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The Attuned Classroom: How to Cultivate Environments for Trusting Relationships Time AM Breakout Session - 10:00 AM Presenter/Facilitator Kathryn Benson, MPA Nicole Santiago, MEd Back to Course List < Back About the Course This session explores how educators can create learning environments rooted in connection, safety, and trust. Participants will examine how stress, trauma, and neurodivergence shape student behavior and relationships, and learn practical, research-informed strategies for co-regulation, repair, and relational responsiveness. The course emphasizes communication and classroom practices—such as routines and caregiver collaboration—that build lasting trust with students and their families, helping all learners feel seen, supported, and ready to grow. Objectives Participants will describe how stress, trauma, and neurodivergence impact behavior and relationships. Participants will list practical strategies for building and maintaining trust through coregulation and relational repair. Participants will integrate classroom strategies including routines and communication practices that prioritize connections with both students and families. About your Instructors Kathryn Benson, MPA Kathryn “Katie” Benson has a Bachelors degree from Florida State University, and a Masters degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Non-Profit Management from the University of Texas Arlington. She spent 14 years total in the public education setting as a special education teacher. Ms. Benson’s other work experiences include volunteer coordinating for San Antonio events, directing and over-seeing productions at a local theatre, and managing community programs at another local non-profit. She is excited to be part of the ACN team, where she can use all of her myriad experiences in one place. In her spare time, Katie enjoys trivia and board games with her family, as well as spoiling her three fur babies. Speaker Disclosure: Ms. Benson receives a salary from Autism Community Network. Nicole Santiago, MEd Nicole Santiago, M.Ed., is a learning specialist and founder of Family ADDventures Advocacy , where she helps families support neurodivergent children across all learning environments. A former classroom teacher with over a decade of experience, Nicole draws on both her professional background and personal journey as a parent to guide others through the special education process. She is trained through A Day in Our Shoes Advocacy Academy , a member of COPAA and TOPAA, and has completed 40+ post-master’s credits in educational therapy. Nicole’s mission is to build confidence and connection by advocating for the rights and needs of children with big, beautiful brains and nervous systems. Speaker Disclosure: Ms. Santiago has no pertinent relationships to disclose.

Sensory Safety: Fostering Relationships to Support Social-Emotional Development in Children Time AM Breakout Session - 10:00 AM Presenter/Facilitator Dr. Carrie Alvarado, PhD, OTR, PACT Accredited Provider and PACT UK Associate Adrienne T. Gaither, OTR, C-SIPT, C/NDT, PACT Accredited Provider Back to Course List < Back About the Course This session explores how sensory and relational safety work hand-in-hand to form the foundation of emotional wellbeing and learning readiness in children. Participants will gain an understanding of how neurodevelopmental differences can impact sensory processing and increase vulnerability to sensory trauma, often affecting a child’s ability to feel safe, connected, and regulated. Through a trauma-informed and developmentally appropriate lens, attendees will learn actionable strategies—such as coregulation, responsive caregiving, and predictable routines—that promote both sensory and relational safety, supporting deeper social-emotional growth and resilience in all learning environments. Objectives Participants will define sensory and relational safety and describe their interconnectedness in creating a foundation of wellbeing and learning readiness in children. Participants will explain the foundational neurodevelopmental differences that can impact sensory processing and create a vulnerability for sensory trauma, influencing a child’s ability to feel safe and connected in various contexts. Participants will apply trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate strategies that buffer these vulnerabilities and support sensory and relational safety through predictable routines, coregulation and responsive caregiving. Dr. Carrie Alvarado, PhD, OTR, PACT Accredited Provider and PACT UK Associate Adrienne T. Gaither, OTR, C-SIPT, C/NDT, PACT Accredited Provider Dr. Carrie Alvarado is the Chief Operating Officer of Autism Community Network (ACN) and holds a PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development with a focus on Infant Mental Health and Developmental Disorders. She is the creator and director of the Earliest Connections Clinic, which provides early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention for high-risk infants and toddlers, and she leads ACN’s DIRFloortime and PACT programs, offering intensive, dyadic coaching through in-vivo and reflective video feedback. Her research centers on sensoriaffective integration, attachment, and the optimization of parent-mediated interventions via telepractice; she developed the Sensoriaffective Interactional Attunement Scale (SAIAS) and is currently working on the Emotional Intelligence and Praxis in Play Scale (EIPPS). Dr. Alvarado was the first accredited PACT practitioner in the U.S., serves as an Associate with PACT UK, and is a DIR®Floortime™ Certified Expert Clinician and Assistant Faculty for the Profectum™ Foundation. She has held leadership roles with STAR Institute, Fielding Graduate School of Psychology, and UT Health’s OTD Program. Carrie is a passionate innovator and connector, deeply committed to empowering families and clinicians alike. She is also the proud mother of three daughters, wife of 24 years, devoted animal lover, Huberman Lab fan, and a proud family member to several beautifully neurodiverse relatives who continue to inspire her work and life. Speaker Disclosure: Dr. Alvarado receives a salary from Autism Community Network. Adrienne Gaither, Chief Program Officer at Autism Community Network (ACN), is a licensed pediatric occupational therapist with over 25 years of experience supporting children and families. A graduate of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Adrienne has practiced in nearly every pediatric OT setting and has served as a vital member of ACN’s team since 2009. She is a Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT) Accredited Practitioner and a core part of ACN’s interdisciplinary diagnostic team, using a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming lens to support children’s development. Adrienne holds specialty certification in the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT), has advanced training in Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT), and played a key role in the development of Morgan’s Wonderland, particularly in designing the park’s Sensory Village. In addition to her work at ACN, she serves as a Program Director and Sensory Consultant for Kinetic Kids, Inc., a local nonprofit offering sports and recreation to children with special needs. Outside of work, Adrienne enjoys time with her husband, two children, and two dogs, as well as running, singing, and traveling. Speaker Disclosure: Ms. Gaither receives a salary from Autism Community Network.

