Winnipeg Conference on Child & Youth Behaviour, Development & Emotions

This three-day professional development event brings together leading experts in school psychology, neuropsychology, and mental health to provide evidence-based, practical strategies for supporting children and adolescents in educational and clinical settings. Designed for educators, school counselors, clinicians, and mental health professionals, this series of workshops highlights the critical connections between brain functioning, emotional well-being, and academic achievement.

Participants will explore how brain-behavioural relationships, social-emotional learning, and executive functioning shape student development—and how targeted interventions can make a lasting impact. Sessions will also address pressing challenges such as trauma, anxiety, reading and writing disorders, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Social Communication Disorder (SCD), offering actionable tools to better support students both academically and emotionally.

• Fostering Social-Emotional Learning for Academic Success
  Presented by Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABSNP
  Explore how poverty, trauma, neglect, and the pandemic impact learning and social-emotional development, and discover brain-based strategies for fostering resilience and emotional wellness in schools.
• Reading and Written Language Disorders
  Presented by Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABSNP
  Learn how to differentiate dyslexia and other reading disorders, implement targeted interventions, and apply the Feifer Assessment of Reading (FAR) and Feifer Assessment of Writing (FAW) to support struggling learners.
• Practical Solutions for Childhood and Adolescent Anxiety
  Presented by Carissa Muth, Psy.D., CCC, R.Psych
  Gain developmentally appropriate CBT and play therapy interventions to effectively treat anxiety in children and adolescents.
• Executive Functioning Skills in Children and Adolescents
  Presented by Carissa Muth, Psy.D., CCC, R.Psych
  Discover evidence-based interventions that strengthen planning, organization, and emotional regulation in youth, including those with ADHD, ASD, and trauma-related challenges.
• Evidence-Based Strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorder & Social Communication Disorder
  Presented by Cara Daily, Ph.D.
  Explore practical, research-supported approaches to managing behaviour, enhancing social communication, and preparing individuals with ASD and SCD for independence and adulthood.

• Learn cutting-edge, brain-based strategies for education and mental health.
• Access practical tools and assessments that can be immediately applied in schools and clinical settings.
• Expand your professional toolbox to address learning, behaviour, and emotional challenges in children and adolescents.
• Connect with leading experts and peers committed to improving student success and well-being.

Info: This workshop will examine the impact of mental health conditions on students’ academic performance and social development, offering practical strategies schools can use to promote emotional wellness. Through the lens of brain-behavioural relationships, this workshop will explore how schools can create environments that support not only academic achievement but also emotional regulation, social skills, and overall mental well-being. Factors such as poverty, trauma, childhood abuse, parental neglect, and the lasting effects of the pandemic can disrupt key brain processes related to learning and emotional behavior, resulting in challenges for students both academically and socially.

The focus of this workshop is on early intervention, effective assessment, and evidence-based classroom strategies. We will equip educators, school counselors, and mental health professionals with the tools they need to support emotional wellness in students, helping them overcome emotional challenges.

Info: This 3-hour afternoon workshop will explore reading and written language disorders through a brain-based educational lens, offering participants targeted strategies for supporting students with learning challenges. The workshop will be divided into two key segments: reading disorders in the first half and written language disorders in the second, each designed to equip educators and clinicians with the practical tools necessary for effective intervention.

Understanding and Addressing Reading Disorders
The first part of the workshop will focus on differentiating dyslexia from other reading disorders, with a special emphasis on classifying developmental reading disorders into four distinct subtypes. Participants will learn how to identify each subtype and match it with evidence-based interventions to target the specific cognitive challenges associated with it. We will delve into essential cognitive constructs involved in the reading process.

Info: Embark on an illuminating journey with sought-after occupational therapist Dr. Varleisha (Gibbs) Lyons, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, ASDCS, FAOTA, as she guides you through a transformative six-hour workshop experience. Dr. Lyons will delve into the foundations of selecting appropriate interventions for students exhibiting challenging behaviors, including hyperactivity, aggressiveness, self-stimulatory behaviors, and inattentiveness, among others.

In this workshop, participants will be ignited by the revelations uncovered in Dr. Lyons’ evidence-based presentation. Through a simplistic yet profound exploration, attendees will gain a deep understanding of the connection between neuroscience and classroom performance, particularly in terms of self-regulation and sensory processing.

Additionally, participants will be introduced to the Classroom Self-Regulation and Mindfulness program, a cutting-edge approach designed to empower educators and therapists in fostering self-regulation skills.

Info: Planning, organizing, and emotionally regulating all are executive functioning that, when impaired, can significantly impact activities of daily living. In childhood this can range in presentation from the ability to complete homework, to the ability to refrain from anger outbursts. While executive functioning never fully develops until young adulthood, certain children are at risk for lifetime impairments. Risk factors include trauma, low socioeconomic status, stress or neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD or ASD. In this workshop, Dr. Muth will present tools that can be implemented in the therapeutic setting and have been evidenced to have a lasting impact on children with low executive functioning. Many skills have been suggested by professionals, such as exercise, computer games, music, but only a few have been found to have a lasting impact once the intervention ceases.

Info: This one-day workshop will focus on evidence-based interventions and practical strategies for managing challenging behaviors and enhancing social communication in children, adolescents, and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Social Communication Disorder (SCD). Building on the foundational knowledge from Part 1, this session will focus on practical, hands-on tools to support behavior change, teach social communication skills, and create supportive environments in home, school, and community settings.

Dr. Cara Marker Daily will explore behavioral strategies like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for promoting self-regulation and reducing anxiety. Participants will learn how to integrate social communication interventions such as PECS, turn-taking, and social skills training into their practices.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Best Western Plus Winnipeg Airport Hotel, 1715 Wellington Avenue, Winnipeg, Canada

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