OUR MISSION
Our Shift Your Thinking Summit offers parents, youth and professionals a judgment-free place to learn, connect, and ask questions about how to support themselves and their children who learn differently. ** We are excited as this year we have another youth + parent live call to our summit!!
We focus on:
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2022 SPEAKERS
Sperry Bilyea - Welcome message
Sperry and Susan will start off our online Summit with a warm welcome (just like we were all together in one room). Susan will update what we are doing at Shift Your Thinking and our future focus to support our community. Next Sperry will offer her heart message to get the Summit off and running!
Sherri Fisher - The Effort Myth
In this session, Sherri Fisher, MAPP, MEd, will dive into some of the most important things to keep in mind when you are helping your student or your child on their learning journey. She will cover topics such as:
How to build psychological safety in learning
What does it mean to create a soft landing
Why learning is not necessarily about effort
Why it isn't about trying harder, but trying differently
How to be an ally to your learner
How to give your child the three gifts of motivation
Sherri Fisher, MAPP, MEd, is a learning specialist, consultant, and executive coach. She is the best-selling author of The Effort Myth: How to Give Your Child the Three Gifts of Motivation. Sherri knows from decades of professional experience that it’s not how hard a person tries that leads to success; it’s how they try harder that matters most. Her evidence-based approach nurtures mental and emotional flexibility, strengths, and relationships to uncover the gifts of greater motivation and focus that can improve competence, choices, and self-direction. Thousands of student and adult clients have worked with Sherri to uncover and unleash their previously hidden strengths to become successful parents, professionals, business people, educators, and entrepreneurs.
She is the author of several books that apply well-being research and success science to learning, teaching, and parenting. Sherri earned her Master’s Degree in Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied directly with the founders and pioneering practitioners of the field. Sherri has grown children, and trains a therapy dog who brings calm and joy to struggling people of all ages.
Dan Duncan - Inside Out - Looking at Executive Functioning from the Brain’s Perspective
In this session, Dan Duncan will review how to see ADHD as an Inside Out issue. With ADHD, here are always unique ADHD factors, such as:
internal intentions are not always reflected by external actions
making a good plan ("knowing what to do”) does not mean the person with ADHD will be able to act upon the plan (“doing what they know”)
internal challenges can be addressed with external strategies
ADHD strategies must always include external mechanisms that overcome any ADHD specific considerations (eg. poor memory, attention control, transitions, etc,)
improving internal dialogue and an awareness of authentic inner resources can alleviate difficulties with external performance
negative self-talk is unavoidable with ADHD, as the "outside in” social responses from the world around impact the way the person with ADHD views themselves, how they view the world around them, and especially, how they view themselves within the world around them
an accurate understanding of ADHD provides validation to the person with ADHD as they begin to see their unique ADHD differences as brain functions that provide challenges in some situations, and advantages in other situations
strategies provide a pathway for individuals with ADHD to thrive by playing to their strengths, while also addressing their challenges.
ADHD is both a super-power and kryptonite … depending on the situation. Learn from this talk, as Dan uncovers these details and more!
Dan is an ADHD Coach/Consultant, and Academic Strategist;He is also an adult diagnosed with ADHD, a father of someone with ADHD. He has designed the ADHD Inside Out Framework to inform, support, and equip individuals with ADHD, as well as their friends & family, and fellow professionals working with those affected by ADHD.
Susan Schenk - The Internal Roadmap of Hope: Acceptance and Awareness
Working with students and reflecting on my learning journey along with my children, I realized that there was another journey that came with a learning difference, such as dyslexia. This emotional journey was just as important, maybe even more so, than having all the tools in place to help your child. This is usually reflected in a comment, “we have done everything, yet my child still doesn’t want to use the accommodations or go to school.”
This internal roadmap is developed through personal and professional experiences. Together with Sperry Bilyea and you, the audience, we will look at two aspects of this journey in this interactive talk to help kids heal and step into who they truly are.
Susan Schenk is a co-founder of Shift Your Thinking, as well as a Mom of three amazing kids, Occupational Therapist and author of her book, Beyond Ok from Invisible to Invincible.
She worked in the school setting as an Occupational Therapist for 20+ years and then stepped into her private consultation OT services. She created a program for Occupational Therapists around the world in using the iPad for skill development and assessment as well as supporting Master OT students at the University of Toronto campus.
Melissa Pyne- Brave Spaces: Rumbling with vulnerability and nurturing resilience in children who learn differently
How do you feel when you are about to do something that feels uncertain, a little risky and that might expose you to the judgements of others? What do you need when you’re experiencing those moments of vulnerability?
For many of us, these moments of vulnerability activate our shame. That part inside of us that believes that we are not good enough. Brené Brown defines shame as the “intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.” And we have all learned to armour up and protect ourselves against this feeling.
But it’s hard to be open to new experiences and learning when we are weighed down by armour. It’s hard to show up as a leader in the classroom or at home when we are locked into protective patterns in an attempt to avoid shame, blame or judgment.
This is your invitation to set your armour down and be seen. Join me for a heart-felt discussion that will strengthen your courage and deepen your skills to build connection and trust with your kids who learn differently.
“We must be guardians of spaces that allow students to breathe, be curious and to explore.”
Brené Brown
Melissa is a registered social worker with almost 20 years experience in the field of mental health and addiction counselling. She has experience working in both the public and private sector. Melissa has held various positions in Grand River Hospital’s Adult Outpatient Mental Health and Addiction program delivering individual and group therapy. In addition to her experience with crisis and acute mental health interventions, Melissa has also worked in private clinics and owns her own private practice where she offers several evidence-based modalities to best serve clients anywhere along the continuum of mental health and wellness.
Melissa has completed her professional coaching certification (PCC) with the International Coaches Federation. Melissa believes that rehumanizing workplaces by deepening relationships and connecting to purpose can help foster resiliency around mental health. Melissa is particularly passionate about coaching helping professsionals for sustainability in careers with high rates of burnout.
Melissa holds a BA (Hons) in psychology from York University and a Masters of Social Work from Laurier. As a continual learner, Melissa is certified in the Daring Way™ (highly experiential methodology in developing shame resiliency based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown) and loves teaching and learning from new students.
Saturday, November 5th
Sperry Bilyea - The Internal Roadmap of Hope: Connection and Empowered
Our interactive talk will continue as we discuss the importance of connection and finding others that understand and see you and what you are facing as a child and as a parent. And finally, what it looks like for you and your child can move into an empowered position after moving through this internal roadmap. This journey is so important.
This discussion will allow parents and professionals to gain insight into what it means to have a pathway of hope.
Sperry Bilyea co-founder of Shift Your Thinking and loving mom of three amazing kids.
Dr. Todd Cunningham - Dyslexia and the Right to Read
This keynote talk will provide insight into what Dyslexia is and how the science of reading is providing much-needed insight into reading strategies that must be in place to support a child with dyslexia. Dr. Todd will cover what dyslexia is, what the science of reading shows and what the right to read is offering to this population. He will also cover reading strategies and what to consider if your child with dyslexia has been struggling without support.
Dr. Todd Cunningham - Clinical Psychologist and Professor at the University of Toronto
Dr. Cunningham is a school and clinical psychologist and an assistant professor [teaching stream] at the University of Toronto when he is chair of the school and clinical child psychology program and head of the Academic Intervention Lab. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Cunningham has been invited to do workshops on assessment throughout Canada. He has given over 650 presentations and workshops internationally to educators and psychologists on learning disabilities and how to support students with learning difficulties.