< Back Engage Gifted and 2e Learners by Embracing Their Tendencies Julie Skolnick Mar 18, 2021 I recently found an old report card. Maybe I should say ancient — it was from the second grade! It would have been funny — the clear statements of my abilities juxtaposed with my distractibility — except that the teacher focused on changing my behavior rather than igniting my intellect. This is the song often sung about gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) learners. Twice exceptional refers to people identified as gifted with a concurrent learning difference or disability. I know all too well the tendency for grownups to feel as though they must wait for behavior to “get under control” before they can challenge or enrich learners. I know this from the countless client individualized education plans, teacher emails, and neuropsychological reports I’ve read, as well as from conversations and consultations with hundreds of parent clients. The first-quarter comments in second grade for me were juxtaposed like this: Julie reads above grade level. Julie needs to challenge her energies and spend more time concentrating on her studies. There are no suggestions to fan the flames of my reading passion or engage my “energies” to develop talent or provide a challenge. The sheer lack of elaboration on my strength is fascinating to me. It felt like it was an “obviously Julie is smart” moment, “we don’t have to address that — it’s the behavior that is the problem.” What a beautiful way to encapsulate the gifted and 2e learner’s experience — where strengths are ignored or overlooked to focus on deficits and behavior. When struggles are magnified and prioritized over strengths, we plant seeds of doubt about the very thing that defines the gifted child’s essence. The following critique turns gifted characteristics on their head, as though having unique and strong opinions about topics is a bad thing. She distracts others. Can be very out-spoken and strong willed. She has the ability to do better. (sic) I actually laughed out loud at that one. Guess what, second-grade teacher? I haven’t changed! The purpose of this article is to share why it’s so important to celebrate and encourage gifted tendencies rather than squelch our gifted and 2e kids’ essence because they are difficult to harness. Can you imagine if I took my teacher’s advice and stopped pushing back or challenging ideas? I certainly would not have become a lawyer, let alone have created a business to challenge and reframe gifted and 2e parenting and education. What I do all day long is push back against systems and teach advocacy to positively reframe and lift up the 2e person’s experience. So often adults try to meld children into someone convenient for them and their adult situation. I’m certain it would have been easier for my second-grade teacher had I conformed . But I ask myself, why would a teacher — who is there to teach — ever want someone to sit and face forward? That child is not learning; that child is ingesting. Gifted and 2e kids, they don’t do that. They devour, and as they chew on ideas, they need to share, push back, and look at the information from multiple angles. This is what is known as critical thinking. This is how learning happens. Ancient rabbis perfected the art of argument. They took one book, the Torah, and they grappled with it from all angles. The more questions and pushback, the better. There is no knowing — until there is debate, critique, conversation, and even quarreling. This should be the paradigm for teaching. It’s how learning sticks. I’m sure teachers are wondering, “But how do you control a class like that?” Gifted and 2e learners are great problem-solvers. Ask them! At the beginning of class, set up the rules. Let them know how you want the class to run and ask them what needs to happen (or not happen) to keep the class under control and relevant. Ask what happens when someone departs from the rules. The same thing goes for gifted and 2e kids in the home. Rather than shutting them down, or shutting them up, lay down rules. Recognize the greatness that is their critical thinking, their questioning, their refusal to take someone at their word. Then give them perspective. Let them know how it feels when they never do anything you ask without a fight. Put it back on them and ask, “How can we make this better for both of us?” Let them solve your problem. Often teachers and parents communicate black-and-white expectations to children whom they wish were more flexible. They set up behavior plans, charts, incentives, and gimmicks to get kids to do what they want — when what gifted and 2e kids deserve is respect for their “energy” and intellect. When teachers and parents take the time to applaud gifted and 2e kids’ natural tendencies, to explain the broader viewpoint of how certain intense behaviors affect others, they gain the learner’s trust. This, in turn, opens up discussion for how to make situations better for all parties. The alternative, critiquing, expecting the worst and ignoring underlying reasons for behaviors, serves to induce anxiety, underachievement, and school- or task-refusal. As a student, because I had a high drive and motivation to please, I ended up partially adapting to my second-grade teacher’s rules. In fact, the final comments on my report card that year demonstrated that I could grin and bear it, doing meaningless and rote work. I’m happy to say, however, that I maintained my gifted gumption. Julie has made tremendous strides in completing her daily assignments. She does however need to channel her energies. Has a tendency to be very outspoken. (sic) Had she asked, I’m sure I would have described better ways to show my knowledge based on my learning. In a similar vein, a client’s 7-year-old son came home from school one day and shared that they were discussing how cars were made. They watched a movie and learned the steps of the assembly line. Throwing his hands up in frustration, this child asked, “Wouldn’t it be more interesting if the teacher asked us to think about what steps it takes to make cars, and in what order and then allowed us to share our thoughts instead of just telling us?” Just taking the time to hear the learner’s thoughts allows them to express their true self and thereby increases resilience when they have something difficult to face. Previous Next

