Conference Schedule

Registration/Check-in/Meet & Greet

Registration/Check-in

Keynote Address:
The Journey of Parenthood: Life Lessons and Legacies

Keynote Speaker: Nancy Berk, PhD

IT TAKES A TEAM…and the first team up and the last one standing is always the home team. Yet even in a world of medical miracles and high technology, parenting remains a complex and challenging experience. This keynote will discuss fact vs. fiction, stress and strategies of parenting school age children. Common sources of parental anxiety and tips for coping with young adolescents will be addressed as well as the importance of social support and humor in maximizing family strength and creating a legacy that emphasizes every child in need.

Nancy Berk, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, writer, and behavioral sciences researcher. A member of The Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, she is involved in the examination of social anxiety, and facial and auditory esthetics. Dr. Berk serves on the Board of Directors of the Cleft Palate Foundation and is a former Behavioral Sciences Editor for the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. In addition to her scientific publications, she is an accomplished humor writer.

Team Q&A

Facilitator:

• CPF President, Earl J. Seaver, PhD

Facilitated by CPF President, Earl Seaver, PhD, Team Q & A gives parents an opportunity to learn more about the roles of various team members and how to make the most of their relationship with their cleft-craniofacial treatment teams.

Participants:

• Ginger Hinton, PhD, Speech Language Pathologist, Greensboro, NC
• Bob Mason, DMD, PhD, Orthodontist, Durham, NC
• Kim Uhrich, MSW, CCSW, Social Worker, Chapel Hill, NC
• Delora Mount, MD, Plastic Surgeon, Madison, WI

Break

Roundtable Discussions

(all round tables offered again, session two, 1:30pm)

CPF is pleased to present concurrent round table discussions in several specific areas of interest. Facilitated by professionals working in cleft and craniofacial care, these small groups will convene around a range of topics including:

• The couple relationship – facilitated by Dr. Nancy Berk
• Transitions and services in the early childhood and school-age experience –facilitated by Dr. Rebecca Gaither
• Navigating the world of insurance and cleft–craniofacial care – facilitated by Debbie Oliver, Executive Director, About Face
• Psychosocial and developmental issues associated with syndromes – facilitated by Mark McGrath, M.S., NCSP, School Psychologist and Psychotherapist
• The genetics of cleft/craniofacial issues – facilitated by Kristina Kocsis, MS, Genetics Counselor

Lunch (Provided)

Roundtable Discussions Continued.

“Blessings in Disguise” Panel

Moderated by David Jones, PhD

This parent-child panel will assemble a group of families with older children who’ve come through childhood and adolescence into the world of life after cleft care. Panelists will speak to and answer questions around a range of issues including the dynamics of sibling relationships in cleft-affected families and the challenges that exist there.

Break

Carrie Gruman-Trinker

Author of the upcoming book, “The Invisible Child: Parenting the Siblings of Special Needs Children.”

Carrie Gruman-Trinkner, recipient of the Cleft Palate Foundation Parent-Patient Leadership Award for 2004, is first and foremost a mom. Her five children range in age from 9 to 16, her youngest, Aiden, having been born with a complete bilateral cleft. When she isn't attending football games, basketball games, wrestling meets, concerts, plays, and the other myriad activities in which her children are involved, Carrie is a music and theatre teacher at a small school in Wisconsin. In her free time (!), Carrie writes. She has published plays, books, magazine articles, brochures and many other items--most of which deal with parenting, and cleft-affected children in particular. Carrie is a passionate activist for her son, and others born with a cleft presentation. She has spoken on the topic in several states in the mid-west and east coast. When this single mom has some down time, she enjoys spending time with family and her dogs, as well as directing community theatre, reading and writing. Carrie welcomes contact with her readers and other people affected by cleft lip and palate.

Wine & Cheese Reception