Join us at
KAIMH annual conference
Join Us at the KAIMH Conference 2023! April 27-28, 2023, Wichita
Conference Agenda
April 27 Thursday (Day 1)
8:00 – 8:30 Registration and light breakfast
8:30 – 11:30 Understanding the Sensory System and Its Importance in Early Childhood Development and Social-Emotional Regulation, Allie Ticktin, MA, OTD, OTR/L, SIPT
11:30 – 1:00 Lunch Provided, KAIMH Annual Meeting, Alice Eberhart-Wright Visionary Award
1:00-4:00 Keynote continued, Allie Ticktin, MA, OTD, OTR/L, SIPT (snack provided)
April 28 Friday (Day 2)
8:00 – 8:15 Check in and light breakfast
8:15 – 11:15 Who Decides If I’m Safe: Polyvagal Theory in Infant Mental Health, George Thompson, MD
11:15 – 12:45 Lunch on your own
12:45 – 2:00 Breakout sessions
2:00 – 2:15 Snack break
2:15 – 3:30 Breakout sessions
Where: Wichita State University Metroplex
5015 East 29th St N, Wichita, KS 67220
11.5 total hours of KDHE approved in-service
Hotel rooms are available until April 12th at Hyatt Place at Wichita State University, 4703 E. 19th Street North, Wichita, KS To book your room, click here
Scholarship opportunities are available, to apply for a scholarship please click here: Scholarship Application
Early Bird Prices end April 12, 2023
Registration Closes April 17, 2023
Conference Fees: Early Pricing
Member: $225 Non-Member $275
Thursday Conference Keynote:
Allie Ticktin, MA, OTD, OTR/L, SIPT
Allie began her work in pediatric development at the University of Michigan, where she earned her B.S. in Movement Science, and continued her studies at USC, where she received her M.A. and Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Allie is certified in Sensory Integration and hopes that one day one day quality open ended play will be considered as important as learning the ABC’s. When not at work, you can find Allie at the beach engaging her own sensory system, outside enjoying nature or at home cuddled under her weighted blanket. Allie also loves to read and color in mindfulness coloring books, which are her own regulation tools.
Allie’s mission is to empower children and their families through sensory play so that they can thrive through childhood and beyond. Allie is the founder of Play 2 Progress and author of the book, Play to Progress, where she provides parents with an overview of all 8 (yes, 8) senses and gives parents ways to enhance those senses at home. Allie uses the science of child development and the joy of play to boost childrens’ confidence and enhance development within all areas of their life, from social and emotional to physical and academic. Allie believes that the best way to support children is by arming their parents, from inception, with the knowledge and skills necessary to encourage their child’s development for success through childhood and beyond.
Her presentation will cover the eight sensory processing systems – sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, vestibular, proprioception, and interoception – and how to provide activities from the time children are born that support the growth and development of these systems. Through lecture and group discussions, the eight sensory systems will be broken down, and participants will learn how a child uses them to understand the world. Easy, fun activities, as well as advice on setting up play areas will be explored to support children’s development and abilities to respond to their emotions, build friendships, communicate their needs, and thrive in school.
Friday Conference Keynote:
Dr. George Thompson, MD
George S. Thompson MD is a child psychiatrist and clinical associate professor of psychiatry at both the University of Kansas and University of Missouri-Kansas City Schools of Medicine. Thompson is devoted to assisting families and healthcare organizations build emotionally safe, curious, and collaborative cultures that transform trauma into wisdom.
His presentation describes the basics of the polyvagal theory, which holds that neurophysiological states of safety, danger, and life threat organize our emotions and behaviors. Our nervous systems are continuously monitoring for safety and threat, in a process called neuroception, which can rapidly switch our physiological states. When our state matches our environment, we are physically prepared to respond to the challenges we face. When there is a mismatch between state and environment, our actions are inappropriate for the situation and suffering occurs.
Alice Eberhart-Wright Visionary Award
AEW Nomination
The Alice Eberhart-Wright Visionary Award recognizes outstanding achievements and significant contributions in the field of infant and early childhood mental health. The award is given to those who represent the mission of KAIMH and illustrate passion, creativity and best practices in their work supporting infant and early childhood mental health in Kansas. This award will be presented each year at the KAIMH annual conference. If you would like to nominate a candidate for the 2023 award, please complete the nomination form below.
Congratulations to the 2022 AEW Recipient:
Martha Palmer
Martha Palmer has provided early intervention services across Kansas for over 30 years and has impacted thousands of children and families throughout this time. Martha is a very skilled early interventionist. She understands infant and toddler development and provides high-quality services. Martha’s true gift is using her knowledge to build the capacity of families and teammates in the area of social-emotional well-being and how it impacts every facet of a young child’s learning. Martha supports families in advocating for their children by leveraging local and state resources. She also has the ability to bring groups of people together (families, childcare teams, medical teams, etc) to have discussions and plan services that lead to positive outcomes for each child. Martha seeks out additional training opportunities and uses them effectively in understanding each child’s unique learning needs and helps the parents identify and try intervention strategies that support children’s independence, engagement and participation throughout their day. Martha teams well with other providers and shares her knowledge about social-emotional development when planning for services. She has the ability to connect with many different types of families and works to understand their priorities for their children.
Martha is truly one of the most gifted early interventionists in Kansas, but because she works so tirelessly to support the capacity and advocacy abilities in others she does not always get the recognition that she deserves. Martha has been connecting and supporting families with mental health needs since the beginning of her career. She purposefully worked to bring psychiatrists and psychologists on home visits and consulting with families before it was a common place practice. The depth of knowledge that she has in early intervention is a gift to any family that works with her.