Our Valero Community Center is your next spot . The valero cc offers 986 sqft of Check Availability About the Valero Community Center Amenities Degree University Name Briefly describe your degree and any other highlights about your studies you want to share. Be sure to include relevant skills you gained, accomplishments you achieved or milestones you reached during your education. Scheduling Degree University Name Briefly describe your degree and any other highlights about your studies you want to share. Be sure to include relevant skills you gained, accomplishments you achieved or milestones you reached during your education. Table of Fees Degree University Name Briefly describe your degree and any other highlights about your studies you want to share. Be sure to include relevant skills you gained, accomplishments you achieved or milestones you reached during your education. Rental options. 2 day rental I’m a paragraph. Double click me or click Edit Text, it's easy. Book now 1 day rental I’m a paragraph. Double click me or click Edit Text, it's easy. Book now 4 hr Rental I’m a paragraph. Double click me or click Edit Text, it's easy. Book now Valero supports ACN you can too! As a non-profit, ACN depends on the support of companies like yours. No matter the size, your gift makes a difference. Donate

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< Back Patricia "Patty" Vela, MA Chief Development & Outreach Officer Patricia "Patty" Vela holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Southwestern University and a Masters degree in School Psychology from Trinity University. After 14 years of practicing as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology for NISD, Ms. Vela entered her second career, non-profit development and fundraising. Prior to ACN, Ms. Vela worked for a large non-profit in San Antonio. However, she always missed working alongside children with disabilities and their caregivers which made her excited when this opportunity became available. She joined the ACN team in March, 2017. Ms. Vela is a daughter, mother, friend, bibliophile, frustrated artist, lover of music, and enjoys Gilmore Girls and HGTV a little too much! She has also developed a passion for retaionally-based or conscious parenting as she has spent more time at ACN and can often be found down internet rabbit holes of leaders in this field. Patty is a proud aunt to 2 neurodivergent children. pattyv@acn-sa.org (210) 435-1000 ext. 5002

The blog. All Posts Search Feb 9 1 min ACN is Hiring: Join our Amazing Team! Autism Community Network is looking for a confident, mature, smart individual for our very fast paced insurance and billing position. We... 261 views 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Jan 26 3 min Co-Regulation and How it can Help Your Child The holidays are over and you’re trying to get your family back into a routine, but your child has been struggling these last few weeks.... 147 views 2 likes. Post not marked as liked 2 Mar 26, 2023 7 min The ACN logo story. How the elephants became our mascots. The elephant is a remarkable animal that is often associated with strength, intelligence, and a... 146 views 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1

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