2018 Diamonds Conference Recap & Photos

On behalf of the entire team at Weinfeld Education Group, thank you for making the 8th Annual Diamonds in the Rough Conference our best yet.

We welcomed over 90 participants for our Friday CE workshop and over 250 parents and professionals took part in the full-day conference.  The success of this year's conference speaks to our shared mission of helping students reach their unique potential.  
 
Many thanks to our two-day sponsors who help make the conference possible; and our 33 partner organizations who shared their expertise as exhibitors. Thank you to our featured speaker, Dr. Joyce Cooper-Kahn, and all our experts.  Several of the Diamonds presenters have excellent books available on Amazon, and we encourage you to check them out.
 
You can sign up for our WEG Special Education Headlines emails at the  Weinfeld Education Group website.  Hope to see you next year!

Finding Common Ground: Strategies that work for all students

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Sponsors

• Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
  
• Fusion Academy
• The Nora School
• McLean School
• TLC-The Katherine Thomas School
• The Auburn School
• Commonwealth Academy
• PrepMatters

Exhibitors

• BroadFutures, Inc
  
• Calo Programs
  
• Chelsea School
  
• Commonwealth Academy
  
• Eagle Hill School
  
• Emerson Preparatory School
  
• Fusion Academy
  
• Growing Minds, Center for Child and Family Therapy
  
• GTLD Network
  
• International Partners
  
• The Learning Disabilities Assoc of Montgomery County, MD
  
• Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
  
• Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities
  
• Maryland Insurance Administration
  
• McLean School
  
• Merrill Lynch
  
• PrepMatters
  
• Shared Horizons, Inc.
  
• Summit Camp & Travel
  
• The Auburn School
  
• The Chesapeake Group - ADHD, Learning & Behavioral Svcs
  
• The Children's Guild
  
• The Counseling Center of Maryland
  
• The Frost School
  
• The Gow School
  
• The Kingsbury Center
  
• The Lab School of Washington
  
• The Nora School
  
• The Siena School
  
• The Sycamore School
  
• TLC-The Katherine Thomas School
  
• Weinfeld Education Group
  
• With Understanding Comes Calm, LLC

Friday, March 9, 2018 -- CE Workshop

• CE Workshop - Helping Disorganized Youth: What do we know? What can we do?
• Networking Brunch
• CE Workshop - Continued

Saturday, March 10, 2018 -- General Conference

• Keynote - Is It Really So Hard? Interventions for Youth who are Disorganized
• A Deep Understanding of the 2e Experience: Strategies for Parents, Educators, and Professionals
• To Infinity and Beyond - The Rediscovery of Potential in Endrew F.
•  Unstuck and On Target: Improving Executive Function, On-Task and Flexible Behavior
• Lunch & Exhibit Hall open
• Brain Imaging Studies of Reading and Dyslexia
• Empowering Students with ADHD
• The Self-Driven Kid: Giving Your Kids More Control
• Developing A Vision For The Future – Transition Planning For Students and Families
•  Helping Anxious, Angry, Depressed, and ADHD Youth Conquer their Negative Thinking Habits
• Red Flags in Early Development
• Closing Remarks, Raffle winners, & Survey

Presenters

• Mary Alvord, PhD - Psychologist, Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC
• Joyce Cooper-Kahn, PhD - Director, Psychological Resource Associates
  
• Guinevere Eden, PhD - Brain Imaging Studies of Reading and Dyslexia, Georgetown University Medical Center
• Michael Eig - Partner, Michael J. Eig & Associates, PC
• Gretchen Holtzinger Levine - Transition Specialist/Teacher, The Katherine Thomas School
• Ned Johnson - President & Head Tutor-Geek, PrepMatters
• Lauren Kenworthy, PhD - Dir, Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Div of Neuropsychology, Children's National Medical Center
• Rosebeth Marcou, MD - Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician, Chesapeake ADHD Center
• Teri Roe - Educational Consultant, Weinfeld Education Group
• Paula A Rosenstock - Senior Associate, Michael J. Eig & Associates, PC
• Julie Skolnick, MA, JD - With Understanding Comes Calm, LLC
• Jodi Sleeper-Triplett - Master Coach & Coach Trainer, JST Coaching & Training
• William Stixrud, PhD - Neuropsychologist, The Stixrud Group
• Rich Weinfeld - Executive Director, Weinfeld Education Group

2018 photos

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What Folks Had to Say About the Conference...

I will attend the next Diamonds Conference if... The conference continues to invite speakers and sponsors with the level of knowledge and expertise as they provided this year.  Excellent conference, very informative and organized.  I plan to attend next year and will recommend it to others.

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I can't stop thinking about the conference and how awesome it was. I printed all of the power point slides and put them in a notebook. When I was reading the slides from your presentation, I so wish I had gone to that session. I'm kicking myself in the behind for not going! It looked like I would have gotten a lot of information from it.  Thanks so much for inviting me to the conference. I will bring other people with me next year.  I just wanted to say thank you again for inviting me. I am so thankful that I was able to come.

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The information presented at this conference was a game changer in terms of building a positive, empowered perspective so that I can effectively advocate for my son.  The exhibit hall was great.  The speakers were all very wonderful.  The conference was really efficient! Well-done! 

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Great conference!  It is so necessary to share the valuable information provided at the conference.  I learned much from the presentations, and made meaningful connections with professionals and potential clients.  Overall, I thought the conference was well-organized and we plan to participate again next year.  Thank you!

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I was pleased with all aspects of the conference--price, location, structure, speakers, exhibitors, and catering.  It was a truly great value.

Thank you WEG for putting on an amazing conference!  From informational and inspirational presentations to networking and meeting parents to discuss solutions- it was a great opportunity. Lindamood-Bell is a proud sponsor of this event. Thank you for helping to make a difference!  Nedra Bradford

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This weekend I had the wonderful occasion to participate at the Diamonds in the Rough Conference.  It was a great conference that was rich in topics, talented speakers, and a amazing array of attendees, including parents, educators, and professionals.

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Thank you so much for hosting this amazing conference.  I love learning new things!  It was so awesome my mind is still racing trying to remember everything I heard today.  I’m looking forward to next year’s conference! I’ll be there.

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This was my second time attending Diamonds in the Rough and you outdid yourself!  There was so much valuable information shared for a very small investment of time and money.  I still feel that I can help my 30 year old with the guidance provided (although those with 3-18 year olds got the perfect roadmap!).  I only wish the training was videotaped and purchased by every school district in the country. What an eye opener it provided.  Thank you again for a life-changing day. 

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Bravo!!  I am so happy I was able to attend this meaningful conference.  I thought the speakers and break out sessions were so informative.  I feel so content to have learned  that the legal pendulum is swinging in favor of special education services, making it easier for parents to ensure IEP's are implemented.  It truly was a worthwhile event to attend!!  Thanks.

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