Whether you’re in the process of adopting, have already adopted, are considering adoption, work with children from hard places, or maybe just read The Connected Child book and still don’t completely understand how it works, the Empowered to Connect Conference is for you! This conference provides an introduction to research-based interventions for at-risk children, presented by adoption professionals and parents. This year the conference will feature guest speakers David Cross, Mandy Howard, Daren Jones, Dan and Terri Coley, Ryan and Kayla North, and Casey Call. These speakers have devoted their time to research, education and outreach on behalf of those who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or trauma. In addition to the live conference being held in Franklin, Tennessee on April 7-8, it will also be available via simulcast at many locations. In case that isn’t enough to convince you, here are four reasons why you should attend:
- Connect – Gain insight into your own attachment style and how it can impact your relationships with others. Learn ways to strengthen attachments with children from hard places through attunement, nurturing touch, eye contact, playful engagement and giving voice, all while having the opportunity to connect with other adoption and foster care parents and professionals.
- Empower – Learn ways to empower children from hard places through providing a structured environment, transitions, and using scaffolding to parent to your child’s level. Not only will you learn ways to empower children from hard places, you will also leave feeling empowered and equipped in the techniques and strategies you’ve learned.
- Correct – Learn proactive and responsive strategies such as offering choices, compromises, sharing power and using life value terms to help children with challenging behaviors. The speakers do a wonderful job of providing practical real-life examples of how to parent children from hard places.
- Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) – Learn what Sensory Processing Disorder is, why children from hard places are at a higher risk, and how to support a child with SPD. Learn about tools such as weighted blankets, and fidgets to help support children with Sensory Processing Disorder.
We all want to become the parents and professionals that our children need us to be, and this conference will help us get there. After this conference I felt encouraged by the training and support, and left feeling empowered to be a better parent and adoption professional. Take the step, I did and I am grateful for all that I learned!
Angela Simpson, BSW
Angela Simpson is an adoptive parent, social worker and adoption advocate. Angela is MLJ Adoptions’ Support Services Specialist and works with families throughout their adoption process. Angela and her husband have two sons and have just recently added a daughter to their family through adoption.
Angela Simpson, BSW
Angela Simpson is an adoptive parent, social worker and adoption advocate. Angela is MLJ Adoptions’ Support Services Specialist and works with families throughout their adoption process. Angela and her husband have two sons and have just recently added a daughter to their family through adoption.