We’re back in person at the UH Campus Center for our 37th annual SPIN Conference and we offered a virtual option to Zoom into the live workshops – our first hybrid event! In order to share these amazing workshops with everyone, anytime, SPIN worked with our wonderful speakers to do a separate recording of each workshop that could be captioned and posted to the SPIN Conference website and we are so happy to share these gems of knowledge, inspiration and hope with you! Click on the yellow buttons to view the workshop on our YouTube page, and click the blue buttons for slides and handouts.
Click the blue bubbles below to access the Resource Fair guide and Evaluation Report from the SPIN Conference.
Keynote Speaker
“Managing Life with Laughter”
Speaker: Dr. Matthew Wappett
Come listen to Dr. Wappett as he shares about how stress can affect our mental and physical health and ways to counteract them. This is a must-watch video for everyone!
Positive Behavior Supports
“Who’s Cheering You On?”
Speaker: Alysha Kim
Using positive behavior supports helps families and teachers see a child’s challenging behavior as a form of communication and develop an understanding of why the behavior is occurring. Learn helpful strategies and resources for positively teaching new behaviors to improve your child’s and family’s quality of life.
Early Literay
“Every Run Begins with a First Step”
Speaker: Verna Chinen
The majority of young keiki with disabilities struggle with reading and understanding the written word. That’s why we’re starting early to put them on the path to developing solid literacy skills. Come learn about proven strategies to encourage keiki to make a person connection with books and learn the building blocks of reading.
Puberty & Brain Development
“Listening to My Body”
Speakers: Dr. Rhonda Black & Dr. Pia Fransisco-Natanauan
When our children enter their teen years, it’s like they’re from another planet. Here’s shop to help you be award of the phases and tasks of adolescence, normal growth and development, and how to support teen health, including reproductive health. Rhonda suggests a great podcast for additional resources and information – The Sue Larkey Podcast: Preparing for Puberty
Alternatives to Guardianship
“In it for the Long Run”
Speaker: Scott Suzuki
Many parents begin to think about guardianship, if their teen with a disability struggles to make informed choices about finances, self-care, and living in the community. But is guardianship really necessary? And are there other less restrictive options to provide both protections and freedom? Come listen to an attorney with lots of experience in this area and bring your questions too. Sorry, only the slides are available for this workshop.
Skills for Parent & Student Advocacy
“Run Like a Pro”
Speaker: Beverly Reidy
This set of marathon skills is essential for parents of every child with a learning difference, physical disability or behavior challenge. Once you acquire a skill, you will use it over and over. Learn from a pro working with families at Hawaii’s Parent Training Center funded under IDEA. You’ll receive tips to begin preparing your child to be his or her own best advocate.
Financial Literacy
“Stretching to Go the Distance”
Speakers: Daintry Bartoldus & Joanne Ching
This session focuses on the importance of teaching your children about money management (saving, borrowing, budgeting, etc.) to make them more independent and financially secure in the future. You’ll also learn about Hawaii’s ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Savings Program, and a recently passed Kal’s Law which allows your teen or young adult with a disability earn more from working without losing Medicaid coverage. NOTE: The workshop below is about ABLE Accounts.
Transition from High School
“The Finish Line is Not the End”
Speakers: Kristie Araki & Debbie Kobayakawa
If you’ve been worrying about your child’s life after high school and unsure of the steps your family needs to take, then this is the workshop where you’ll learn the who, what, where, when, why and how of transition. Sounds hard, but we guarantee you’ll leave with the tools to navigate the transition process and a more hopeful view of your child’s future.
Trauma-Informed Care
“In My Shoes”
Speakers: C.J. Rice Chappell, Molly Takagi & Shannell Lum
Many of our children with disabilities have experienced trauma, events or circumstances that have lasting negative effects on their mental, physical, social, or emotional well-being. In this workshop you’ll learn the warning signs, how and where to get help, and information on the kinds of trauma-informed care that can be provided at home or in the classroom. The DOE is offering a free Online Trauma-Informed Care Academy to parents and school staff. Email Molly, her email is in the slides and on the presentation, for more information and login credentials.
Autism & Sensory Issues
“Find Your Happy Place”
Speakers: Robin Putnam, Gabrielle White & Melissa Harper-Osai
Children with autism often are unusually sensitive to light, sound, touch and foods. Learn from two Occupational Therapists and a seasoned mom, some simple techniques to use at school or home to address sensory sensitives. You’ll also gain a better understanding of how your keiki can be assessed for the impact of sensory issues on her his or her functioning.
Care Mapping
“Mapping the Course”
Speaker: Susan Wood
Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the many services your child is receiving, both at school and in the community, so you will love learning this practice of organizing and visually mapping out these services by categories. Not only will it give you a full picture of your child’s supports, but it may help identify where there are gaps that need addressing.
Dyslexia & Specific Learning Disabilities
“Your Pace or Mine?”
Speaker: Jennifer Leoiki-Drino
Children with a diagnosis of dyslexia have trouble with reading and other skills that involve language, and they make up a large proportion of students with specific learning disabilities. Come join this workshop to sort out fact or fiction about dyslexia and other learning disabilities and learn some evidence-based strategies to use at home, ast school and in the community to promote success.
Special Education 101
“You Don’t Have to Run Alone”
Speaker: Linee Reeves
If you are a parent who is new to special education or someone who gets lost trying to find out about the many supportive services available to children with disabilities, this workshops will provide you with a basic understanding of the HMTSS, Extended School Year services, related services, inclusive education and so much more.