February 2022 ICC

• 5 CE credits approved for social work. Florida Board for LCSW, LMFT and LMHC approved 5 CE credits, Provider # BAP Exp. Date 3/31/2023.
• 5 CE credits approved for psychology.
• Mailman Center is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
• 0.5 ASHA CEUs*

Opening Remarks

Daniel Armstrong, Ph.D., Director, University of Miami Mailman Center for Child Development, President, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)

In his opening remarks, Daniel Armstrong, Ph.D., director of the Mailman Center for Child Development, will discuss challenges and opportunities as they relate to the well-being of young children and how we care for them amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning Objectives: Identify at least 2 guiding ideas to be underscored during the course of the conference, including challenges and opportunities in practice and research through multidisciplinary dialogue.

Transmission in Young Children

Brandon Chatani, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Disease Expert, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine  

In this session, Miller School of Medicine infectious disease specialist Brandon Chatani, M.D., will discuss what the risk of transmission means for teachers in classroom settings and therapists working one-on-one with children with disabilities.

Learning Objectives: Describe the main mechanisms of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among young children and the best practices to reduce transmission among their families, teachers in classroom settings, and therapists delivering in-person services.

Language Development and Social Interactions for Young Children with Disabilities in the Era of Masks

Daniel Messinger, Ph.D., Professor, University of Miami, research director, Linda Ray Intervention Center and Lynn Perry, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Miami

In this session, University of Miami psychologists Daniel Messinger, Ph.D., Lynn Perry, Ph.D., will discuss how to promote social-communication development in young children. They will also highlight strategies to stay safe when working with children.

Learning Objectives: Discuss how objective observation of behavior can inform classroom safety. Identify the effects of facemasks on classroom language.

Building a Movement for Florida’s children

Vance Aloupis, J.D., CEO, The Children’s Movement                               

In this session, The Children’s Movement CEO Vance Aloupis, J.D., will provide a look at the state’s efforts to professionalize and expand early childhood education, along with community efforts to expand the discussion around early childhood policies and investments.

Learning Objectives: Explain the impact of current statewide initiatives in early childhood development and discuss future directions as a result of pandemic roadblocks.

The Contagion Effect:  How Caregiver Mental Health in the Wake of COVID-19 Might Impact the Young Children We Care For-- and What You Can Do About It

Neil Boris, M.D., Medical Director, Circle of Security International, Past President, Florida Association for Infant Mental Health (FAIMH)

In this session, Neil Boris, M.D., past president of the Florida Association for Infant Mental Health (FAIMH), will first provide a brief overview of how the COVID pandemic appears to be impacting adult mental health. As there is strong evidence that caregiver depression and anxiety can impact interactions with infants and young children (what we might call a “contagion effect”), the implications of COVID for young children will be considered. Finally, the importance of adult caregivers of young children creating a “self-care plan” will be emphasized.

Learning Objectives: Discuss how COVID-19 and associated social disruptions appears to be impacting adult mental health and will appreciate how creating a self-care plan might mitigate the impact of adult distress on the young children we care for.

Navigating COVID-19: The Community-Disability Lived Experience

Panel discussion moderated by Lydia Ocasio-Stoutenburg, Ph.D., and Douglene Jackson, Ph.D.

This session will engage stakeholders in a critical conversation on their lived experiences during COVID-19. Parents, self-advocates, providers, and representatives from Overtown Children and Youth Center, Sant La, and Connect Familias, will offer insights on providing support to children with disabilities and their families. This session will place community voices at the center, highlighting the challenges experienced during the pandemic as well as unique successes and innovations. The audience will be encouraged to share their own reflections as key recommendations and strategies to expand opportunities for the future are summarized.

Learning Objectives: Discuss the lived experiences among community members, families, individuals with disabilities and communities during COVID-19. Identify the barriers and supports to community program access and delivery, which include educational, mental health, clinical, healthcare, therapeutic and recreational services.  Recommend effective strategies to support individuals, families, communities, organizations and providers in accessing and providing services.

Providing Care and Conducting Research During the Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities for Early Childhood Health and Education Providers

Panel discussion moderated by Tiffany Field, Ph.D., Research Professor, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

This session will focus on challenges faced by early childhood health and education providers during the pandemic and ways to overcome them. Solutions that will be discussed include
strategies to build a resilient early childhood education workforce, approaches to child clinical services through telehealth and hybrid models, the development of partnerships with community agencies, and the creation of data-based tools to enhance access to early learning resources. The effects of prenatal exposure to COVID-19 on the neurodevelopment of infants in the first 24 months of life will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives: Compare current and future research opportunities in neuroscience, educational psychology, and clinical intervention modeling to their own discipline. Discuss challenges faced by providers as COVID-19 developed in the past year and solutions posed for future success.

• What disability accommodations are available?
  Live captioning will be enabled through Zoom.
  
  
• Is there a fee to attend the conference?
  No, the conference is offered at no cost.
  
  
• How can I earn continuing education credits for the virtual conference?
  In order to obtain CEUs, be sure to complete all the required fields on the registration page and to complete the assessment survey after the event. Please note that CEUs are only offered to those who attend ALL SESSIONS. Partial credit cannot be offered. 
  
  
• Where can I find more information?
  If you have any questions, please reach out to Roselyne Antao, RAntao@med.miami.edu | 305-243-6135

• Florida Alliance for Infant Mental Health
• News@theU: Psychologists: Masks do not impede preschoolers’ language development