Amy Szarkowski, PhD

Founder and Core Team Member, Fostering Joy

Amy Szarkowski, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is also a Founder and Core Team member of Fostering Joy, a movement that centers on the joy and magical moments of raising and supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Bringing together professionals, family members, and DHH leaders, Fostering Joy aims to alter the discourse between professionals and families that tend to emphasize (re)habilitation, and instead emphasize the importance of connection in interactions with DHH children. Drawing on developmental science, positive psychology, and the literature on parent-child interaction, this session will provide insights and offer suggestions for professionals who support children with a variety of disabilities. 

Fostering Joy: Cherishing Intentional Moments of Connection in Interactions with Children with Disabilities

Thursday, August 7, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Colorado Convention Center, Four Seasons Ballroom 2-4

Session details to be announced.