Early Childhood Symposium 2022 - Disability and Intersectionality: Promoting Inclusion and Fostering an Anti-Ableist Mindset in Young Children (CTLE 1.5)

Join us for the fourth annual Early Childhood Symposium at Brooklyn Public Library. This year, we will explore Disability and Intersectionality in Early Childhood Classrooms. In a series of three workshops, educators will explore: 

• What is intersectionality and how do multiple identities (race, gender) impact young children with disabilities? 
• How does intersectionality impact the day-to-day work: what happens in the classroom and referral process and how do we address these issues?
• What are the needs of kids and families with disabilities and how do we support them?
• Ableism and Microaggressions: How do we talk to young children about disability to promote inclusion and foster an anti-ableist mindset?

Workshop #2: Disability and Intersectionality: Promoting Inclusion and Fostering an Anti-Ableist Mindset in Young Children 

Two family leadership professionals discuss the ways microaggressions and ableism can hinder early identification of disabilities for Black children in the early childhood setting. They offer solutions that promote family support and inclusion to meet student needs and address family concerns. 

Speakers:

Nikki Montgomery, MA, MEd, GPAC is the Project Director for the ACL Health Care Transition Project. Nikki’s passion for empowering youth and families spans the last two decades, during which she has been an educator, a health literacy specialist, a patient advocate, and the parent of a child with complex healthcare and educational needs. In addition to a graduate certificate in Patient Advocacy, for which her research was focused on increasing the capacity of parents of medically fragile children, Nikki has a master’s degree in English and in Educational Psychology, with thesis research on critical thinking and health literacy for parents of children with disabilities. She is the author of the Super Safe Kids pediatric patient education series and currently serves on the Editorial Board for Pediatrics journal and on the Global Patient & Family Advisory Board for The Beryl Institute, among many other health advocacy roles.

 

Allysa Ware, MSW is the Associate Director of Programs and Strategies with Family Voices. Allysa has spent the last decade working to improve access to education, medical services, and community supports for children with special health care needs and their families.  Allysa received her master’s degree in social work from The Catholic University of America (CUA) and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in social work at CUA with a research focus of autism diagnosis and treatment in the African-American community. She is licensed by the Association of Social Work Boards as a Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) in Washington, DC, and Maryland. Allysa is also the proud parent of a 16-year-old daughter with an autism spectrum disorder.

Register for all workshops here: bklynlib.org/ecsymposium