AASR Live

The Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint

A podcast from the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint

  1. Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference: A Discussion with Tracy Leonard.

    Jun 19

    Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference: A Discussion with Tracy Leonard.

    Please join us for “Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference: A Discussion with Tracy Leonard.” Tracy Leonard serves as the Executive Director of the Attachment & Trauma Network (ATN), bringing extensive experience in child advocacy, prevention, and trauma-informed education. Before stepping into the Executive Director role, Tracy served as ATN’s Board President (2023–2025), helping guide strategic growth while strengthening governance, partnerships, and long-term planning. Her board service gave her a deep understanding of ATN’s mission and the communities it serves. Tracy’s professional career has focused on equipping adults with the knowledge and tools needed to protect and support children. Through her work with Darkness to Light, she supported and developed a national network of more than 2,000 facilitators and trained thousands of adults to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse using the Stewards of Children® curriculum. She also brings experience as a school leader and educator, having served as a K–6 site administrator in Mesa, Arizona, where the school improved from a “failing” designation to “performing plus.” Earlier in her career, she taught fine arts and early elementary education. Tracy is known for her collaborative, strategic, and mission-driven leadership. She is committed to expanding access to trauma-informed, attachment-focused resources that help families, schools, and communities support children impacted by trauma. She is an Affiliate Member of the Trust & Safety Professionals Association and a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. Support the show

    48 min
  2. Multi-tiered Systems of Support for Adults: A Discussion with Dr. Lori Desautels

    May 31

    Multi-tiered Systems of Support for Adults: A Discussion with Dr. Lori Desautels

    Please join us for “Multi-tiered Systems of Support for Adults: A Discussion with Dr. Lori Desautels.” Dr. Lori Desautels began teaching undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Education at Butler University in 2016. She was previously an Assistant Professor at Marian University in Indianapolis for eight years, where she started the Educational Neuroscience Symposium, which is now in its 15th year and has reached thousands of educators. Dr. Desautels focuses on teaching her students how to apply social and relational neurosciences to education. She does this by incorporating the tier one trauma accommodating Applied Educational Neuroscience framework, along with its learning principles and practices, into her Butler coursework. The Applied Educational Neuroscience Certification, developed by Lori in 2016, serves educators, counselors, clinicians, and administrators working with children and adolescents who have experienced adversity and trauma. This certification has reached thousands of educators globally. As a course partner at the Polyvagal Institute, Lori collaborates with Dr. Stephen Porges to teach courses integrating polyvagal theory into schools, organizations, and communities for educators and mental health professionals. Lori’s articles are published in Edutopia, Brain Bulletin, and Mind Body Spirit international magazine. She was also published in the Brain Research Journal for her work in the fifth-grade classrooms during a course release position with Washington Township Schools. Lori continues her work co-teaching in the K-12 schools integrating her applied research into classroom procedures and transition, preparing the nervous system for learning and felt safety. Her third book, Connections over Compliance: Rewiring our Perceptions of Discipline, was released in late 2020, and Intentional Neuroplasticity: Moving Our Nervous Systems and Educational System Toward Post-Traumatic Growth, her fourth book, was released in January 2023. Her new book/manual titled Body and Brain Brilliance: A Manual to cultivate awareness and Practices for our Nervous System was published in 2024. Lori’s work, presentation videos and latest research can also be found on her website www.revelationsineducation.com. Lori lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband, Michael, and two rescue pets. They have three adult children, Andrew, Sarah, and Regan, and a new grandchild, Miles Desautels Dorsey. Lori has met with well over 200 school districts across the country, in Canada, Costa Rica, Australia, Scotland, England, and Dubai, equating to more than 150,000 educators with much more work to be done! Support the show

    1h 20m
  3. Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Discussion with Jenn Wisdahl and Kristen Eriksen

    May 22

    Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Discussion with Jenn Wisdahl and Kristen Eriksen

    Please join us for “Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Discussion with Jenn Wisdahl and Kristen Eriksen.” Jenn Wisdahl leads strategy and operations at FASD United, the national organization supporting people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and promoting healthy pregnancies. With FASD impacting 1 in 20 Americans, a critical part of her role involves the national legislative and policy agenda for this highly prevalent and under-recognized disability. Using a data-driven strategy that keeps people at the forefront, Jenn has supported substantial growth at FASD United, supporting the Family Navigator Program, National FASD Impact Week, and the return of the International FASD Research Conferences, which have moved from Canada to a permanent home in the United States. Kristen Eriksen serves as an FASD United Family Navigator, as well as Caregiver Navigator at MassFASD, and is a nurse with over 35 years of varied experience, including pediatric and obstetrical nursing, early intervention developmental services, with a recent focus on school nursing. Her personal history of raising twins with FASD since infancy has led to a new and different career path. After adopting infant twins in 2007, her entire life trajectory changed. Starting in 2010, she began a long, slow educational process to learn more about the challenges that the twins faced. When they were finally diagnosed with FASD at age 9, her deep dive into FASD began. She began working with MassFASD and began working as a Family Navigator at FASD United in 2022 Support the show

