Dr. Wingers and the team at CENTER work closely with parents, teachers, physicians, and other treatment providers using an integrative approach. Dr. Wingers consults frequently with individuals, families and schools and is passionate about finding answers and meeting challenges with understanding and hope. Dr. Wingers has been honored with awards and recognition from the Arizona Psychological Association, the Arizona Psychological Foundation, and the Arizona Association of School Psychologists.

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Parent Seminar #3: Why is the Milk in the Back of the Supermarket?

Presenter: Colin Seale, Founder and CEO of thinkLaw
Parents are uniquely qualified to teach their children essential critical thinking skills, mindsets, and habits to promote 21st century success.  This session equips parents with concrete tools to they can apply at home regardless of prior experience.  Parents will walk away with strategies to help their child unlock his or her potential.

Date/ Time: October 24, 2023 (6:00 – 7:00 p.m.)

Location: Las Brisas Elementary - Library

About the Speaker:
Colin Seale was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, where struggles in his upbringing gave birth to his passion for educational equity. Tracked early into gifted and talented programs, Colin was afforded opportunities his neighborhood peers were not. Using lessons from his experience as a math teacher, later as an attorney, and now as a keynote speaker, contributor to Forbes, The 74, Edutopia and Education Post and author of Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking to All Students (Prufrock Press, 2020) and Tangible Equity: A Guide for Leveraging Student Identity, Culture, and Power to Unlock Excellence In and Beyond the Classroom (Routledge, 2022), Colin founded thinkLaw, a multi-award-winning organization to help educators leverage inquiry-based instructional strategies to close the critical thinking gap and ensure they teach and reach all students, regardless of race, zip code or what side of the poverty line they are born into.  

Parent Seminar #4: Emotional Regulation and the Gifted Learner

Presenter: Dr. Dawn Byrd

Gifted learners often experience intense emotions.  Join Dr. Dawn Byrd for an in-depth discussion about emotional regulation and supporting the emotional intensities commonly associated with gifted learners.  Parents will walk away with a broader understanding and strategies to support their child at home.  

Following Dr. Byrd's presentation, parents are welcome to participate in a Q&A discussion about Deer Valley's Gifted Programs with Dr. Aimee Sulit (Manager of Gifted & Advanced Academics).  

Date/ Time: November 16, 2023 (6:00 - 7:00 p.m.) 

Location: Las Brisas Elementary - Library  

About the Speaker:

Dr. Dawn Byrd is a native Arizonan from Tucson who is now living and practicing in the Phoenix metropolitan area. She graduated with numerous honors in the field of psychology from Grand Canyon University.  Dr. Byrd practices at Integrative Psychotherapy and Assessment Services in Tempe, Arizona. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional by the International Association of Trauma Professionals and is trained with Evidence – Based Trauma Treatments and Interventions.  Dr. Byrd offers psycho-educational evaluation services on a contract basis for families, charter, and private schools. Her team supports students and families with identification in the following areas: Gifted, Autism, Visual Impairment, Specific Learning Disabilities, Developmental Delay, Emotional Disability, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Other Health Impairment, and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Parent Seminar #5: Executive Function and the Underachiever

Presenter: Dr. Paul Beljan

This session focuses on the brain basis of attention and executive functioning.  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is as widely misdiagnosed as it is misunderstood and mistreated.  The high rate of false positives associated with this condition places children at risk for being further mislabeled and mistreated as they fail to respond to traditional ADHD interventions.  The sum of a child’s attentional and inhibitory resources are only two components in the larger multi-modal processing constellation that must occur for the reliable and consistent execution of appropriate behavior and learning. For example, ADHD is the eye of the hurricane and behavioral outcomes are the outer-band storms.  Therefore, underachievement is a major outer-band storm. This lecture will provide an understanding of all of the components involved in an intact attention and executive function system, enabling caretakers and school staff to not only determine what is willful behavior and what is not, but to also generate appropriate interventions and expectations of children with ADHD.  

The influence of attention and executive functioning will be used to answer questions about:

• Alcohol/Drug Related Neurodevelopmental Deficit 
• Pediatric traumatic brain injury and recovery
• Learning disorders
• Why traditional talking therapies are generally ineffective in treating ADHD
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• Parenting
• Classroom Behavior

Date/ Time: January 16, 2024 (6:00 – 7:30 p.m.)

