Effective Practices Conference 2009 Speakers

Howard Goldstein, Ph.D. - Literacy

Howard Goldstein, Ph.D., is Professor of Human Development and Family Science, and Research Director of the Schoenbaum Family Center at The Ohio State University. He has a longstanding interest in speech and hearing science and in the development of language among young children with disabilities. His recent work addresses intervention strategies for developing communication skills, and social skills with young children with autism. Between 2006 and 2008, Dr. Goldstein published 8 articles or book chapters and was the Principal Investigator on several federal grants that address RtI in early childhood, language and reading disabilities, and strategies to improve language and literacy outcomes in high poverty schools.

Isaura Barrera, Ph.D. - Cultural Linguistic Diversity

Isaura Barrera, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the University of New Mexico's College of Education. She teaches classes in both the special education program and the early childhood multicultural education program. Prior to coming to New Mexico in 1990, Dr. Barrera worked for over 20years in in early childhood programs in both Texas and New York. Her research interests include early childhood curriculum, assessment of culturally linguistically diverse students with exceptionalities, trauma, and, for the past 10 years, Skilled Dialogue, an approach to challenging interactions developed by her.

Her first book on Skilled Dialogue-Skilled Dialogue: Strategies for responding to culturally diversity in early childhood-was co-authored with Rob Corso and Dianne Macpherson and published in 2003. Her second book-Using Skilled Dialogue to transform challenging interactions-is co-authored with Lucinda Kramer, with whom Dr. Barrera conducts Skilled Dialogue research and training (www.skilleddialogue.com). This book is due to come out late Spring 2009.

Hill M. Walker, Ph.D. - Positive Behavior Supports

Hill M. Walker, Ph.D., is Professor of Special Education and Co-Director of the Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior at the College of Education, University of Oregon; and a Senior Research Scientist at the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, Oregon. He has a longstanding interest in behavioral assessment and in the development of effective intervention procedures for use in school settings with a range of behavior disorders. He has been engaged in applied research during his entire career, dating from 1966. His research interests include social skills assessment, curriculum development and intervention, longitudinal studies of aggression and antisocial behavior, and the development of early screening procedures for detecting students who are at-risk for social-behavioral adjustment problems and/or later school drop-out.

Dr. Walker's most recent books are the 2nd Edition of Antisocial Behavior in School: Evidence-Based Practices (Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2004), co-authored with Elizabeth Ramsey and Frank Gresham; and Safe and Healthy Schools: Practical Prevention Strategies (Guilford, 2005) co-authored with Jeffrey Sprague. The Interventions for Academic and Behavior Problems (3rd Edition) text, Interventions for Achievement and Behavior in a Three-Tier Model including Response to Intervention, with Mark Shinn for NASP, will be published in Spring, 2009.

Russ Thelin - Postsecondary

Russ Thelin is the Director of the Division of Rehabilitation Services of the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation. He has worked for USOR for over 18 years. Prior to becoming the Director, Russ held positions as the Administrative Services Coordinator and Field Service Director in Salt Lake City, Utah, as a District Director in Taylorsville, Utah, and worked for eight years as a Rehabilitation Counselor in Delta, Utah. Russ holds a Bachelors degree in sociology from the University of Utah, a Masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Utah State University, is a Certified Public Manager, and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). Russ has been a presenter for numerous conferences and trainings including the RSA/CSAVR/NCRE Conference, Region VIII RRCEP Rehabilitation Counselor training program, the National Rehabilitation Association and many conferences in Utah. He is also an adjunct instructor of behavioral sciences at the Salt Lake Community College.