2013 Assessment Workshop

We moved on to our second decade with the 2013 annual Assessment Workshop. We opened the day of our 11^th event with Dr Charlotte’s Waddell inspiring and thought-provoking keynote address on the mental health and well-being of children where Dr Waddell offered a population-health approach on how to identify and address the individual –and global– needs of young children and families. Dr Waddell’s talk was the perfect start of our day where we focused on the topic “Start Early, Go Far: Early Assessment Leads to Understanding and Inclusive Communities.”

Our incredible group of passionate presenters carried this theme through the day where the “start early” message was represented in the different presentations on social and emotional development, work with parents and community agencies, screening and assessment using a variety of tools for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and children in early school grades – also taking into consideration ethics and parents’ values and beliefs into the process.  Presentations included the sharing of practical tools and resources that acknowledged our theme of “caring and inclusive communities.” As in previous years, poster presentations featured the work of graduate students –this year focusing on children with additional needs. Community agencies displayed their work to inform delegates of resources and programs in their communities.

We close the day with Dr Martin Guhn’s presentation on “The Well-Being of British Columbia’s Children.” In his elegantly crafted – and original and creative—presentation,  Dr Guhn’s wove in cutting-edge science research with the latest findings reported through the EDI (Early Development Instrument) and MDI (Middle Development Instrument) about children’s social and emotional well-being in our province.

We run this event thanks to the dedicated and committed effort of an outstanding committee of volunteers. This year, we welcome Andrea James, of the BC Centre for Ability, and Beth Hutchinson, Provincial Advisor for the Parent Child Mother Goose Programs as our new committee members. We thank, once again Andrea Lemire and Christina Thiele of the Society for Children and Youth, SCY, for their participation in our committee last year (and for presenting their display once again this year!). Once again, talented Christina Thiele worked her graphic arts magic and edited  the beautiful thank-you cards for our presenters. Our deepest thanks once again to Dana Brynelsen, volunteer community member, and formerly Provincial Advisor of the Infant Development and Program of BC, respectively, to Diana Elliott with the Aboriginal Infant Development/Supported Child Development Program Provincial Office. We are proud of Mary Stewart who completed her Master of Arts and defended her thesis just before our event – and presented it in one of the sessions! We are indebted to Dr Hillel Goelman, our leader and founding member of this committee and the Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program at UBC’s Green College for also taking on the closing keynote role in this celebratory year. As always, deep gratitude to Iris Berger and Dr Marilyn Chapman of IECER, the Institute for Early Childhood Education and Research at UBC’s Faculty of Education for their contributions, and to Dr William McKee of the Psychoeducational Research and Training Centre at the Faculty of Education for behind-the-stage organizing role!

We will be using your evaluations to plan the first year of our second decade, in 2013, were early identification of mental health, learning and behaviour difficulties, follow-up intervention, as well as family-related topics continue to show as your areas of interest. We are already planning our 12^th Assessment Workshop so – See you there!

If you would like to check the description and links to the presentations, these will be outlined in the sections that follow. Additional information on previous programs and presenters can be found at our new website.

Immense thanks to:

Joyce Branscombe, Nicky Byres, of EventAbility. In this 11^th year, they once again took the challenge of organizing an event run  through volunteer work, and once again achieved excellence!.

Bonnie Barnes, with the Infant Development Program of BC, and the Developmental Disabilities Association

…for their support and enthusiasm in presenting this exciting event

We gratefully acknowledge the administrative, logistical and onsite volunteering support provided by:

Dr William McKee, The Psychoeducational Training Centre, Faculty of Education, UBC

Lesley Richardson and Lauris Williams, EventAbility

Natasha Boskic, Faculty of Education, UBC

Warm thanks to our enthusiastic and committed ECE student and community Volunteers:

• Lindsay Byres
• Yaa Nimako
• Mariel Gomez
• Carrie McClellan-Haqq
• Ellen Strelaeff
• Michaela Wooldridge

2013 Presenters