Presentations

Lori Comallie-Caplan offers practical resources, relevant, insightful workshops and professional development opportunities for general education teachers, special education teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, parents, and support groups. These educational workshop presentations can be customized for your district’s unique needs.

Special Education Workshops / Gifted Education Workshops / Educational Law

Special Education Workshops

PREPARING FOR INCLUSION
This workshop will take you through the five phases of planning and implementing an inclusive program in your school district. This workshop will undertake the task of dissolving the myths and misconceptions regarding inclusion. In this workshop you will explore the origin of inclusive practices, barriers to inclusion, federal mandates requiring placement in the “least restrictive environment”, and inclusive service delivery models. With this workshop your district’s teachers will have the foundation needed to build a successful inclusive program.

MAKING ADAPTATIONS TO MEET INDIVIDUAL STUDENT NEEDS IN AN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM
Inclusion is a journey, not a destination, a process, not a product. Ms. Comallie-Caplan will provide your staff with tools to: adapt materials, alter assignments, modify instructional presentation, modify expectations for instructional output, modify tests, provide strategies for individual learning styles for students individual needs, and provide strategies for students with severe disabilities to benefit from inclusive placements.

FACILITATING INCLUSION THROUGH COLLABORATIVE TEACHING
This workshop provides training in clarification of roles and responsibilities of the special educator and general educator, step by step guidelines for developing a successful co-teaching team, strategies for successful co-planning, and a tool for communicating about students with special needs - “The Student Information Profile”.

STUDENT DRIVEN/STUDENT LED IEPS
This workshop will give participants the tools to develop and implement Student Driven/Student Led IEPs. Ms. Comallie Caplan will show the benefits of student involvement in their IEPs through helping students understand, develop and participate in their IEP process. The workshop will also include information on preparing staff and parents for Student led IEPs. Participants will be given the opportunity to develop appropriate lesson plans in instructing students on self advocacy and IEP participation preparation.

BEST PRACTICES IN FACILITATING IEPS
Best Practices in Facilitating IEPs This workshop provides skills that enable district personnel and parents to collaborate using an efficient meeting process that focuses energy on the needs of the student. Ms. Comallie-Caplan will provide specific tools and techniques to assist the IEP team to listen to each other, to reach true consensus, and to collaborate positively. Use of the meeting facilitation process significantly reduces the need for mediation and due process.

CONDUCTING FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENTS OF BEHAVIOR AND WRITING BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLANS
This workshop is designed to provide you with the resources needed to understand the usefulness of functional behavioral assessments and behavioral intervention plans in addressing student problem behavior, as well as what the law requires of school districts with regard to these topics.

SUCCESSFULLY TEACHING THE STUDENT WITH ASPERGERS
This workshop will give participants an understanding of the disability including the background and characteristics of the student with Aspergers. Educators will learn practical, everyday suggestions to enhance learning and maximize participation for their students with Aspergers.

SUCCESSFULLY TEACHING THE STUDENT WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER
This workshop will give participants an understanding of the disability including the background and characteristics of the student with Attention Deficit Disorder. Educators will learn practical, everyday suggestions to enhance learning and maximize participation for their students with ADD.

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Gifted Education Workshops

UNDERSTANDING OVEREXCITABILITIES
Overexcitabilities (OEs) can result in creative endeavors as well as advanced emotional and ethical development in adulthood. Because of this, overexcitabilities are a positive force for the gifted, as they feed, enrich, empower and amplify talent. This workshop will explore the Basic Concepts of Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration, the 5 OEs characteristic, the strategies for working with OEs and a hands on lesson in helping your students to understand their OEs.

MISDIAGNOSIS/DUAL DIAGNOSIS OF THE GIFTED CHILD

Many gifted and talented children (and adults) are being mis-diagnosed by psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other health care professionals. The most common mis-diagnoses are: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (OD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Mood Disorders such as Cyclothymic Disorder, Dysthyinic Disorder, Depression, and Bi-Polar Disorder. This workshop will educate about these common mis-diagnoses and the role that specific social and emotional characteristics of gifted children play in misdiagnosis.

THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL UNDERPINNINGS OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT

This session will explore the impact of unique social emotional issues such as perfectionism, asynchrony, overexciteabilities, stress and anxiety on gifted student's achievement. We will also address strategies to reverse underachievement.