    1h 24m
  4. The Early Years Guidebook: A Discussion with Emily Read Daniels and Chrissy Dagostino

    May 22

    The Early Years Guidebook: A Discussion with Emily Read Daniels and Chrissy Dagostino

    Please join us for “The Early Years Guidebook: A Discussion with Emily Read Daniels and Chrissy Dagostino.” Emily Read Daniels is the author and creator of The Regulated Classroom™. Daniels is an internationally recognized trainer and has served thousands through in-person and virtual professional development training, workshops, conferences, webinars, and keynote addresses. Daniels and her work have been featured in the Associated Press, Fox News, ABC News, Los Angeles Times, and NPR. Daniels holds an M.Ed. in School Counseling, an MBA in Organizational and Environmental Sustainability, and is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) through NBCC (National Board of Certified Counselors). She continually refines her understanding of the applied science of stress and trauma through training in varied modalities, including Somatic Experiencing, SMART (Sensory-Motor Arousal Therapy), trauma-informed sensory modulation, Reiki, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Emily is very proud to have once been a school counselor. She resides in New Hampshire with her husband, enjoys spending time outdoors, loves being with her two teenagers when they are feeling chatty, plans and enjoys lots of time with the girls, and dotes on her fur baby, Maple, a golden retriever mix. Chrissy Dagostino is an experienced educational consultant and trainer with expertise in early childhood, special education, and educational neuroscience. She holds a Master’s degree from San Francisco State University in both Early Childhood and Special Education, and has extensive experience in applying neuroscience-based approaches to education. With advanced training and certifications from The International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL), The Brazelton Touchpoints Center, The MEHRIT Centre, Ltd, and as a certified Powerfully You Self-Regulation Curriculum provider, Chrissy integrates cutting-edge research into her work. She holds a certification in Applied Educational Neuroscience from Butler University and has completed coursework at both the Mindsight Institute and the Polyvagal Institute. In her private practice, Chrissy provides educational consultation to schools, coaching and professional development for educators, and teaches parent education workshops online. Her work is deeply rooted in relational neuroscience, the science of the nervous system, and Polyvagal Theory, equipping educators and parents with research-based strategies to support children's development and well-being Support the show

    1h 20m
  5. Applied Self-Reg for Education Assistants: A New Book by Susan Hopkins and Kristin Wiens

    May 14

    Applied Self-Reg for Education Assistants: A New Book by Susan Hopkins and Kristin Wiens

    Please join us for “Applied Self-Reg for Education Assistants: A New Book by Susan Hopkins and Kristin Wiens.” Susan Hopkins is Executive Director of The MEHRIT Centre, Dr. Stuart Shanker’s organization and the home of the Self-Reg framework. An international leader in Self-Reg, she co-creates online courses with Dr. Shanker that have reached thousands of educators worldwide. With more than 25 years of experience across Canada and internationally, Susan works across early childhood, K–12, and the systems that support children and youth. She has led in school administration, inclusion, and the early years, and has delivered hundreds of presentations to educators, leaders, and communities. Her work brings brain-body science and co-regulation to life in real-world contexts. Susan is co-author of Restoring Resilience (2025), Self-Reg Schools (2019), and Applied Self-Reg for Educational Assistants (2026). Known for her engaging storytelling and practical insight, she helps educators and leaders reframe behaviour and create the conditions for well-being, connection, and learning. Kristin Wiens is an educator and illustrator whose work focuses on Self-Reg and relational approaches to supporting all students. With a background as an Education Assistant, she developed an EA training program that she has taught for over a decade. She also co-created the Mehrit Centre online course Self-Reg for EAs with Susan Hopkins, based on the book they co-authored. Her writing and illustrations support educators in shifting from compliance-based approaches toward a regulation-focused lens grounded in stress awareness, connection, and compassion. She lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Support the show

    1h 20m

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

A podcast from the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint

You Might Also Like