALL programs have been approved for Professional Development Hours. This year’s Expo will include the following topics and speakers of interest:

Dyslexia 101: Covering The Basics Of Dyslexia

Jaime Lehrhoff, Founder, The Livingston Educational Center

We Have An App For That:

The Ipad/Iphone - Using Technology To Break Down Barriers

Randall Palmer: Special Education and Computer Specialist,

The Children's Institute

Helping Children Cope With Anxiety In An Uncertain World

Andrew Eisen, Ph.D

Co-Director of the Child Anxiety and Related Disorders Clinic

Social Skills Instruction In The Schools

Leslie Newport, Psy.D.

Program Coordinator at the Rutgers Project: Natural Setting Therapeutic Management

Practical Steps Towards Successful Inclusion In The Classroom

Paula Lieb, President and CEO of New Jersey Coalition of Inclusive Education (NJCIE),

Priya Lalvani Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Montclair State University,

Lizanne Wilkinson, M.S., Parent Representative to the NJCIE Program Advisory Board

Ready, Set, Go! Adaptive Sports Takes The Field

Mike Cohen, Founder and Director, Throwback Sports,

Scott Matthews, Founder and Executive Director, Intensive Therapeutics

The Insider's Guide To College For Students With Special Needs

Lisa Bleich, MBA, President and Founder, College Bound Mentor

Central Auditory Processing Disorders, Hearing Loss, & Classroom Strategies For Both

Jennifer Livelli, AuD, Speech and Hearing Associates

The Westfield PTC-Special Education Committee also will award the “Make a Difference Award” to Andrea Lo, Westfield’s Supervisor of Special Education Pre-K – 12, a true professional, who has dedicated her entire career to serving the needs of special needs students. The “Make a Difference” award is given annually to an individual or group of individuals who display exemplary efforts in support of Special Education. 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION email specialedparents@westfieldnjk12.org  or visit http://westfieldawarenessexpo.blogspot.com/