The Family Links Conference is a statewide event for parents of children, youth, and adults with special needs and the professionals who serve them. The following recordings were made from the April 2022 Family Links Virtual Conference,
Thursday, April 14, 2022
Meet Presenter: Amie Jarvie
Amie Jarvie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Geography at Worcester State University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She earned her Master’s degree in Deaf Education at Smith College in North Hampton, Massachusetts. Amie has worked as an itinerant teacher of the deaf and an early intervention specialist in Massachusetts. As an early intervention specialist she worked as both a teacher of the deaf and a developmental specialist. As an itinerant teacher of the deaf she consulted with many towns as well as provided direct services for children ranging in age from preschool to high school. While residing in Georgia for four years Amie served as a licensed Georgia Pines SKI-HI parent advisor and a certified Wilson Level One reading specialist. She worked at the Katherine Hamm Center, a Listening and Spoken Language School for children with hearing loss.
Amie has also worked as a public school special education teacher and while working at Utah State University she supervised graduate students in the Listening and Spoken Language program. Currently Amie works for Utah State Schools for the Deaf and Blind as a parent advisor in the parent infant program. She chose the field of deaf language and literacy because her youngest daughter, Courtney, is deaf.
Amie is also a wife and mother of three adult daughters.. She loves to travel, hike, kayak, and bike ride with her husband, John. Amie and her oldest daughter, Erica practice yoga together several times a week.
Meet Presenter: Michelle Creek
Michelle is a mother of seven children, including two adopted children with disabilities. She understands that sometimes it’s hard to know how to respond when our children are involved in interactions that hurt. She is excited to share information and ideas with parents that will help them clarify their thoughts and strengthen their ability to find solutions for their family. When she has a few spare minutes, Michelle likes to play music, read something from the tower of books waiting on her nightstand, and look at pictures of her grandchildren, who really are the cutest tiny people ever.
Meet Presenter: Candace Floyd
Dr. Candace Floyd, Ph.D. is a tenured Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Utah. She is also a scientist with the Salt Lake City VA Health Care System. She serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurotrauma and Neurotrauma Reports. Dr. Floyd currently serves on Council for the National Neurotrauma Society and is the Director of the Interagency Resource Center for Preclinical TBI Research. She runs an active biomedical research program that conducts research on traumatic brain injury. Dr. Floyd serves on the Board for the Brain Injury Alliance of Utah (BIAU) and is a volunteer educator for the BIAU.
Meet Presenter: Priscilla Danielson
Priscilla M. Danielson, PhD, CCCSLP, ATACP completed her Master in Speech/Language Pathology at Memphis State University and her doctorate at Temple University. Dr. Danielson has focused her clinical work over the past 20 years in the areas of Assistive Technology (AT), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Prior to coming to Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, she was an adjunct instructor at the University of West Chester, Temple University, and University of Delaware. Dr. Danielson has maintained a lengthy private practice focused on language development and disorders in children and adolescents, fluency, and AT/AAC strategies and tools. Dr. Danielson has provided consultation to public school districts and legal teams in the areas of AT/AAC tools, strategies, and implementation.
Meet Presenter: Athena Parker
Athena Parker has worked in the world of children and youth with special health care needs for the last 8 years. She was first introduced to the Medical Home Portal in 2014 and used it frequently as a care coordinator while working at the University of Utah Pediatric Clinic. She joined the Portal team in January 2020 and currently works as the Services Support Manager. Her primary roles include helping state partners maintain and customize Portal content and promote the Portal. Athena lives in Minnesota (hooray for remote working options) and enjoys hiking, canoeing, and reading.
Meet Presenter: Lisa Wade
Lisa Wade joined the staff at the Utah Parent Center in 2019 and is currently the Family to Family Network Project Coordinator. She has focused on person-centered planning, supporting families in DSPD services, or on the waitlist. She is an Ambassador for Charting the LifeCourse Nexus, a framework and philosophy for supporting individuals with disabilities in living their vision of a good life. She has been an advocate on disability issues for more than 20 years, volunteering in many capacities to improve systems and be the voice for her son with autism and intellectual disabilities. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University and enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandkids.
Meet Presenter: Jolene Wyler
Jolene Wyler is the Director for the Utah Work Incentive Planning Services. She has been with the program since its beginning in 2001. She provides services to individuals receiving Social Security Disability benefits so they can make an informed choice about working and their benefits. Jolene graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She is also a graduate of the Certified Public Manager Program. She is currently serving as the Vice President on the Board of Directors of NABWIS (National Association of Benefits and Work Incentives Specialists).
Meet Presenter: Kent Remund
Kent Remund has worked in the field of assistive technology for the past 24 years in a variety of settings. He is the current project director for the Utah Center for Assistive Technology (UCAT). He was the project director for the Utah Assistive Technology Teams (UATT) for 6 years assisting teams, students and LEAs across the state. He has his Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling and is an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) with the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). He has extensive experience evaluating and assessing children and adults with the appropriate selection of assistive technology tools.