I gotta tell you that every year as those of us on the conference staff of ATN go through the proposals for workshops for our upcoming conference, I get SO excited! This year is no exception. Yesterday we waded through the truly fantastic topics and speakers and had to narrow them down to a number that fit into our three-day schedule.

This year’s Parenting Traumatized Children conference (June 26-28 in Andover, MA) is shaping up to be the best one yet. Our conference chair has found a location, the Franciscan Center, that is truly an affordable and relaxing... more

Like my cohorts in conference hosting, Nancy and Kelly, I am just returning from the whirlwind also known as ATN’s Parenting Traumatized Children Conference. Nearly 13 days ago I left my house and headed to the NACAC conference, returning long enough to pack some new clothes in my suitcase, shower and head... more

“Are we there yet?” was yesterday’s mantra. Up at 5:00 am, I caught the shuttle to the Tampa airport. Then Delta home to Atlanta, and now on my way north in the family SUV...Missouri bound.

Yes, we’re on the road, headed back to our home state for a few days of visiting family and friends before plopping down in The Elms resort in Excelsior Springs, for ATN's Parenting Traumatized Children conference.

It’s been a whirlwind week for this stay-at-home mom. First the NACAC conference and now off on my next adventure. Overall... more

The North American Council for Adoptable Children (NACAC) is holding their 33rd annual conference next week, July 26-28 in Tampa, Florida. In a bold (or foolish) move, Nancy (from Reactive Attachment Disorder blog) and I decided it was important for the Attachment & Trauma Network (ATN) to exhibit at this highly-attended conference. The boldness is because ATN’s own conference begins August 1, leaving us little time to return from this conference and kick off our own.

Yet, NACAC is an important player in the adoption world, especially for those adopting or working... more

Nancy over on the Reactive Attachment blog isn’t the only one pouring every free moment into ATN’s Parenting Traumatized Children conference, coming up in August. Since Fridays are LuLu’s therapy and activity-free days, I focused squarely on the details of planning and finalizing the schedule and other details.

One of those details is pulling together a list of books for our local book vendor to have on hand that will... more

When I was shamelessly plugging the ATN Parenting Traumatized Children conference last week, I forgot to tell you about one of the best additions: the Pre-Conference Institute!

On Wednesday, August 1, ATN is offering three day-long seminars that will be wonderful opportunities to explore topics in-depth. The one I’m personally excited about is Biomedical Interventions for Traumatized Children, and here’s why:

In this 6-hour session, Dr. Phillip DeMio, Dawn Rossi and Lisa Porter will discuss the theory behind biomedical interventions that are proving successful for children from traumatized backgrounds. Dr. DeMio is a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) doctor.

I’ve... more

It’s only 6 weeks until ATN’s 2007 Parenting Traumatized Children Conference is underway. (That thought strikes terror in my heart, because I know how much more work we have left.) But, you too, are running out of time if you’re planning on joining us and you want to save $50. Early bird pricing ends today!

If I haven’t told you enough about the conference to convince you that it is the hottest summer destination, then I’ve been doing a poor job as a self-promoting Blogger.

The conference is August 2-4 at The Elms Resort in Excelsior Springs, MO,... more

Nearly every day I get an email or call about the upcoming Attachment & Trauma Network (ATN) annual conference. But I haven’t yet shared with you, dear readers, just how awesome this year’s conference is shaping up to be. So here goes.

I spoke yesterday with Dr. Liz Randolph a long-time and well-known attachment therapist. Securing her presentation was the last step in filling a 3-day conference agenda full of 30 workshops, three keynotes and a whole lot of fabulous networking. Liz is going to speak on the problematic behaviors of traumatized children and how to determine if there’s more going on than just PTSD and RAD, if the child has other disorders as well.

There... more

My friend Nancy reaches the half-century mark today! She’s bound to tell you many things about herself in her own blog over on Reactive Attachment Disorder. But there are probably things she will not tell you...and those are the things I want you to know. First off, in addition to being 50 years on the planet, for the last decade, Nancy has been tirelessly running (nearly single-handedly) the Attachment Disorder Network. Starting locally and now reaching out globally, this network supports... more

Calling All Parents of Traumatized Children!

If you’re scheduling your 2007 vacation time, block out August 1-4 to come to the Attachment Disorder Network’s annual Parenting Traumatized Children conference. We will be meeting at a fabulous quaint resort called The Elms in Excelsior Springs, MO (just outside of Kansas City). The hotel has wonderful accommodations and a full-service spa. A great chance for respite for those of us parenting some very challenging children.

But more importantly, the conference is shaping... more