Presented by: Becky Knutsen, M.Ed, founder of Student-Centered Services

Overview:

In this workshop, educators and school staff will explore a practical process for understanding and addressing challenging student behaviors. While briefly touching on the neuroscience behind behavior, the primary focus will be on equipping participants with tools and strategies to gather and make sense of data, identify underlying causes of behaviors, and create sustainable intervention plans.

Objectives:

• Brief Neuroscience Overview: Gain a foundational understanding of how the brain influences behavior.

• Identify Underlying Causes: Explore a structured process to gather information and identify what might be beneath challenging behaviors.

• Develop and Implement Sustainable Interventions: Create practical, sustainable intervention plans that integrate seamlessly into daily routines.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have a foundational understanding of the neuroscience behind student behavior and be equipped with a practical, step-by-step process to address challenging behaviors effectively.

In today's educational landscape, the impact of anxiety and trauma on learning has become increasingly apparent. Recognizing how anxiety and trauma show up in the classroom, including Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in the neurodevelopmental population, is essential for educators to create supportive learning environments.

Clinical psychologists and Neurodevelopmental Specialists, Dr. Rachelle Hansen and Dr. Renee von Weiss, will provide practical strategies and tools to address these challenges effectively. Through real-life case studies and extensive clinical experience, they will equip educators with the knowledge and skills to support all students, regardless of their neurodivergence.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in breakout sessions, offering hands-on practice, application of strategies, and consultations for specific cases. Additionally, resources and follow-up materials will be provided to ensure continued implementation of the strategies discussed. Join us as we embark on a journey of learning and collaboration, paving the way for a future of universal education where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Dr. Rachelle Hansen received her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology at the University of North Dakota. While there, she was actively involved in several rural health initiatives helping integrate in-home mental health services and early childhood assessments along with outpatient health and behavior services. She completed both her Doctoral Residency and Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota where she specialized in providing evaluations, behavioral interventions, and therapy to children, adolescents, parents, and families coping with medical conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. Hansen's training and work experience has provided her the opportunity to work with toddlers to older adults at five different hospital systems, six rural health clinics, an inpatient and residential center, four private practices, a school-based therapy program, a community mental health clinic, and a neurology practice. In her life before practicing psychology, she was a reading recovery specialist before she was a court-appointed advocate working with families with children placed in protective care. She was also involved in conducting metabolic genetic research as part of her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.

Because of her unique background in biochemistry, education, and psychology, Dr. Hansen envisioned working at a clinical setting that would consider all three. Thus, she opened an integrated mental health clinic, Stepping Stone Clinic, in 2015 and founded an executive function coaching center, LifeFx, in 2021. Her work today consists of therapy, testing, supervising, creating curriculum, and teaching. When asked what made her choose specializing in neurodevelopmental disorders, she says that it chose her. Her love of the brain and background in biochemistry allows her nerdiness to combine with the fulfillment she receives from making meaningful connections with people, their experiences, and their own unique superpowers.

Dr. Renee von Weiss has a Doctorate from the University of Kansas in Clinical Psychology with specialization in health psychology across the lifespan. She gained additional training in clinical child and pediatric psychology during her Predoctoral Internship at the University of Florida. From there, she completed a one-year, Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Child and Pediatric Psychology at the University of Louisville.

As a staff psychologist at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota for 8 years, Dr. von Weiss conducted psychological evaluations of children and adolescents presenting with a variety of developmental concerns, such as learning disabilities, ADHD and autism. She also provided therapy and inpatient consultation services for children, adolescents and families struggling with medical conditions. During her time at Children’s Hospital, Dr. von Weiss also supervised clinical psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows through her involvement with Children’s APA-accredited internship program.

Dr. von Weiss specializes in conducting comprehensive psychological evaluations for patients who present with a variety of developmental and learning concerns. She works with the patient, family, and other providers to try to find a plan to help patients move forward in their life. She’s most passionate about treating anxiety and executive dysfunctions, as well as adjustment to and coping with acute and chronic medical and neurodevelopmental conditions. Overall, Dr. von Weiss takes a developmental, strengths-based approach to her practice.