Hill Country Summer Institute

Legal Update for Evaluation Staff

Jim Walsh, Attorney at Law

This legal update will cover critical information evaluation personnel need to know in order to stay legally compliant.

TBI-Child Find, Identification, and Evaluation: A Comprehensive Approach for School-Based Evaluators

Collaborative Evaluation as A Framework For Meaningful Evaluation of Students With Visual Impairment

The Wounds You Can't See: Childhood Disorders and What We Can Do

Dr. Michael Gomez, Ph.D.

This session will discuss internalizing disorders (e.g., depression), externalizing disorders (e.g., ADHD) and conditions that can impact these (e.g. traumatic stress) as well as interventions that have proven effective in the science in addressing these conditions. This talk is not meant as a replacement of the training involved in these programs but as in introduction to what you can do and where you can seek help. At the end of the session the learner understand how internalizing disorders, such as depression and anxiety, impact youth across development. Have an understanding of how externalizing disorders, such as ADHD, impact youth across development. Have an understanding of how other conditions, such as traumatic stress, impact internalizing and externalizing disorders in youth. Be familiar with evidence-based interventions that can address these disorders and their co-occurring conditions.

Keep Calm and Count On: Public School Responsibilities to Parentally Placed Private School Students under the IDEA

Paula Maddox Roalson, Attorney at Law

Do the words "proportionate share" cause you disproportionate stress? Does "dual enrollment" create quadruple responsibilities? Is every private school student entitled to an FIE by the public school district? To test or not to test -- that is often the question!

In this session, attorney Paula Maddox Roalson will separate fact from fiction concerning public school responsibilities toward parentally placed private school students. Participants will take away (1) an understanding of the child find responsibility and how it applies in this context, (2) the knowledge of where to locate additional resources and guidance that address the unique issues faced by public school districts in serving private school students with disabilities, and (3) a solid understanding of who has the responsibility to evaluate privately schooled students. You'll leave better than calm and ready to carry on!

The ABCs of Developmental Assessments

Ashley Arnold, M.A., LSSP, NCSP

Evaluating young children as they transition into the school setting can present unique challenges for evaluation personnel. This presentation will review different assessments that can be utilized in a holistic evaluation of young children. Participants will define differences between norm-referenced assessments and criterion referenced assessments. During this workshop, learners will recognize different stages of developmental milestones to enhance the interpretation of evaluation results. Participants will learn how to provide a detailed account of a child’s developmental strengths and weaknesses to make individualized, student specific recommendations and interventions for school-based teams.

The Neuropsychology of Stress and Trauma: How to Develop a "Trauma Informed" Evaluation

Dr. Steven Feifer, D.Ed., ABPdN

This workshop will explore the neural underpinnings of stress, trauma, and emotional dysfunction in children and its impact on learning. Environmental deprivation, poverty, childhood abuse, witnessing violence, and pandemics can impact both cognitive and social-emotional development in children. There will be a detailed discussion on specific brain regions impacted by trauma, as well as the neural relationship between physical trauma, violence, and aggression in children. Schools can enhance emotional wellness through early prevention efforts, appropriate assessment and screening techniques, and an improved school climate to foster emotional growth for all children. Targeted assessment strategies featuring the new FACT scale, specific classroom accommodations, and detailed school-based interventions will be presented to improve school performance for at-risk students.

Culturally Responsive and Strengths-based Assessment: Considerations for School-Based Evaluators

Dr. Anisa Goforth, Ph.D., ABPP

Culturally responsive assessments of culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse children and adolescents are critical in ensuring that there are appropriate evaluations to inform interventions and eligibility decisions. In this presentation school-based evaluators will be introduced to the Culturally Responsive Strengths-based Assessment to Inform Intervention model to consider sociocultural factors within special education evaluations. A particular focus of this presentation is how to consider the culture and values of rural and immigrant students and families, harnessing their strengths to support student learning and mental health. Through case vignettes and critical reflexive prompts, participants will understand how to take a strengths-based and culturally responsive approach in their practice.

