Join psychologists Dr. Jonathan Dalton and Dr. Cynthia Schulmeyer for a discussion of the evidence-based treatment of school avoidance in autistic students, with a focus on the fundamental different role that accommodations play in autistic and allistic students. The presentation will address

• The difference between anxiety and dread
• The role of autistic burnout, cognitive overload, and overstimulation in school avoidance
• The role of PDA presentations in students who avoid school

Dr. Dalton and Dr. Schulmeyer will offer specific guidance on partnering effectively with school-based professionals to help children re-enter and remain in school.

About the presenters:Dr. Jonathan Dalton is a licensed psychologist who is the founder and director of the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change (CABC) in Rockville, MD.  He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Villanova University, a master’s degree in psychology from The Catholic University of America, and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Fordham University with a specialization in child and family psychology. He completed two years of pre-doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine – Kennedy Krieger Institute, and advanced postdoctoral training at the Maryland Center for Anxiety Disorders at the University of Maryland. He specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and teens, with a focus on anxiety-based school refusal. He believes strongly in the importance of public outreach and frequently presents to student bodies, educators, mental health professionals, and community groups on the treatment of anxiety and related disorders.

Dr. Cynthia Schulmeyer is the Coordinator for Psychological Services with the Howard County Public School System. She has served in that role for over twenty years and the twelve years prior she was a school-based school psychologist. Dr. Schulmeyer’s areas of professional interest include supporting students with disabilities in the school setting, team-based decision-making, supervision, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and threat management. She has presented at local and national professional conferences, taught at both the Towson University and University of Maryland graduate school psychology training programs, and served on the boards of multiple professional organizations. Tonight’s information is from the shared experiences of the HCPSS school psychologists.