Sessions and Speakers
Bridges to Collaboration: Addressing Social Determinants of Health
November 16, 2023
4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Keynote Presentation - Collaboration as a Tool for Building Trust in Autism Research
Sam Brandsen, Ph.D.
Sam Brandsen completed his Ph.D. in physics at Duke University with a focus on quantum information theory. Towards the end of his PhD, he became intensely interested in autism research and advocating for better healthcare and educational opportunities for autistic individuals. Sam currently works for Duke Autism Center and additionally works with UNC TEACCH, Northwestern University, and UCLA on a variety of research projects and initiatives focused on autistic quality of life. He particularly focuses on barriers to inclusion for multiply marginalized autistic individuals and autistic individuals with co-occurring intellectual disabilities. Another key interest is developing supports for parents, clinicians, employers, and other key stakeholders-- this interest led him to found All Neurotypes, which provides parent and clinician resources as well as free or sliding scale groups and camp experiences for autistic children with a full range of support needs.
He serves as the president of Therafriends, a nonprofit committed to providing free, inclusive therapy for children with disabilities; and is additionally part of the Council for Autistic Advisors at the Autism Society of America and the Autistic Advisory Committee at the Autism Support and Advocacy Network. Sam's interest in increased inclusion for autistic individuals-- particularly those who are multiply marginalised-- stems partially from his own intersectional experiences. He is autistic, multiply- disabled, transgender man, and is the parent of a wonderful autistic child with high support needs. Watching his child experience several barriers in healthcare and educational settings fueled his desire to create a more accessible world for his child and all other children with complex support needs. More generally, Sam is committed to ongoing learning about other's experiences and developing more collaborative and participatory research approaches.
Session 1 - A Demonstration Case: Building a Team to Support your Child
Suzannah Iadarola, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Moderator
Suzannah Iadarola, Ph.D., BCBA-D is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics (primary) and Public Health (secondary). She also serves as the Director of the Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities, a federally-mandated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Her research and clinical work focuses on programs, services, and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), across the lifecourse.
With her colleagues, she conducts community-partnered research related to developing, disseminating, and evaluating community interventions to support individuals with IDD and their families. Additional translational research priorities include assessment of parent needs and barriers to self-care, as well as the development of programs to help address parent stress and well-being. Much of this research is conducted in collaboration with national, multi-site research networks. In addition to scholarship, she engages in the development, evaluation, and community dissemination of programs and services in the disability and related fields. She also prioritizes mentorship of trainees, staff, and junior faculty in research, scholarship, and program administration.
Melanie S. Baker, M. Sc., Special Education 
Co-Moderator
Melanie Baker, currently works as a Regional Coordinator with Parent to Parent NYS, in the Long Island office, and has served children and families for 25 years, in her role as a Special Education teacher, home instructor, tutor, mentor, editor and writer. Melanie believes strongly in the essential role of parents to the outcome of their children, as their foremost advocates. She uses her voice to spread the message of hope, focusing on parenting children through difficult circumstances.
Wife of 20 years, mother of 3 sons, with her first son diagnosed as multiply differently-abled with autism and visual impairment; Melanie, whether training teachers and parents locally or internationally, in her island home of Jamaica, remains actively engaged with her community, her faith, her family. A current fellow with Stony Brook University’s LEND Program, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities, she lives her life to reflect a commitment to service, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Haley Brenan
Panelist
My name is Haley Brennan, and I am a licensed clinical social worker at Mary Cariola Center. I have worked at Mary Cariola for fifteen years, including time spent in classrooms as a teacher aide, as well providing counseling services to children and adolescents with complex disabilities.
Anastacia Parker
Panelist
I'm a 41 year old single mom to Israel. I have worked with people who have intellectual and Developmental disabilities for almost 20 years. In a way this has provided me with the foundation to be able to support my son with special needs and the challenges he and I face every day.
Lorna Patanella
Panelist
Ms. Patanella has always cared for children with developmental disabilities throughout her various positions. She values working collaboratively with the children and teens that we care for and their families to maximize their skills, reduce their distress, and promote their independence. She enjoys working with children of all ages and has a particular interest in working with adolescents to help them develop the skills needed to become effective self-advocates and independent adults.
Patricia Corbett-Dick, M.S., N.P.