GIFTED GIRLS TO GIFTED WOMEN
It is not enough to raise the aspirations of gifted girls; it is necessary to help them overcome internal and external barriers and help them become deeply committed to fulfilling their dreams. Will their self-esteem, socialization and education shape them into gifted women?  This workshop will assist gifted educators in helping gifted girls bear the responsibility for actualizing their potential.

COACHING FOR DIFFERENTIATION
Instructional Coaches (Professional Development Teachers/Specialists) will learn to coach instructional differentiation by providing teachers with eight easily implemented strategies: Anchor Activities; Choice Menus; Think Dots; Cubing; RAFT; Six Thinking Hats; Structured Academic Controversy; The Profiler; and The Tri-Minder.

STUDENT DRIVEN/STUDENT LED IEPS
This workshop will give participants the tools to develop and implement Student Driven/Student Led IEPs for gifted students. Ms. Comallie Caplan will show the benefits of student involvement in their IEPs through helping students understand, develop and participate in their IEP process. The workshop will also include information on preparing staff and parents for Student led IEPs. Participants will be given the opportunity to develop appropriate lesson plans in instructing gifted students on self advocacy and IEP participation preparation.

OVEREXCITABILITIES: AN EIGHT WEEK STUCTURED GROUP FOR GIFTED STUDENTS
Counselors can help emotionally intense gifted children to accept their rich inner world of experience and to value it as a strength. If overexciteabilities are presented positively to gifted children they can be helped to understand and value their emotions. This structured 8 week therapeutic series helps students understand their unique sensitivities and intensities. Through support group students will be empowered to express their selves in the world and use their gifts with confidence and joy. Participants will receive an eight week session guide, Power Points and other materials to provide an eight week structured group therapy program for gifted children.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR GIFTED EDUCATORS
A Gifted Education Department that operates as a “professional learning community” engages it’s professionals in collected learning and application of learning. The most powerful forms of professional development occur in ongoing teams that meet regularly for the purposes of learning, planning, and problem solving. These teams operate with a commitment to continuous improvement and improving instruction for gifted learners. This presentation is directed at gifted education instructors and leadership and will provide an example and steps to begin Professional Learning Communities as ongoing, embedded professional development which results in teachers that are well informed, professionally renewed, and inspired.

TWICE EXCEPTIONAL SERIES : Teaching the Gifted Learning Disabled Student
This workshop will cover the characteristics of the G/LD student as well as appropriate accommodations, differentiating the instruction and service needs. Participants will be provided with resources for successfully teaching the G/LD Student.

TWICE EXCEPTIONAL SERIES : Teaching the Gifted Aspergers Student
This workshop will cover the characteristics of the G/AS student as well as appropriate accommodations, differentiating the instruction and service needs. Participants will be provided with resources for successfully teaching the G/AS Student.

TWICE EXCEPTIONAL SERIES : Teaching the Gifted Student with Emotional Problems
This workshop will cover the characteristics of the G/ED student as well as appropriate accommodations, differentiating the instruction and service needs. Participants will be provided with resources for successfully teaching the G/ED Student.

TWICE EXCEPTIONAL SERIES : Teaching the Gifted Attention Deficit Student
This workshop will cover the characteristics of the G/ADD student as well as appropriate accommodations, differentiating the instruction and service needs. Participants will be provided with resources for successfully teaching the G/ADD Student.

TWICE EXCEPTIONAL SERIES : Understanding and teaching the Gifted Student with Tourettes

What happens when a profoundly gifted child (PG) also has Tourette's Syndrome (TS), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? Where does a psychomotor overexcitability end and hyperactivity start? Where does an intellectual overexcitability end and obsessive thinking start? Are symptoms a blessing or a curse? Do these students have the right to accommodations in advanced and AP courses? All these questions will be answered and more. In this multimodal presentation, participants will learn about the symptoms and successful educational treatments for PG, TS, OCD, and ADHD.