An Overview of the Texas AU Supplement and In-Home Training/Parent Training Assessment

Michael Tucker, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

In-home/community-based training and parent training are two of the 11 strategies on the Commissioner's rules that districts are to address with students who meet eligibility for special education services under autism. In the training, we will review in detail the Autism (AU) Supplement and the in-home and parent training assessment process. We will also review the IHT/PT assessment document developed by ESC Region 11.

Counseling and Therapeutic Interventions for Students with an Intellectual Disability

Dr. Jay Trenhaile, Ed.D, NCSP, LP

Implementing treatment goals, interventions, and counseling strategies for students with intellectual disabilities requires commitment, persistence, and creativity. This session will summarize current statistics and literature in the field, discuss results of a series of interviews with seasoned practitioners, review research-based programs, and share numerous resources available.

Ashley Arnold, M.A., LSSP, NCSP

Ashley Arnold, M.A. LSSP, NCSP, is the Assessment Consultant Manager with Western Psychological Services (WPS). She has nearly two decades of Texas public-school experience as a school psychologist. Ashley is a former President of the Texas Association of School Psychologists and has served on their Executive Board in a variety of roles for 20 years. Ashley has also served on a variety of committees for the National Association of School Psychologists and is the current Texas Delegate for NASP, as well as serving on the Board of Directors as the Southeast Delegate Representative. Her passions are assessment, supervision, and advocating for school psychological services.

Dr. Steven Feifer, D.Ed., ABPdN

Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABPdN, is dually trained as both a nationally certified school psychologist and board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist, having completed research stints at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Feifer has earned numerous distinctions throughout his career, including the Maryland School Psychologist of the Year, the National School Psychologist of the Year, and the Outstanding Contribution to the Education and Training of Psychologists award by the Maryland Psychological Association. He has authored eight books on learning and emotional disorders in children. Lastly, Dr. Feifer has authored three tests on diagnosing learning disabilities in children, all of which are published by PAR.

Dr. Anisa Goforth, Ph.D., ABPP

Dr. Anisa Goforth is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and board-certified in school psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Goforth obtained her B.A. in Psychology at Lewis & Clark College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in School Psychology at Michigan State University. In her practice, she specializes in strengths-based and culturally responsive assessment of children and adolescents referred for a number of concerns, including internalizing symptoms, behavioral issues, and those who are neurodiverse. She approaches her practice from a place of cultural humility and learning.

Dr. Goforth is also a Professor of Psychology at the University of Montana. An Australian and American citizen, she was born in Yemen and raised in Asia and Latin America. Her research focuses on culturally responsive evidence-based practices for children and their families, with her most recent project focusing on culturally responsive social-emotional learning on Flathead Nation. She has published over 100 articles and book chapters, and her book Culturally Responsive School-based Practices: Supporting Mental Health and Learning of Diverse Youth was recently published by Oxford University Press. Learn more about Dr. Goforth.

Dr. Michael Gomez, Ph.D.

Michael Gomez, Ph.D., has held multiple positions in the field of mental health. He was previously on staff at Bradley Hospital, Lifespan Institute, one of the teaching hospitals for the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Dr. Gomez was also previously director of the Adversity and Resilience Community Center (ARCC), a child trauma behavioral health clinic in the West Texas area where he was also an Adjunct Professor at Texas Tech University Psychological Sciences; the Texas Tech University College of Education; and the TTUHSC School of Nursing. He was previously a faculty at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect/Child Study Center Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the OU Health and Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. He specializes in Trauma-Focused CBT, treatment of adolescents with problematic sexual behaviors (PSB), PCIT, TARGET, and assessment of autism spectrum disorders. He is a Nationally Certified TF-CBT Trainer; of which he is one of 70 in the world. Additionally, he is a Nationally Certified CE-CERT Trainer, a model for addressing burnout and vicarious trauma in providers, of which he is one of 10 in the US. He is also a nationally certified PCIT therapist. He is trained in assessment and diagnostics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He is one of the three founders of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s (NCTSN) Trauma and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Workgroup (formerly the NCTSN Trauma and ASD Community of Practice). He was also a member of the NCTSN Steering Committee, the NCTSN Affiliate Program, and the NCTSN Youth Action Committee.

