Join the Maryland Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics for this virtual event.
 

Learning Objectives

• Examine caregiver stress and identify strategies to promote caregiver resilience and system-level support
• Review principles of trauma-informed care with focused application to immigrant families navigating healthcare and educational systems
• Explore trauma-informed approaches to IEP development, classroom accommodations, and introductory de-escalation strategies that promote safety, regulation, and student success
  
   

Agenda:
 

• 8:45am-9:00am Welcome and Introductions
• 9:00am-10:00am Dear Nolita: From Trauma to Trust to Triumph Keynote Speaker: Wesley Hawkins, MEd
• 10:00am-11:00am Caregiver Stress Jennifer Serico, PhD
• 11:00am-11:10am Break 11:10am-12:10pm Environmental Stress and Resilience: Understanding and Supporting Early Development in U.S. Immigrant Families Through an Ecological and Intergenerational Lens Maggie Sita Gillen, MA
• 12:10pm-1:00pm Lunch Break
• 1:00pm-2:00pm Trauma-Informed IEP Accommodations Mallory Legg, Esq
• 2:00pm-3:30pm De-escalation Training Introduction Sarah Edwards, DO

“Dear Nolita: From Trauma to Trust to Triumph” is a powerful keynote that blends lived experience with practical insight into trauma-informed care. Through the lens of a deeply personal journey, from being the son of addiction to becoming a source of healing, Wesley explores how trauma shapes behavior, relationships, and trust.

This talk equips clinicians and caregivers with a deeper understanding of the signs and symptoms of trauma, while challenging them to look beyond behaviors and ask, “What happened to this child?” rather than “What’s wrong with them?”

Through the story of both his own life and his relationship with his youngest brother Elijah, Wesley highlights:

• What it really takes to earn a child’s trust
• Why trust is often the true turning point in healing
• The critical role of consistent, safe relationships
• What caregivers and clinicians need to sustain this work

This keynote is both a call to action and a message of hope, reminding us that even in the presence of deep trauma, healing is possible when trust is present.

For questions or more information about the Trauma-Informed Care Symposium contact: ConferenceReservations@KennedyKrieger.org