Keynote Speaker:  Dr.  Mona Amin

Developmental therapists are amazing. You change lives in living rooms, playrooms, and therapy sessions often without the recognition you deserve. The work can feel thankless at times, but it is some of the most impactful work a child and family will ever experience. Every word of encouragement, every moment of co-regulation, every small skill unlocked creates ripples that shape a child’s life for decades to come.

At the same time, you’re carrying the weight of workforce shortages, Medicaid cuts, inequitable systems, and families overwhelmed by conflicting advice and misinformation.

In this keynote, Dr. Mona Amin blends clinical science, personal parenting stories, and practical strategies to honor both sides of your reality: the strain of working in a system that doesn’t always support you, and the profound difference you still make. Together, we’ll talk about how to advocate for children with clarity and compassion, how to lean on evidence while still listening with empathy, and how to partner with families instead of pushing against them. Most importantly, we’ll explore how to reclaim your joy and rewrite your “why” because even when the system feels heavy, your work is not just making ripples. You are making waves that carry children and families forward for the rest of their lives

Speaker Bio:

 

Morning Breakout Sessions:  

Session Option 1:

                

Tracy Patton:

The Mess that Calms: Tying Sensory to BIG feelings.

The smell of coffee, the softness of a kitten, the booms of thunder or fireworks: As humans, we are sensory beings. Sensory input is a powerful stimulus for a wide range of emotions and behaviors – both positive and negative. Understanding this is the key to self-regulation for children as well as adults. We can diffuse and change big feelings and negative behaviors by increasing self-regulation skills through sensory play and activities. This workshop will include simple, sensory based activities you can try and use immediately.

 Speaker Bio:

Tracy Patton, Founder of Once Upon Some Messy Fun, LLC. is a Child Development consultant, national speaker, presenter and trainer, that illuminates pathways for child development by captivating audiences with humor and expertise. Recognizing how Social Emotional Learning and sensory play transforms behavior, she shares insights with parents, caregivers and educators, emphasizing how play impacts all language, math, and self-regulation. Her workshops at Once Upon Some Messy Fun (since 2012) blend passion for mess-making with self-regulation, literacy and sensory activities. Tracy (she/her) is trained in trauma informed care, volunteers as a facilitator for Buddy’s Place – a grief support group for children 4-18 and holds an M.S. in Child Development/Infancy from the Erikson Institute (2011), in addition to her 25+ years devoted to EC staff, children and their families.

Session Option 2:

Amy Nelson:

The Playful Way!

Supporting Emerging Self-Regulation through Dyadic Play.

Session Option 3: 

Jessica Lynn Kazaniwskyj:

The Vicarious Load:  Preventing Burnout and Emotional Spillover in Developmental Therapy

Working closely with families in distress carries emotional weight. This workshop offers a deep look at how vicarious trauma shows up in our bodies, our boundaries, and our ability to stay present. You’ll walk away with nervous system-aligned practices to protect your energy, recover from overwhelm, and stay rooted in purpose.

Speaker Bio:

 Conscious Leadership & Trauma-Informed Development Expert.
 Jessica Kazaniwskyj is the early childhood industry’s straight-talking mirror — the one who isn’t afraid to reflect back the truths that actually create change. As Program Director and CEO of Rise Beyond Your Roots Inc., she’s on a mission to help early childhood professionals rewrite what “trauma-informed” really means: not just child-facing strategies, but grown-up leadership rooted in emotional intelligence, self-accountability, and real healing. With over 20 years of leadership and trauma-informed practice experience, Jessica combines trauma science, nervous system leadership, and the raw reality of how our own childhood stories keep repeating — in children’s behavior, staff dynamics, and the culture that keeps people stuck — unless we choose to lead and teach differently. She trains educators, leaders, and helping professionals to see how unaddressed trauma shapes not just kids’ nervous systems but the adult culture that surrounds them — so the work doesn’t end at the classroom door. Her bottom line? Real transformation doesn’t come from another checklist. It comes when we hold ourselves to the same standard we hold children to: safety, trust, and the courage to grow beyond what’s familiar — so every child, every educator, and every workplace culture can feel safe, seen, and supported to thrive.

Session Option 4:

Lila Ayyad-Alharsha:

How to Encourage Caregivers to be Motivators. 

Closing presenter:  Amy Nelson

Session Title: The Journey of Joy

Session Description