Van 31 augustus t/m 3 september zal Dr. Matt Zakreski zijn expertise, ervaring en inzichten delen tijdens de internationale ECHA2022 conferentie die – speciaal voor deelnemers uit Nederland en Vlaanderen – ook op 1 en/of 2 september bijgewoond kan worden, met een parallel Nederlandstalig Programma. Dr. Matt verzorgt een verdiepende workshop over creativiteit tijdens de pre-conference op 31 augustus, een keynote ‘Failing is fun…damental’ op 1 september en diverse workshops en inspirational talks tijdens de parallelle sessies die van 1 t/m 3 september op het Engelstalige programma staan.
Matthew Zakreski, PsyD is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodiverse clients. He is proud to serve as a consultant to schools, a professor, and a researcher on Giftedness. Dr. Zakreski is a member of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC), and Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE). Dr. Zakreski graduated from Widener University’s Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology (IGCP) in 2016. He is the co-founder and lead clinician at The Neurodiversity Collective and his website is www.drmattzakreski.com.
31 Augustus 13.30-16-30: Pre-conference in-depth workshop ‘Fostering Creativity In and Outside the Classroom’
Creativity is the mark of an engaged learner. But what is creativity? How do we foster it? And how do we allow our students to be creative while also following best practices in education and assessment? This interactive, hands-on session is about understanding what creativity is (and what it isn’t) and how to use it effectively in and outside the classroom. We will discuss manifestations of creativity, skills to make space for creativity in assessment, class discussion, and social-emotional learning.
1 September 9.15-10.15 – Keynote ‘Failing is Fun…damental’
Failure is one of the most challenging aspects of life for neurodivergent folks to manage. We spent so much time thinking about it, worrying about it, planning for it, and then dealing with it. But failure is an unavoidable part of life. Instead of becoming hopeless when faced with that reality, this talk focuses on how to identify the positive aspects of failure, from teachable moments to opportunities to build resiliency. By accepting the reality and inevitably of failure, we lessen its negative impact on us. This talk will focus on how to build resiliency and navigate failure in the best possible ways.
1 September 15.45-17.15 – Workshop ‘Table Top! Social-Emotional Learning Games that Work and Are Actually Fun’
Many gifted children can struggle with the social and emotional skills necessary to create and maintain relationships. While many Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs exist in schools, they are often not adapted to the unique needs of the gifted population. This presentation will also demonstrate some techniques on how to teach and model SEL skills for gifted children, both through the demonstration of games designed for this population and instruction on how to adapt games.
2 September 14.40-15.00 – Inspirational Talk “They’re All Going to Find Out I’m a Fraud!” Combatting Impostor Syndrome in the Gifted Brain
Impostor Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon that causes people to doubt their accomplishments and fear being “discovered” as a fraud. It is very common within the gifted population and has seriously negative impacts. This session will explore the maintaining factors of this Syndrome and outline strategies to undo it.
2 September 16.50-17.10 – Inspirational Talk ‘Falling in Love is Hard on OEs: Dating for Neurodiverse Folx’
Dating! It’s a major part of life that somehow feels left out of the conversations on mental health, self-care, and personal growth. This talk will focus on the aspects of neurodiversity that can make dating and relationships challenging and how to manage them, accommodate them, and overcome them. This talk is sex positive and LGBTQ+ friendly.
3 September 9.00-10.30 – Workshop ‘Cartooning Through Perfectionism’
Drawing is a very complex and emotional task for many gifted kids. It is something that seems easy to do (if you’re good at it) and simultaneously impossible to learn. Regardless of your interest and skill level in drawing, it is far too easy to be overwhelmed by examples of expert-level drawings that increase intimidation and self-doubt. As such, drawing brings up many intense feelings of maladaptive perfectionism and avoidance in gifted kids. This workshop will draw on Dr. Zakreski’s skills as a psychologist and a cartoonist to explore how to use drawing cartoons to undo perfectionism.
Wil je één of meerdere sessies van Dr. Matt bijwonen? Meld je dan aan voor de pre-conference op 31 augustus, de ECHA2022 conferentie of één of meerdere dagen van het Nederlandstalige Programma op 1 en/of 2 september! Meer informatie vind je op de website van ECHA2022.
