Gold Sponsor
The MARIO Framework helps special educators create their own personalized learning programs that are measured, ambitious, research-based & evidence-informed, innovative, and structured around one-to-one learning. Their graduate-level 10-week professional learning courses, MARIO 101 & MARIO 102, are proving to be invaluable to educators of all levels everywhere.
Philip Bowman, the founder of the MARIO framework and full-time learning support teacher at International School Bangkok, shares that “the MARIO Framework is providing the training and resources necessary to reimagine what special education is capable of. We are cultivating self-directed learners who flourish inside and outside the classroom.”
SENIA enjoys a long and successful relationship with Philip, as he helped set up the Thailand branch of SENIA International ten years ago and has actively been involved on the SENIA Thailand Executive Board ever since.
Recalling his first SENIA International conference in 2012, Philip says “I was so grateful to attend my first conference and have been filled with gratitude ever since. I’m convinced that there is no better way to grow as a special educator than from learning from other special educators.” Over the years, Philip has been a part of seven SENIA International conferences and helped host a number of local SENIA conferences within Thailand.
The MARIO Framework, and Philip Bowman, are taking a leading role in sponsoring the SENIA 2020 International conference because they believe “the SENIA conferences are vital to improving our collective efficacy. More than ever, we need to support each other whenever we can.”
SENIA International knows that our mission and vision is made possible by our members and Philip is a perfect example of this. We appreciate the MARIO Framework partnering with us and look forward to seeing them at the SENIA 2020 Virtual Conference: Bridging the Gap!
SENIA is honored to welcome NESCA (Neuropsychology & Educational Services for Children & Adolescents) as a Gold Sponsor. NESCA is a multi-disciplinary group practice in Boston, Massachusetts, known for the exceptional quality of their evaluation and treatment services. To meet the needs of international clients during the current pandemic, NESCA transitioned their international evaluation and treatment services to a teletherapy model. For overseas families looking to work with NESCA, they offer neuropsychological assessment; psychoeducational testing and counseling; evaluation of social-emotional functioning; post-secondary transition planning, evaluation and consultation; speech/language therapy and assessment; consultation to schools and/or educators involving parent-specific, student-specific or staff-specific challenges; the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder programs within schools; inclusion; occupational therapy and occupational therapy assessment; and psychotherapy.
NESCA’s founder and director Dr. Ann Helmus was a speaker at the 2015 SENIA conference in Kota Kinabalu. She has long been interested in cross-cultural psychology and now works with many families in the US and from abroad who either travel to their clinic or use NESCA’s teletherapy services to provide top quality services for students, families, and educators supporting children with a variety of educational needs. Dr. Helmus and her colleagues at NESCA look forward to virtually networking with other passionate professionals from around the globe at the 2020 SENIA conference.
Find us here on the web.
Silver Sponsor
We originally learned of SENIA when one of the conference organizers from Hong Kong reached out to us in 2018. Finding an organization so in sync with the work we do was amazing, and participating in the 2018 conference was inspiring. Having spent a decade promoting inclusion and providing solutions for the special needs of families and schools worldwide, I found myself trying to ‘convince’ educators and administrators that it is possible to support all learners, even if they have special educational needs. I approached these conversations ready to jump in to explain the ‘why’ and ‘how’, oftentimes being sidelined as something ‘peripheral’ to the main objectives of international education. SENIA is different. With SENIA, inclusion and supporting the special needs of all learners is not peripheral, it is primary. SENIA provides both a platform for and a community of forward thinking inclusive educators, parents, and professionals, all working with the same objective in mind- success for ALL students.
Our team was invigorated after attending our first conference in 2018. We connected with so many providers and educators, we heard from families, and we saw grass roots efforts taking place all over the world. Not only did the educational sessions provide us with amazing new ideas, but we connected with people who could help us work to advance our overall vision for inclusion and providing resources to the international schools. We connected with people from countless countries, all finding inspiration in the educational content of the conference and value in the vast network of inclusion professionals.
IDS is a leader in online special education, with over a decade of experience working with schools and families to provide assessment services, direct therapy & consultation, educational support & coaching, and professional development. As the first ever online special education team, the IDS leadership has helped define online learning support and the role of telehealth in bringing expert resources to families and international schools worldwide. The IDS network includes therapy and assessment professionals of all languages and cultures. Whether a child needs an assessment in Arabic or counseling in Japanese, our team takes care to make sure that every child’s strengths are highlighted as part of their learning support plan, and that their needs are supported in a way that is culturally and linguistically appropriate. We know parents look to educators to provide the resources needed to help their child succeed. Working with IDS, educators have those expert resources at their fingertips.
The IDS team is so excited about the SENIA virtual conference. While everyone loves to attend conferences in person, to meet new colleagues, and to network with other attendees during breakout sessions, at IDS we know that virtual interactions have value. We’ve spent over a decade providing valuable resources and developing strong relationships with students, parents, and educators, all online. Our providers have enriched the lives of children through relationships developed online- in person, online. If we remind ourselves that we are not watching the SENIA conference, but we are ‘attending’ the SENIA conference, participating in an educational experience that fosters the exchange of new ideas and the development of new relationships, we will find that the spirit of SENIA is just as strong and valuable online. We can’t wait!
