ADOPTION & EDUCATION FORUM 2006
ASAP would like to thank all those who participated in our First Annual Adoption & Education Forum. Our speakers, facilitators and volunteers did a great job. We were please to be joined by classroom teachers, special educators , principals, educational consultants, learning specialists, paraprofessionals and adoptive and foster parents from our 18 South Shore communities as well as Amesbury, Brockton, Newton, South Boston, and Watertown.

Thank You to Our Donors & Sponsors Without your support this event would not have been possible. Please support those in our communities who gave generously to make our forum a success.

Pembroke Special Education Advisory Council (SEPAC) Sweet Fordy's Bakery, Pembroke The Dauksevicz Family, Hanson Shaw's Supermarket, Hanson Shaw's Supermarket, Carver Shaw's Supermarket, Plymouth As You Like It Caterers, Pembroke Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, Norwell Shaw's Supermarket, Hanover Kidding Around the South Shore - Media Sponsor
Special thanks to the Pembroke Public Library for the use of their space and the support of their staff. Be sure to visit the National Adoption Awareness Display in the Children's Room with 34 new titles for children, parents and professionals donated by ASAP.
Speakers

JOAN CLARK "Loss, Language, Listening & Learning" Joan Clark, M.Ed., was a public school educator for 16 years before becoming an adoptive parent and then Executive Director of Adoption Community of New England, Inc. She has presented trainings for school systems in addition to regional and national conferences. Her children are now young adults.

ADAM PERTMAN "A Revolution in the Classroom: What Educators Need to Know about Adoption" Adam Pertman is Executive Director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, and author of Adoption Nation. Mr. Pertman lectures internationally and his commentaries have run in major publications nationwide; he is a Pulitzer nominee and has received numerous awards for his work in adoption.

PEG KIRBY "How Early Trauma Impacts Learning" Dr. Kirby is the mother of four adopted children. She holds a Doctorate from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA. She previously worked as a Peace Corps volunteer, teacher and a supervisor in both public and private agencies. Dr. Kirby has specialized in Attachment Therapy since 1995.

Discussion Groups

1.	Emma, the Experience - Insight into the experience of children in foster care and adoption.	Jacqueline Campos & Valery Perry, Adoption Crossroads
2.	International & Trans-racial Adoption - Creating and encouraging a multi-cultural classroom.	Susan Forbes, Families with Children from China and Laura Pol, Anti-Racist Parent Educator and adoptive & foster mother
3.	Adoption Literature in the Classroom - Stories for understanding, inclusion and respect.	Maureen Tallon, Children of the World Books
4.	Developing Curriculum with Complex Families in Mind - A hands on workshop exploring new ways to adapt family trees and other child-centered lesson plans.	Nora O'Farrell, Adoptive Families Together
5.	Expectations and Concerns in the Classroom - Confidential and supportive problem solving.	Deb Watt, Department of Social Services

Comments from Participants

Deb Watt was very supportive

Thank you for organizing this forum

We needed more educators and administrators

Needed more time to explore topics in adequate depth.

Peg Kirby was excellent, well organized, focused, entertaining. Great info.

Felt that Adam Pertman's delivery needed more organization and focus.

Adam was very interesting, Enjoyed listening to his personal stories

Curriculum discussion (group #4) was informative

I wish we had time to go deeper into curriculum and adapting to all children

(Adam Pertman) Personal stories really added to the presentation.

Really connected to this topic (Peg Kirby) as it appears greatly within many of the children in my class.

(Peg Kirby) Excellent, practical info.

(Adam Pertman) A little disjointed. I would have liked a handout with the statistics he talked about.

(Peg Kirby) Could listen for hours.

(Joan Clark) Obviously not enough time

(Group #5) Again, way too little time; excellent presentation.

Thank you so much.

Recommendations & Topics for Next Year

Dealing with disruptive behaviors

Core Issues of Adoption

More Love & Logic for the classroom

Offer Continuing Education Credits so teachers will come.

Discussion groups needed twice as much time

(Group #4) Too much focus on only family trees - there is so much other curriculum.

A more focused forum for educators in particular.

Ways to better adjust classroom for foster children

Advocating for your children

Sensory Integration Dysfunction and its impact in the classroom

Post institutionalized children in the classroom - learning issues

More time