Jessica Minahan, will kick it off our event with a live presentation on Childhood Anxiety. Understanding the role anxiety plays in a student’s behavior is crucial and using preventive strategies are key to a happy child. Effective behavior supports for children must avoid the reward and punishment-based consequences and focus instead on the use of preventive strategies to teach coping skills, self-monitoring, and alternative responses. Jessica Minahan will offer a variety of effective parenting techniques in a fun and interactive format.

Jessica Minahan is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), author, special educator, and consultant to schools internationally. Since 2000 she has worked with students who struggle with mental health issues and challenging behavior in public school systems. She specializes in training staff and creating behavior intervention plans for students who demonstrate explosive and unsafe behavior. She also works with students who have emotional and behavioral disabilities, anxiety disorders, or high-functioning Autism. Her particular interest is to serve these students by combining behavioral interventions with a comprehensive knowledge of best practices for those with complex mental health profiles and learning needs.