Location: Deer Valley USD Governing Board Room (20402 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, 85027)

About the Speaker:
Paul Beljan, PsyD, ABPdN earned his doctorate degree in clinical psychology at the Wright State University, School of Professional Psychology in 1994.  He matriculated pre-doctoral internship in Medical Psychology at the Oregon Health Sciences University, Child Development & Rehabilitation Center in Portland, Oregon.  He completed a two-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Psychology and Pediatric Neuropsychology through the Michigan State University, School of Human Medicine in 1996.  In October 2001, Dr. Beljan completed his second two-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology through the Fielding Institute, in Chicago, Illinois.  In 2015 Dr. Beljan earned a post-doctoral master’s degree in Psychopharmacology. Dr. Beljan has worked in medical settings where he specialized in pain management and trauma recovery with children suffering from burns, cancer, Sickle Cell Anemia, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Cerebral Palsy, physical abuse, and traumatic brain injury.  Dr. Beljan is a specialist in pediatric neuropsychology.  He has focused special attention on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Alcohol/Drug Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (A/DRND), Learning Disorders, and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), and gifted intellect.  Dr. Beljan formed Beljan Psychological Services in Phoenix, Arizona in 2001.  The practice focuses on pediatric neuropsychology, neurocognitive intervention, pediatric psychology consultation liaison, and forensic consultation.  The practice draws an international clientele. Dr. Beljan is a Diplomate with the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology (ABPdN) and the American Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN). Dr. Beljan co-wrote Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children and Adults, and Large Scale Brain Systems in Neuropsychological Assessment.  Dr. Beljan lectures nationally and internationally.

Parent Seminar #6: Perfectionism and the Gifted Learner

Presenter: Dr. Sarah Bald

Dr. Sarah Bald will discuss the impacts of perfectionistic tendencies on the gifted learner. She will discuss typical perfectionism and address when parents should be concerned. Dr. Bald will also be dispelling myths and discuss comorbid diagnoses and misdiagnoses associated with perfectionism.

Date/ Time: February 27, 2024 (6:00 – 7:30 p.m.)

Location: Las Brisas Elementary - Library  

About the Speaker:
Dr. Sarah Bald is the founder and lead psychologist of NEST Psychological. Dr. Bald obtained her Doctoral and Master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology. She completed her pre-doctoral internship with the Avondale Elementary School District in order to fully understand and appreciate the learning environments of her clients. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Beljan Psychological Services where she continued to practice after licensure. 

Dr. Bald’s clinical experience includes pediatric neuropsychology, child and family psychotherapy, and parenting. She also assists families in navigating the special education process through education and advocacy. Dr. Bald has presented her research at the annual scientific conferences of the American Neurological Association and the Gerontological Society of America. She has abstracts published in The Gerontologist and the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. Her research interests include lifespan development, twice exceptionalism, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Parent Seminar #7: Neurodiversity and the 2E Learner

Presenter: Dr. Sarah Bald

Dr. Sarah Bald will discuss the impact of atypical neurodevelopment, such as learning disabilities and executive challenges on gifted youth. This presentation will incorporate fundamental information on types of atypical development, and how to best support 2E students in the home and the classroom.

Date/ Time: March 19, 2024 (6:00 – 7:30 p.m.)

Location: Las Brisas Elementary - Library  

About the Speaker:
Dr. Sarah Bald is the founder and lead psychologist of NEST Psychological. Dr. Bald obtained her Doctoral and Master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology. She completed her pre-doctoral internship with the Avondale Elementary School District in order to fully understand and appreciate the learning environments of her clients. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Beljan Psychological Services where she continued to practice after licensure. 

Dr. Bald’s clinical experience includes pediatric neuropsychology, child and family psychotherapy, and parenting. She also assists families in navigating the special education process through education and advocacy. Dr. Bald has presented her research at the annual scientific conferences of the American Neurological Association and the Gerontological Society of America. She has abstracts published in The Gerontologist and the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. Her research interests include lifespan development, twice exceptionalism, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Parent Seminar #8: Understanding Gifted Testing

Presenter: Dr. Aimee Sulit, Manager of Gifted & Advanced Academics
Join Dr. Aimee Sulit as she provides an overview of cognitive abilities testing used in Deer Valley USD. Parents will gain insights into how ability testing differs from traditional assessments to support placement in our DVUSD Gifted Programs.

Date/ Time: April 23, 2023 (6:00 – 7:00 p.m.)

Location: Las Brisas Elementary - Library

About the Speaker:
Dr. Aimee Sulit currently serves as the Manager of Gifted & Advanced Academics for Deer Valley Unified School District. In her role, she supports administrators, teachers, parents, and students in both the academic and social emotional areas. In addition to her work in Deer Valley, Dr. Sulit teaches preservice teachers in the Mary Lou Fulton Teacher College with ASU. Dr. Sulit received her Doctorate from Northern Arizona University in Educational Leadership (2020). With over 25 years in education, Dr. Sulit uses her expertise to provide extraordinary educational opportunities to every learner.