Pre-Conference – Thursday, April 27, 2023

}

1:00PM - 3:00PM

Greenway A

ALTA Board Meeting

}

5:00PM - 7:00PM

LOBBY

Registration Desk Opens

}

6:00PM - 8:00PM

La Reserve

Chapter Presidents Reception

Conference Day 1 – Friday, April 28, 2023

}

7:30AM - 8:15AM

PREFUNCTION A

Registration Opens (breakfast served 7:00 – 8:00 am)

}

8:15AM - 8:30AM

POST OAK BALLROOM

President’s Welcoming Statements

Linda Gladden, LDT, CALT
President, Academic Language Therapy Association

}

8:30AM - 10:00AM

POST OAK BALLROOM

Connections Between Language and Literacy

Dr. Missy Schraeder

ABSTRACT:

This presentation will discuss the relationship between oral and written language and the impact that deficits in articulation and oral language development have on reading, spelling, and written expression.  Characteristics of students with oral language disorders will be compared to those with written language disorders, and different profiles of students will be explored.  An overview of the DuBard Association Method®, a phonetic, multisensory structured approach for teaching both language and literacy, will be discussed.

1.5 CEs

}

10:00AM - 10:30AM

PREFUNCTION A

Exhibits and Networking

}

10:30AM - 11:30AM

POST OAK BALLROOM

Early Literacy Intervention – Combining Montessori Strategies with MSLE

Joyce Pickering

ABSTRACT:

This presentation will include the early signs of language learning and attention differences and the early literacy techniques recommended for students in PreK – Second grade. These techniques can be matched to the developmental profile of the student.

1.0 CE

}

11:30AM - 12:00PM

PREFUNCTION A

Lunch Buffet Opens, courtesy of ALTA

}

12:00PM - 1:00PM

CONSTELLATION ROOM

Business Lunch Meeting with ALTA Awards

1.0 CE

}

1:00PM - 1:15PM

PREFUNCTION A

Break

}

1:15PM - 2:15PM

POST OAK BALLROOM

ADHD and that other thing I forgot about

Dr. Anson Koshy

ABSTRACT:

ADHD is the most commonly inherited behavioral diagnosis, and up to 30% of children with a reading disorder can also have an underlying diagnosis of ADHD. Educators are often skilled at raising concerns about attention issues in their students with parents; however, teachers and educators play a critical role in supporting medication management for ADHD. In this session, we will review all things ADHD and the underlying neurobiology and how it relates to evidence-based treatment options. We will also review research on prioritizing treatments when co-occurring diagnoses are present and discuss parents’ frequently asked questions when it comes to attention differences.

1.0 CE

}

2:15PM - 2:45PM

PREFUNCTION A

Exhibits and Networking with coffee and dessert

}

2:45PM - 4:15PM

POST OAK BALLROOM

Identification, Treatment, and Practical Considerations for Students with Dysgraphia

Ivonne Tennent & Sue Jones

ABSTRACT:

This session will share information about the importance of understanding, identifying, and supporting students with dysgraphia due to its impact on school performance. Participants will receive information about the diagnostic process to identify students with dysgraphia and ways to support individuals with dysgraphia. The presentation also will include a case study and practical resources.

1.5 CEs

}

5:00PM - 6:30PM

CONSTELLATION ROOM

Cocktail Reception

Conference Day 2 – Saturday, April 29, 2023

}

7:30AM - 8:15AM

PREFUNCTION A

Registration Opens (breakfast served 7:00 – 8:00 am)

}

8:15AM - 8:30AM

POST OAK BALLROOM

Day 2 Opening Remarks

}

8:30AM - 10:00AM

POST OAK BALLROOM

Instruction that Supports Second Language Learners

Perry Stokes

ABSTRACT:

The session will open with a brief discussion of the common terminology associated with the literacy education of English learners. I will share a list of the current experts in the field of second language learning. Next, I will showcase a set of best practice instructional recommendations for working with English learners within a structured literacy motif. I will include an interactive instructional demonstration lesson focusing on morphology instruction for English learners. The session will conclude with a list of resources for educators and therapists working with English learners.

1.5 CEs

}

10:00AM - 10:30AM

PREFUNCTION A

Exhibits and Networking

}

10:30AM - 12:00PM

POST OAK BALLROOM

Taking Care of the Emotional Needs of Our Students with Dyslexia

Dr. Alexandra Hudson

ABSTRACT:

Let’s talk about the emotional needs of our dyslexic students. Reading is a skill that is required throughout the day. This means that a child with dyslexia faces more challenges than their peers, some of which may come up in the most unexpected places, such as art, Scouts, playing video games, etc. These challenges, combined with social comparisons, can begin to chip away at a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence. We might see sensitivity, irritability, anxiety, withdrawal, and/ or lashing out (to name a few). The effects can range from relatively low-level and/ or localized to more significant, intense, and/ or widespread. I’d like to talk with you about these concerns, what we need to watch for, and things we can do to help mitigate the impact on our children and students.

1.5 CEs

}

12:00PM - 1:00PM

CONSTELLATION ROOM

Lunch, sponsored by Neuhaus Education Center

}

1:00PM - 2:30PM

POST OAK BALLROOM

Executive Skills and Reading Comprehension

Dr. Kelly Cartwright

ABSTRACT:

Many times, students seem to have the research-based skills they need to be good readers (things like phonemic awareness, phonics knowledge, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies, to name a few), but somehow, they still struggle with putting all of these things together when reading. In this session, we will explore essential thinking skills, called executive functions, that underlie skilled reading. Executive functions are self-regulatory mental skills that help students manage their thoughts, emotions, and actions, and they are often invisible to teachers and students. Importantly, executive functions are foundational skills for self-regulated reading. However, when readers have weak executive functions, they may struggle with reading comprehension, despite appropriate word reading skills. Likewise, students with word reading difficulties may also have weak executive functions. The good news for educators is that reading-related executive function processes can be supported and strengthened, resulting in improvements in these and in reading. In this session, participants will learn:

  • Basic information about executive functions
  • Insights into the ways that executive functions support self-regulated reading
  • Research-tested take-home strategies for assessing, supporting, and strengthening executive functions in students’ reading

1.5 CEs

}

2:30PM - 3:00PM

PREFUNCTION A

Coffee Break with Exhibitors

}

3:00PM - 4:30PM

POST OAK BALLROOM

Multisensory Math: What’s Language Got To Do With It?

Marilyn Zecher

ABSTRACT:

What is the role of language in acquiring proficiency in mathematics? As language therapists, we need to ask that question. Are there elements from our training that we can adapt and potentially impact our students’ lives in a profound way? Do we seek to support the individual student as a whole or only a slice of a learning deficit profile? Everything in math that occurs after basic numeracy depends on language. As we examine its role in teaching and learning in math, doors open that impact lives with more than just a laundry list of accommodations and technology. Multisensory Math and literacy instruction share many tools. In using them, we can expand the “possible” for our struggling learners.

1.5 CEs

}

4:30PM - 4:45PM

POST OAK BALLROOM

Closing Remarks

Linda Gladden, LDT, CALT
President, Academic Language Therapy Association

Contact Us

Have a question about the conference? Simply complete the form to the right and a member from the ALTA Office will get back to you shortly!

Contact Us

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This