Melaney Grenz, M.S, CCC-SLP

Melaney Grenz, B.A, B.S, M.S, CCC-SLP, is the Project Manager for the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training through the University of Oregon. She is also one of nine Regional Liaisons on the Oregon Traumatic Brain Injury Team. Melaney was previously employed in Oregon Public Schools as a Speech-Language Pathologist.
In her role as Project Manager at CBIRT, Melaney presents webinars and podcasts, live presentations, and she helps school district personnel with any and all challenges regarding students Returning to Learn, and Returning to Play after a head injury. Melaney is highly motivated to help school teams “look outside the box” in order to meet the diverse needs of students who have sustained a brain injury.

Marnee Loftin, M.A., LSSP, LPA

Marnee Loftin was educated at the University of Texas in Austin both for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Her educational background is in clinical and developmental psychology but became interested in special education after working on the research team that developed special education programs for the state of Texas. She worked for the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory on a number of research projects including those that provided the direction for special education as well as regional service centers. After a brief hiatus to be a stay-at-home wife and mother, Marnee was employed at the Austin State School working with their special populations. In 1984, she went to work at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, where she remained until 2011, when she retired. Retirement has been busy, with Marnee still maintaining a small consultant practice and conducting workshops in both the US and Canada. She enjoys remaining active in her profession and serving as a mentor as appropriate. Marnee has written a number of professional articles, been featured on several podcasts, and completed several videos for distribution. Her most recent publication is the revised edition of Making Evaluation Meaningful.

Dr. Melissa McCart, Ed.D

Melissa McCart, Ed. D., is a national and international speaker and author on the topic of brain injury and return to school following injury. She earned her doctorate in Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership, her M.S. in behavioral disorders and applied behavior analysis, and her administrator’s licenses from the University of Oregon. She has worked extensively with at-risk children and families as a behavior specialist, behavior consultant, and special education teacher. She is currently the Director of the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT) at the University of Oregon. Her research focuses on evidence-based educator training, advancing best practices for return to school following brain injury, and aligning educational policy with the evidence base. Prior to joining the CBIRT team, Melissa spent 7 years as a school administrator, 2 years as a behavioral consultant, and 8 years as a special education teacher to students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Melissa is currently a member of the National Collaborative on Childhood Brain Injury and serves on the Return to Learn, Policy, Common Data Elements, and Community of Practice Committees.

Paula Maddox Roalson, Attorney at Law

Paula Maddox Roalson has represented the legal interests of Texas public school districts for 30 years. For many years she led the Walsh Gallegos San Antonio special education practice group. In 2011, she moved to Houston to open the firm’s Houston office. Paula’s current practice focuses on special education litigation and related matters. Before joining Walsh Gallegos in 1996, Paula served as the Staff Attorney for Special Education for the Texas Association of School Boards. Paula is a member of numerous professional organizations and is a frequently requested speaker at national, state, and local conferences. She has written and presented many articles concerning education law for various school organizations. She is a proud product of Texas public schools and a family of educators and public servants. Her father served as a school board member for 17 years. Her mother is a former Superintendent of Schools in the San Antonio area. Her sister is a district-level administrator in San Antonio.

Michael Tucker, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Michael is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has been working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) for 25 years. He began working with children with autism in a private setting and then at the Autism Treatment Center. His teaching career has included working as an elementary life skills teacher, Lead In-Home/Parent Trainer, and Behavior Specialist, and now serves as the ESC Region 11 Autism Consultant. Michael received his Master of Education from the University of North Texas in Special Education and Autism Intervention in 2005 and earned his BCBA in 2020.

Dr. Jay Trenhaile, Ed.D, NCSP, LP

Jay D. Trenhaile, EdD, NCSP, LP is a Professor and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor at South Dakota State University. Research activities for Dr. Trenhaile focus on his interest in the areas of Solution Focused Brief Therapy and individuals with developmental disabilities. He also has a small private practice.

Jim Walsh, Attorney at Law

Jim Walsh graduated from the University of Texas, School of Law in 1975. In 1983, he was one of the three lawyers who founded the firm now known as Walsh Gallegos Treviño Russo & Kyle P.C. From the beginning the focus of the firm was on serving public schools—helping the people who help the kids. In his career of over 40 years, Jim has provided training to all of the Education Service Centers in Texas, numerous statewide organizations, and hundreds of school districts.