Bronze Sponsor
UnitusTI specializes in providing cloud services for professionals working with populations with special needs, neurodiverse publishing, and assessments, in addition to program management. UnitusTI supports both clinics and schools across the globe. UnitusTI’s services were designed by practicing therapists, educators, and researchers who developed their electronic data management system and curriculum server with clients and students in mind.
UnitusTI provides users with a customizable platform that can perform functions such as client management, data collection, individualized program development, and report generation. UnitusTI also publishes special needs assessments and programs on the cloud that are authored by subject matter experts. Recently, additional features such as motion capture, telehealth capabilities, and virtual educational materials have been added to support educators and therapists providing supports to students and clients remotely.
UnitusTI looks forward to partnering with SENIA International so they can better understand the needs of those working with special populations. Additional information can be found on their website https://www.mundopato.com/unitusti
Texthelp creates smart, inclusive technology solutions for teaching and learning across the whole curriculum. Texthelp works to minimize teacher workload and maximize student outcomes by designing tools that are easy for educators and students to use. Their Read&Write literacy tool for example, removes barriers to engagement and ensures content stays accessible to every student. Texthelp believes that everyone is entitled to the best possible learning and language support on their personal journey – from literacy to life.
The Texthelp team is looking forward to reconnecting with SENIA members and conference participants at this year’s virtual conference. They participated at the SENIA Penang conference and connected with SENIA Chairperson Kate Balsamo at the EARCOS Leadership Conference in Kuala Lampur. Texthelp shares SENIA’s mission of supporting students through empowerment and promoting learning equality. The Texthelp team looks forward to better understanding SENIA members’ needs and exploring how they can better support teachers and students.
SENIA conference participants can explore their exciting products by signing-up for Texthelp’s free 90-day-pilot (Read&Write, EquatIO, WriQ, Fluency Tutor), and learning how Texthelp tools support on-campus and remote teaching and learning in this “new world” we all live in. Texthelp recently enhanced EquatlO to support STEM teaching and learning. EquatlO includes a new molecular viewer, Periodic Table, Scientific Calculator and more! For a demonstration click here:
I first became aware of SENIA when I was speaking to Joan Schumann from Stamford International School in Singapore. I was visiting the school to deliver Elklan training to staff in their school and to train other Speech and Language Pathologists in Asia as Elklan tutors. I submitted a paper for inclusion as a presenter at the next Conference which was run in HK and the rest is history! I think SENIA is a vital organisation to support pupils with SEN and Elklan is delighted to sponsor this event.
I loved the buzz and enthusiasm at the first SENIA conference I attended. It was wonderful to meet with colleagues from across the globe and to hear their stories and their passion for educating pupils with additional learning needs. Exciting new developments are happening in Elklan as we develop our accredited courses as blended learning modules.
This means they are now easily available for education staff to access from anywhere in the world. Uniquely we not only offer anytime e-learning but 10 hours of additional tutor support through webinars. Group size is kept below 10 to facilitate maximum engagement.
Elklan courses enable staff to support pupils with communication needs more effectively within the classroom.
All our courses are externally accredited by a UK Ofqual regulated Awarding Organisation and each addresses pupils of varying ages with a range of communication needs. I am looking forward to meeting up virtually with old friends and meeting new ones. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to present and hope to learn many new things from others as well.
Let the show begin!
Find us on the web: www.elklan.co.uk/
SENIA is proud to welcome Oasis Place as a sponsor. Oasis Place is a multidisciplinary intervention center serving students with different learning abilities. Over time individuals with ADHD and autism have become their key clientele as they serve children, adolescents, and adult populations. Oasis Place is also an approved testing partner appointed by Malaysian MENSA. The practices at Oasis Place are underpinned by supporting emotional regulation, social communication, executive function with independent living skills, and facilitating parent-client advocacy. Whilst many view it as a differentiating factor, at Oasis Place it’s part of the culture to host and attend local and internationally resourced trainings and workshops as part of the continuous education for their staff. The mission at the heart of Oasis Place is to achieve the best quality of life for their clients by supporting transitions through all stages of life with a transdisciplinary approach. At Oasis Place, they believe parents, educators and other stakeholders are all part of this transdisciplinary team towards inclusion and neurodiversity.
Oasis Place staff have participated at multiple SENIA events since 2014. They have witnessed and participated in SENIA’s growth from a regional organization towards an international one while serving in roles such as parents, professionals and as a SENIA Malaysia board member. SENIA is a great learning platform for special education catering to parents and professionals which is very much in line with that of Oasis Place’s ethos of continuous education.
Since April 2020, Oasis Place Connect(“OPConnect”) launched their tele-practice platform. This has been encouraging and will become a regular part of their service offering in assessments, diagnosis, as well as intervention. OPConnect has opened doors to support families and schools located in domestic and international locations where accessibility to therapists and professionals is still limited. The staff at Oasis Place sincerely hopes their transdisciplinary team of psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists and music therapists can offer some relief and professional support to these communities.
