Community Outreach Speaker Series

Rick Lavoie, M.A., M.Ed.
April 22, 2020
7:00 - 8:00 PM
Open to the public, no cost
Must register to attend

The Struggling Child at Home and In the Family

"If he'd only sit still, stop talking and listen to me, I could deal with his ADHD."

The oft-quoted ancient African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child" is particularly true when the child has a learning disorder.  The child's progress and potential is greatly dependent on the ability of parents and teachers to work together.

This seminar, based on Rick's 40+ years experience in Special Education, will offer suggestions for strategies that parents can use to monitor and manage children's behavior at home and in the community.  The home environment and the school environment are, of course, different from one another, but there are strategies that work effectively at home and at school.  These strategies seldom involve punishment, reward or restricting.

Rick will discuss the ineffectiveness of punishment and offer several optional responses to misbehavior or disrespect.

Rick Lavoie served as an administrator of residential programs for children with special needs for 30 years. He has served as a consultant on Learning Disabilities to several agencies and organizations.

Rick has delivered his message to over 500,000 parents and professionals throughout North America, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.  He has the distinction of having delivered Keynote Addresses for all three of the major special needs advocacy organizations in the United States (Learning Disabilities Association, Council for Exceptional Children, Children with Attention Deficit Disorder).

Rick’s intensive experiences at residential schools provided him with a “living laboratory” in which he developed and refined his methods and philosophies related to the education of children and adolescents with special needs.

Most parents and professionals know Rick through his videos "How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T.  City Workshop", "Last One Picked, First One Picked On: The Social Implications of Learning Disabilities" and “When the Chips are Down: Learning Disabilities and Discipline”.  These classic, award-winning films have brought Rick’s sensitive and compelling message to countless thousands throughout the world.