Educator Workshops

Ready, Set, Thrive!

A Two-Day Summer Preparatory Workshop for School Personnel Supporting Students with Autism, ADHD, Anxiety, Emotional Dysregulation, and other Neurodiverse Learning Profiles

Summer Institute Informational Flyer

The Summer Institute will be presented by David Meichenbaum, Ph.D., clinical director of the Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic at The Summit Center.

• Session 1 (in-person) July 8 & 9 (8-11:15 a.m. / 12:15-2:15 p.m.)
  Register at https://nysrcasd.org/events/1656/registrations/new
• Session 2 (virtual) July 15 & 16 (8-11:15 a.m. / 12:15-2:15 p.m.)
  Register at https://nysrcasd.org/events/1657/registrations/new

Registration is $350 per participant and includes 10 CTLEs or Psychology CEUs. Pay by credit card or purchase order.

Questions? Please contact us at (716) 629-3417 or wnyrcasd@thesummitcenter.org.

Description

As schools prepare for a new academic year, educators and support staff are increasingly called upon to meet the diverse academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs of students with Autism, ADHD, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and other neurodiverse learning profiles. Ready, Set, Thrive! is a practical, preparatory, and preventive-focused two-day summer institute designed to equip school teams with proactive strategies, tools, and confidence to support incoming students from Day 1.

This engaging and interactive workshop will help participants develop effective systems for creating structured, inclusive, and emotionally supportive learning environments while fostering independence, flexibility, self-regulation, and positive social thinking. Attendees will learn how to anticipate barriers before they occur, respond effectively to challenging behaviors, strengthen executive functioning skills, and create meaningful yet manageable data-tracking systems that inform intervention and progress monitoring.

Participants will also explore evidence-based approaches for:

• Preparing classrooms and staff for success
• Establishing effective inclusion opportunities
• Fading adult prompts and supports to increase independence
• Supporting social-emotional learning and emotional regulation
• Building flexible, positive, and social-thinking skills
• Developing executive functioning and self-management skills
• Collaborating effectively with families and multidisciplinary teams
• Creating proactive responses to behavioral challenges
• Identifying and overcoming common school-based barriers

Designed for teachers, aides, counselors, related service providers, administrators, and support staff, this institute emphasizes practical application, collaborative problem-solving, and strategies that can be immediately implemented in classrooms and school settings.

Participants will leave with actionable tools, ready-to-use resources, and a stronger framework for helping neurodiverse students thrive socially, emotionally, behaviorally, and academically throughout the school year.

2026 Summer Institute Learning Objectives

By the conclusion of this two-day workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the unique challenges students with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and other neurodiverse profiles may have transitioning into new educational settings.

2. Indicate key information to consider/ascertain prior to a transition to a new school year to foster success.

3. Specify at least 10 tools/strategies that can be used to facilitate transitional, social, emotional, behavioral, and learning success.

4. Identify components of an effective individualized intervention plan (i.e., IIP) to build independence.

5. Understand and identify the role of “TEAM” in developing adaptive alternative behaviors and building generalization.

6. Utilize at least 3 techniques to increase positive-, flexible-, and social-thinking abilities.

7. Recognize the importance of collecting data and specify ‘do-able’ data collection systems to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of used strategies.

About David Meichenbaum, PhD

Dr. Meichenbaum is a licensed clinical psychologist widely recognized for his expertise in supporting neurodiverse students with developmental, behavioral, and/or mental health needs.  He is both the clinical director of the Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic and the director of community consulting and clinical services at The Summit Center in Amherst, NY.

During his 22+ years at The Summit Center, Dr. Meichenbaum has delivered over 600 presentations locally and nationally to thousands of educators, school personnel, and mental health professionals.  His presentations are lauded for being engaging, inspiring, and full of practical solutions that take into consideration the various barriers school and family systems are faced with.

Dr. Meichenbaum is also a highly sought after consultant who has been contracted by more than 85 school districts and private schools. He offers practical behavioral, cognitive, and educational strategies that focus on the academic, social, emotional, adaptive, and behavioral development of students with autism, disruptive behavior, and mental health disorders.  Dr. Meichenbaum is innovative in adapting cognitive-behavioral interventions for students of all learning and cognitive levels.

Dr. Meichenbaum graduated with his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and he completed his clinical internship at Duke University Medical Center.

CEU Information

CTLE and Psychology CEUs are available. The cost of CEUs is included in the registration fee. CEUs will be awarded separately for Sessions 1 and 2 based on attendance. Session 1 includes three presentations. You must attend all three to be eligible for CEUs. Session 2 is one two-hour presentation.

CTLE: The Summit Center is an NYS Department of Education approved provider of CTLE continuing education events for teachers and administrators. 3.75 learning CEUs will be provided for the morning presentations and 2.0 learning CEUs will be provided for the afternoon presentation.

PSYCHOLOGISTS: The Summit Center is a provider of CEU credits for psychologists through the NYS State Education Department Office of the Professions. 3.75 CEUs will be provided for the morning presentations and 2.0 CEUs will be provided for the afternoon presentation. Provider number: PSY-0222.

Each organization/entity uses its own calculation to determine the number of CEUs based on contact hours. As with all continuing education opportunities, the attendee should verify CEU requirements by his/her professional organization and/or state licensure board.

Testimonials from Summer Institute Participants

“This was a great training to attend, especially at this time in the summer so that I have time to think, process, and plan how to incorporate the information into my classroom for September.”

“Dr. Dave is amazing! This two day workshop provided so much information that did not feel like information overload. He was very engaging and informative with different cases and strategies he has utilized!”

“One of the most informative and engaging trainings I’ve been to.”

“I enjoyed corroborating with the many professionals at the course. It was great to talk with them and problem solve issues we all face in the upcoming school year.”

“Dr. Meichenbaum is an engaging and knowledgeable presenter who is able to effectively share evidence-based techniques and strategies with a diverse population of learners. It is always a pleasure to listen to him present. Thank you, David.”

 “This was an amazing seminar. I learned A LOT. Presentation of material was fantastic, well-paced, and relevant.”

“I loved going over case studies of students with behavioral challenges. I was often able to relate these cases to students I work with.”

“Dr. Meichenbaum was very knowledgeable. He provided many resources that teachers can easily adapt and use in their own classroom.”

“Dr. Dave was incredible. I learned so much in this seminar and I am very excited to implement the tools I learned into my classroom!”