Connect with Oasis Place:
- Website: www.oasisplace.com.my
- Facebook: Oasis Place Malaysia
- Instagram: oasisplacemy
SENIA is excited to include Steps with Theera as a sponsor. Steps is a leader in transition to employment services with 100% of their graduates securing appropriate and sustainable employment. At Steps, they strongly believe in creating alternative education pathways for all learners. The team at Steps with Theera supports SENIA’s vision and mission of being an inclusion leader in the community. Steps has been involved with SENIA for several years through conference attendance and involvement in the Thai chapter. They even won 2 SENIA Advocacy Awards for their outstanding work in vocational education.
Steps with Theera recently extended their services to age 11 and up with a new program focused on life skills, functional skills, social and emotional well-being, and communication skills. The team from Steps with Theera looks forward to networking with all of the amazing professionals, parents, and inclusion advocates during the conference or at one of their watch parties.
More information can be found on their website: https://stepswiththeera.com/
For over 40 years, GL Education has been a provider of high-quality, research-based assessments for children’s education, mental health and wellbeing.
To ensure our assessments incorporate the very latest thinking and research, we have worked together with numerous distinguished organisations in the UK and abroad, including King’s College London, the University of Cambridge, the University of Michigan and the Australian Council for Educational Research.
Having delivered over 7 million digital tests, we are the UK’s leading provider of formative assessments and our tests are used in international and bilingual schools by education, health and psychology professionals in over 100 countries worldwide.
GL Education looks forward to participating in the SENIA International conference and to be able to provide delegates with the chance to gain an understanding of how the data from our assessment can support teaching and learning of pupils with special educational needs.
Stay in touch with us:
LIH Olivia’s Place provides world-class, multi-disciplinary pediatric therapy services to children of all abilities and all ages.
Olivia’s Place offers services in:
Pediatric Therapy Consulting Services: Occupational, physical, and speech therapies, psychology services, ABA, and learning support. Their multinational staff provides consulting services in English and Chinese, as well as in several other languages. Oliva’s Place can also provide evaluations for students.
Educational Outreach: Multilingual clinical staff provides classes to the community, teachers, schools, hospitals, clinics, orphanages, universities, and local therapists.
Foundation Initiatives: Olivia’s Foundation provides funds to cover the cost of care for families that cannot otherwise afford services. The foundation also works to further our vision of universally available pediatric therapy in China.
Olivia’s Place has multiple office locations to serve a variety of clients in Beijing & Tianjin, Shanghai & Nanjing, and Shenzhen & Guangzhou.
SENIA is proud to have the support of the staff at Oliva’s Place.
Lindamood-Bell is thrilled to support this year’s SENIA conference and to continue to make connections with educators around the world. Our relationship with SENIA began in 2015 when we opened our first learning centre in Asia. Three of our leaders very much enjoyed 2019’s conference at Hong Kong Academy, and our Singapore team was thrilled to have the opportunity to experience a unique film screening organised by Singapore’s local SENIA chapter last year, in partnership with Netflix. We’re excited to share more about our new operations in Hong Kong and how our evidence-based instruction can support students, families, educators, and schools via in-person or virtual services.
Lindamood-Bell has over 30 years of experience building the imagery-language foundation to teach students to read and comprehend. We believe that all individuals can learn to their potential. With fifty-seven Learning Centres worldwide and dozens of seasonal learning camps, we provide individualised instruction to students in person or via live, online instruction. We also offer professional development workshops to educators with a range of options for follow-up coaching including local, regional, and national partnerships with schools and government agencies. Supported by extensive behavioural and neurologic research, our evidence-based instruction is successful for individuals with learning challenges, including dyslexia, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder.
Patron Sponsor
My 4th-grade teachers thought they were punishing me by sending me to the class of children with wheelchairs and feeding tubes, but those experiences made me find my calling! Soon I was giving up my recesses to volunteer in that classroom and the rest is history. I come from a family where we are all either a teacher or married to a teacher. It’s in my blood. And finding SENIA is simply an extension of my family. I now serve on the board for SENIA-Europe and couldn’t be happier to be a part of this organization.
I am so excited to be attending my first SENIA conference and grateful for the honor to speak as well! My 20 years of teaching have taken me around the US and the world, and I have now called Switzerland home for the last 7.5 years. For the last two years, I have been out of the classroom and helping globally mobile families find appropriate international schools for their children with needs that fall outside of the general education bubble. I have become passionate about creating systems to help international schools better run their learning support programs so they are able to better serve more students. I’m in the process of creating a cloud-based program that will allow schools to track the instructional goals and progress over time of their students in LS or RTI. I can’t wait to share it with you very soon!
I’m looking forward to meeting as many new people as possible during the SENIA conference. Please come and find me!
Until December!
www.remfreyeducationalconsulting.com
FB Remfrey Educational Consulting
LI April J Remfrey