Panelist
Ms. Corbett-Dick is certified as both a Psychiatric and Pediatric Nurse practitioner, and has been active in interdisciplinary teaching in the Division, as well as in the School of Nursing and in the Community. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing and has held research and clinical roles in DBP since 2006. In addition to her work in DBP, she has held Advanced Practice Nurse positions in Integrated Behavioral Health and in Primary Care. Her current role with DBP patients and families is through her work with the BIFF (Behavior Interventions for Families) Team.
This program promotes a positive approach to challenging behaviors in youth with ASD/Intellectual Developmental Disability through a Parent Management Training intervention. She is a psychopharmacology resource for the clinical team, and is part of our ECHO telementoring program which enhances provider and professional capacity for care of individuals with ASD/IDD and their families locally and across NYS.
Brianne Schmidt
Panelist
Through her work with children autism and other developmental disabilities, Ms. Schmidt has gained a unique understanding of their specific nutritional and diet needs. She is interested in both nutrition research and clinical dietetics including the assessment of the nutritional status of children with ASD, assisting with dietary supplement selections, feeding disorders, weight management, and counseling on safe complimentary therapy use.
She recognizes that families are often faced with conflicting recommendations and options regarding their child’s diet and is interested in helping families figure out what is the best option for their child. Ms. Schmidt meets with families on a regular basis and helps them implement nutrition-related recommendations.
A Team Approach: Developing Daily Living Skills
November 17, 2023
3:00-5:00 p.m.
Speaker - Dennis Kuo, M.D., M.H.S.
Opening Remarks - Life Course, Social Determinants of Health, & Lived Experiences
Dr. Kuo is Chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the Golisano Children’s Hospital. Dr. Kuo has a longstanding interest in comprehensive care of children with disabilities and medical complexity. Prior to coming to URMC, Dr. Kuo provided both general pediatric and specialty care for children with medical complexity, developmental disabilities, and feeding disorders.
His research interests include patient- and family-centered care for children with medical complexity; care coordination; early childhood health; and health care system reform for children with disabilities and medical complexity. He is a Steering Committee member of the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs research network.
Speaker - Kimberly Brown, Ph.D.
Session 1 - Transdisciplinary Care for Families and Children with Pediatric Feeding Disorders
Dr. Brown has accumulated over 30 years of experience working with families of children facing feeding disorders, initially stumbling into this field during graduate school and subsequently developing a deep passion for witnessing children's progress in expanding their food preferences. Her immense joy stems from witnessing reduced stress among parents during mealtimes and the transformational impact on their lives. Her career has spanned various hospitals nationwide, allowing her to master a multitude of feeding techniques and develop an acute understanding of parents' needs and children's strengths.
Her mission is to empower parents to implement lifestyle changes at home, fostering enjoyable family mealtimes. She prioritizes family-friendly strategies and prioritizes the child's exploration of new foods, preferences, and active participation in family meals. With 25 years of licensed psychology experience, she has collaborated with diverse therapists in feeding, learning different approaches and emphasizing the importance of parent education, addressing psychosocial barriers, and managing challenging behaviors. Her aspiration is to work within collaborative teams to deliver comprehensive care for children and families in need.
Speaker - Rishi Gupta, M.D.
Session 2 - Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children on the Autism Spectrum: Is the Management Different Than in Neurotypical Children?
Dr. Gupta is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Golisano Children's Hospital at University of Rochester. He has an active interest in treating GI disorders in neurodiverse children. He has founded and participated in multidisciplinary clinics for pediatric feeding disorders, center for pediatric dysautonomia, Center of excellence for CDKL-5 mutation (Rett syndrome) and GI disorders in children on autism spectrum in the past at Cleveland clinic and at University of Maryland, while being a gastroenterology faculty there in the
past.
He believes in simplifying medicine and having a common-sense and collaborative approach to formulate therapeutic plans for his patients. He is currently involved with special needs children committee and education committee at American academy of pediatrics and has an ongoing intertest in community engagement for educational endeavors.
Speaker - Amanda L. Wadsworth
Session 3 - Toileting Success: We're in It Together
Ms. Wadsworth is a board-certified and licensed behavior analyst, as well as a licensed special education teacher who has over 20 years of experience working with neurodevelopmental differences spanning all ages from pre-school to adults. She has worked in a variety of settings including private and public schools, outpatient and school-based ABA programs, and residential settings, as well as working with families in their homes. She has extensive experience coaching and training others to implement behaviorally based strategies to support individuals in developing and building skills, while also decreasing behaviors that impede individuals from reaching their full potential.