SUCCESSFULLY PARENTING YOUR GIFTED CHILD USING THE SENG FORMULA

Raising gifted children brings great joys and also great challenge.  The key to raising gifted children is relationship.  A parenting relationship devoted to nurturing the unique social emotional needs of their children.  When gifted children may feel out of step with the rest of the world, it is essential that their home and relationships with the family become a safe haven.  This session will be an interactive discussion on the challenges of parenting gifted children through their unique social emotional issues such as asynchronicity, motivation, self-discipline, intensity, perfectionism, and idealism.  The facilitator will provide and elicit from session participants strategies for parents to use to help their gifted child with stress management, communication skills, underachievement, and peer and sibling relationships.  Special attention will be given to the challenges of disciplining gifted children.  The facilitator will also educate parents on finding the right mental/medical health provider for their gifted child and the potential for misdiagnosis of gifted children.  Resources for parenting such as SENG, NAGC, and Hoagies will be provided as well as participant suggestions for resources.

SENG Model Parent Group Facilitator Training
SENG Model Parent Groups are structured to bring together 10 to 20 parents of gifted and talented children to discuss such topics as discipline, stress management, motivation, peer relationships and successful parenting.  The groups are structured around the book “A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children” by Dr. James Webb and usually last for 8 to 10 weeks.  This two-day training workshop provides intensive focus on the content and training for facilitators of these groups, as well as opportunities to practice group facilitating skills under supervision. The training workshop involves actually facilitating parent groups, in addition to extensive role-play, and culminates in the development of an action plan for establishing SENG model parent groups.

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Educational Law Workshops

IDEA REGULATIONS: UNDERSTANDING YOU LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES
This workshop will explains the legal requirements in a comprehensive, easy-to-follow style. Ms. Comallie-Caplan details the legal responsibilities of special educators regarding parent rights, parent participation, evaluation, IEP content, and prior written notice. Avoid unnecessary litigation and attorneys' fees by training your staff now.

CREATING LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE IEPS
The IEP is the “cornerstone” of student programming. How it is developed and written is usually the key to avoiding disputes or significant in determining who will succeed. Participants will have the opportunity to explore common IEP mistakes and learn how to avoid the error and if unable to avoid how to remedy the mistake. Specific strategies for difficult IEP meetings will be modeled and practiced by participants.

DISCIPLINE UNDER THE IDEA
The workshop will provide participants with detailed knowledge of the discipline regulations as well as how to successfully implement those regulations.

IDEA PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS TRAINING FOR PARENTS AND SURROGATE PARENTS
This workshop will cover the 6 main principals of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: 1) Free Appropriate Public Education, 2) Appropriate Evaluation, 3) Individualized Education Programs, 4) Least Restrictive Environment, 5) Parent and Student Participation, and 6) Procedural Due Process.

UNDERSTANDING SECTION 504 IN THE EDUCATIONAL SETTING
This workshop is a guide to provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 relevant to educational settings. This workshop addresses the following topics: (1) an introduction to Section 504 including what disabilities are covered and how Section 504 is different from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; (2) the Section 504 process, including preparation for plan development, evaluation, plan implementation, and plan review/evaluation; (3) types of modifications and accommodations in a Section 504 plan, (4) policies and procedures for complying with Section 504, such as what to include in a Section 504 handbook; and (5) developing a Section 504 training program.

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Upcoming Events

 

 

For more information on any of these events, please email me at lcomallie@gmail.com

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Recent Presentations

February 3, 2012
Arizona Gifted and Talented
Understanding and Educating Gifted Students with Tourettes
Fronteras: A Changing America: Tourettes

 

January 16, 2012
“Prevention and Intervention for Underachievement of Gifted Students by addressing their Social Emotional Needs
Clear Creek Schools, TX

 

December 1, 2011
Understanding and Educating the Gifted Student with Tourette's
OCR Dear Colleague Letter Giving Access to Students with Disabilities Access to Honors, AP and Accelerated Programs

 

Time: 4:00 PM
Texas Association of the Gifted and Talented
Austin Convention Center
Austin , Texas

November 05, 2011
Successfully Parenting Your Gifted Child Using the SENG Formula
58th Annual Convention of the National Association for Gifted Children in New Orleans
Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Room: Grand Salon Section: 18

Recent Publications/Media Appearances

Helping Your Gifted Child Through Divorce: Part 1

Helping Your Gifted Child Through Divorce: Part 2

Educating Our Gifted: A Continuing Challenge

Hearts for Austism Fund: An Introduction to Autism

Fronteras: A Changing America: Tourettes

 

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