Date: Saturday March 26 AND Saturday, April 9, 2022 9am-12 pm both days  Cost: $75 Total PD hours: 6 hours Location: ONLINE  Presenters: Heather Bartholomew & Debbie Thompson  

Description: Due to popular demand and recommendations from past participants, we are re-offering this two morn-ing workshop series to provide participants with a framework for better understanding the function of challenging be-havior. Previous participants said, “It really helps you figure out how to prevent behaviors from happening and what techniques work” and, “It was very useful for learning how to deal with problems in the classroom in a positive way.” Participants will be asked to rec-ord information on what is currently challenging within their own classrooms & will be supported through interpreting that information and developing a comprehensive plan for preventing the behavior and responding to the behavior when it does occur. This workshop focuses on the prevention of challenging behaviors & how small changes within your routines & programming can make all the difference.

 Presenter Biographies: Heather Bartholomew graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Child and Youth Study) and in the twenty plus years since then, has been working with preschoolers. She has worked as an Early Childhood Educator, one-to-one support staff and as a resource teacher. For five years, she served as Resource Teacher at the Mount’s Child Study Centre, supporting children with identified special needs and, in particular, delivering programming to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Heather has worked as a Program Implementer in Halifax’s Early Intenisive Behavioural Intervention program for the past sixteen years. She has developed and facilitated workshops on a variety of topics, most frequently relating to Inclusion. Heather is passionate about facilitating positive inclusion experiences and finding effective and efficient strategies to support individual and classroom-wide learning.


Debbie Thompson is a graduate from Mount Saint Vincent University with the Degree in Child & Youth. Debbie started her journey in ECE at Wee Care Developmental centre working as a Developmental teacher in an integrated setting. It was there that she knew she wanted to focus her attention on working with children with special 
needs. Debbie also developed the Resource position at Wee Care & was responsible for developing & implementing plans for children with special needs. Debbie now works at the IWK as a Program Implementer for the Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention program (EIBI) working with children with Autism. Through her job at the IWK she continues to work closely with preschool teachers consulting & providing feedback in various programs. Debbie also teaches regularly at Nova Scotia College of Early Childhood Education & Mount Saint Vincent University on various topics including challenging behaviour & Inclusion.