At The American School Dubai
Basic Conference Schedule
- PreConference | Friday, April 10, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Workshops run across the full day with breaks included.)
- Day 1 | Saturday, April 11, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Opening ceremony, keynote, and workshop blocks.)
- Day 2 | Sunday, April 12, 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM (Keynote, workshop blocks, and closing ceremony.
Conference Strands
Systems
Inclusive systems are the educational environments and policies that strive to accommodate and support the diverse needs of all learners, creating an atmosphere where everyone is valued, respected, and included in the learning process.
Practices
Inclusive practices encompass a range of strategies and initiatives designed to ensure that all learners are valued contributors of their communities, so they can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Agency
Student agency creates meaningful opportunities for students to take an active role in their educational experiences, by empowering them to make choices, set goals, and take initiative in their learning process.
Advocacy
Advocacy is about taking action to support students, educators, families, and the broader community through identifying and addressing issues or concerns, promoting positive change, and working towards creating a more equitable, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.
Life Centered Education (LCE)
LCE emphasizes transition planning, vocational pathways, independent living skills, and community engagement to prepare learners with diverse needs for success beyond school.
Leadership
Building vision, systems, and strategies that empower schools to create and sustain inclusive cultures.
Some Conference Topics
Our workshops reflect global expertise across inclusion, leadership, wellbeing, student agency, and neurodiversity
Student Voice & Empowerment
- Turning ILPs into tools for ownership and advocacy (Rebecca Ann Churchill)
- What student empowerment looks like in practice (Taryn McBrayne; Caroline Dourley)
- Supporting students without diagnosis frameworks (Unoma Ashibuogwu)
- Neurodivergent identity and belonging (Jordan Ford)
- Care Circles for connection (Jennifer Wiegman)
Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices
- Why meltdowns differ from tantrums (Rebeka Gergens)
- Collaborative LEGO play for neurodivergent learners (Gina Gómez de la Cuesta)
- Co-regulation strategies for everyday classrooms (Branca Teixeira)
- Understanding grief in neurodivergent students (Khafilah Malik)
- Sensory-informed behavior supports (Danielle Organ, Elizabeth Pokorny, Jeff Tempel)
Transition, Pathways & Future Readiness
- Transition-to-employment pathways (Max Simpson & Pear Chainares)
- Flexible graduation options (Simbana, Bane, Dotterweich)
- AI, innovation, and healing-centered practice (Dr. Wendy Fluker-Whitley)
Early Years Foundations
- Tier 1 foundations for early years (Inna Polianska)
- Early intervention strategies (Helen Trethewey)
Systems, Leadership & Schoolwide Change
- Comprehensive program reviews for transformation (Robert Cantwell & Amber Schmidt)
- Inclusive leadership practices (Christin Topper; Roslyn Dotterweich)
- Coteaching in constrained systems (Courtney Al Moreno & Holly Anderson)
- From fragmented to unified student support systems (Adrina Smith)
- Building sustainable support programs (Earl Chamberlin & Roslyn Dotterweich)
Behavior, Wellbeing & SEL
- Tools that reduce challenging behaviors (Felice Dougherty & Constantina Pappas)
- Research-backed approaches to calm, connected classrooms (Donica Merhazion)
- Trauma-informed supports for student wellbeing (Thomas Acquah)
- Teacher wellbeing and its impact on student outcomes (Brendan Furnari)
Learning & Instructional Approaches
- Cognitive load theory for inclusive design (Francoise Raoult)
- Literacy and math strategies for all learners (Mark Gaspersich; Charamella & Washington)
- Behavior through a sensory lens (Organ, Pokorny, Tempel)
- Supporting multilingual and neurodivergent learners (Brenna Weston Bell)
Collaboration, Culture & Family Partnerships
- Partnering with families in multicultural contexts (Cairos & Jimenez)
- Teacher–therapist collaboration models (Pinson & Daguman)
- Hidden curriculum and barriers for international students (Yakubova et al.)
Call for Presenters Now Closed
But we would love to have you join our speaker database. We draw from this base for all our events (in person and virtual).
Questions? Need Some Help?
Drop me, an email Conferences@SENIAinternational.org. Please include "Conference Question" in the subject line.