She enjoys working alongside and collaborating with parents and caregivers to develop skills in children that improve quality of life for the child and overall family. She has particular expertise and interest in self-care skills, including toileting. She recently joined the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at URMC in July.
Speaker - Caitlin LeGros
Session 4 - Sleep Success from a Tired Parent
Caitlin LeGros is a mom of 3 and has been an Autism parent for 11 years. Professionally she is a GYN Midwife at Trillium Health focusing on transgender and menopause care. Spanning both worlds of parenting and the medical field has given her a unique perspective she’s happy to share with other families.
Addressing Caregiver/Parenting Stress through Collaboration
November 18, 2023
9:00-11:00 a.m.
Session 1 - Stronger Together: Where Courage and Compassion Meet
Speaker - Sabrina Vogler, C.P.C., C.E.C., C.G.S.S.
Sabrina Vogler is a Certified Professional Coach, Executive Coach, and Grief Specialist at Heart in the Moment Mindfulness Coaching, LLC. Since beginning her career in 1995, she served as a licensed master social worker in hospice and other medical settings. A formal student of mindfulness since 1999, Sabrina was the first to teach self-compassion in the 1:1 coaching space after training under industry founders.
She is also credentialed with Dr. Brené Brown’s leadership company, Brave Leaders Inc. Heralded by her clients as a “game- changer,” Sabrina is a mother of twin boys, magazine contributor, keynote presenter, and member of the Institute of Coaching at Harvard Medical School Affiliate McLean Hospital.
Session 2 - Raising Children with Developmental Disabilities: If You Want to Go Quickly, Go Alone. If You Want to Go Far, Go Together
Christina Mulé, Ph.D.
Moderator
Christina Mulé has a specialty in neurodevelopmental disorders and a primary interest is in autism spectrum disorder. Her skills include both assessment and treatment of neurodevelopmental challenges, with an approach to care that is multi-systemic, taking into account the complex network of systems that children live within.
Her primary research interest is in health disparities as it relates to autism care, as well as the development of novel interventions that can improve overall health and well-being for children with autism.
Lisa Latten, M., Ed. 
Co-Moderator
Lisa Latten works collaboratively within the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics as Clinic Administrator. Lisa began her time at DBP as a volunteer with Autism Up helping connect families to resources for their loved one and guiding them through the various steps in the disability world.
Lisa works to bridge the intersectionality of medical and school systems. Drawing on her experience as an educator and a parent of a young adult with autism, Lisa inherently understands that navigating various systems requires planning and advocacy.
Laura Silverman, Ph.D.
Panelist
Dr. Silverman is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, the co-director of the LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) Program for the University of Rochester, and the director of the Behavioral Interventions for Families (BIFF) Clinic, which teaches parents behavioral strategies that they can use at home.
She also provides diagnostic assessments for ASD for children and teens with complex presentations. Her research includes evaluation of sensory processing as it relates to language, behavioral interventions, and health literacy for individuals with ASD. She believes strongly that research should inform clinical practice, and that the clinical concerns of families should drive research questions. She guides the LEND trainees in both research and advocacy work.
Mary Brzustowicz, Family Navigator
Panelist
Mary Brzustowicz has been part of the Family Navigator Team at Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics since 2017 and has been co-training workshops at Autism Up, like the Parent Effectiveness Program since 2015. As a Family Navigator, Brzustowicz guides and supports families to learn how to best help their children, and she truly loves seeing how families grow in confidence and love.
Lynne Levato, Ph.D.
Panelist
Lynne Levato, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and board certified behavior analyst. She is the Principal Investigator on two federally funded, multi-site research grants. She also serves as the Director of the Community Consultation Program, a program that provides consultation to school districts and agencies across Western New York. Her clinical and research interests center around educational and behavioral interventions for young children with developmental disabilities and strengthening communication with families.
Becky Glogowski-Sabin
Panelist
Rebecca Sabin has a background in early childhood education and is the mom to an amazing seven year old son, Matthew (who has been diagnosed with autism since the age of two years old). Rebecca uses her education background to help navigate the services and supports that her son needs to be as successful as possible.