President: Joseph Mahoney
President-Elect: Kasey Murphy
Past President: Samantha Broadhead
Treasurer: Alex McDermid
Secretary: Julie Bassi
NASP Delegate: Kate Salvati
Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2025: Theory, Assessment, and Difference vs. Disability
A training that will be valuable to all professionals who have an interest in the evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), such as psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and behavior analysts
6.0 CPD hours are available for this event!
NHASP is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer professional development for school psychologists and other professionals. NHASP maintains responsibility for the program. Certificates of Attendance will be provided following completion of the event. A total of 6.0 CPD hours will be awarded for this event. These hours are accepted towards the NCSP and other professional credentials.
Register Here!
Presenter: Dr. Nancy Sullivan, Clinical Psychologist, Associate Director for the Autism Spectrum Center at Boston Children’s Hospital
Dr. Sullivan will address the language used regarding autism and ASD, neurodiversity and neuro-affirming care, the function of clinical diagnoses, the role of self-advocates in changing practices, and controversies in ASD treatment. She takes a middle of the road approach to these topics and presents multiple vantage points.
This training will also feature:
7:30 Registration and breakfast
8:15 Start
10:00-10:15 Break
11:15-12:15 Lunch
12:15 Resume
2:00-2:15 Break
3:30 End
Venue: Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Address: 2500 North River Road, Manchester NH 03106
Building: Dining Center banquet hall
Includes: continental breakfast and coffee, lunch, afternoon snack
Please refer to this document for driving instructions on how to arrive at SNHU Parking Lot 1. Please refer to this SNHU Campus Map for support with navigating to the Dining Center. Both Parking Lot 1 and the Dining Center are circled in yellow. There will also be signage on the morning of the conference.
Purchase orders will not be accepted for this event.
Online payments are preferred for this event. Please note that NHASP is now using payment processing through our website Wild Apricot to simplify your checkout process. You will no longer be redirected to PayPal for payment.
No refunds will be provided for cancellations received after 5pm on Friday, October 10, 2025.
*Students currently enrolled in a school psychology training program receive a reduced registration fee for this event.
For questions, please contact NHASP President Joe Mahoney using the Contact Us page on our website, https://www.nhaspweb.org.
Dr. Nancy Sullivan is a Clinical Psychologist with over twenty-five years of experience specializing in the assessment and behavioral treatment of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurodevelopmental conditions. She is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Director of Psychological Assessment in the Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Boston Children’s Hospital, and Associate Director of the Autism Spectrum Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Sullivan is a certified independent trainer for the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2). She has expertise in applied behavioral analysis (ABA), family behavioral therapy, social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and subspeciality in the treatment of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorders (ARFID).
Disclosure: NHASP and Dr. Sullivan have reported no conflicts of interest
An Introduction to the Feel Your Best Self Toolkit
A session that will be valuable to professionals who help children learn emotion regulation skills, such as psychologists, counselors, and social workers
1.5 CPD hours are available for this event!
NHASP is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer professional development for school psychologists. NHASP maintains responsibility for the program. Certificates of Attendance will be provided following completion of the event. A total of 1.5 CPD hours will be awarded for this event. These hours are accepted towards the NCSP and other professional credentials.
A Zoom link will be provided to registrants in advance.
Register Here
Presenter: Dr. Sandy Chafouleas, Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut
Dr. Chafouleas will highlight the essential elements of the Feel Your Best Self toolkit in supporting children’s skill development. This session will feature a Question & Answer session with Sandy, and participants will also have the opportunity to share their own experiences or ideas regarding using FYBS.
Feel Your Best Self is a free, award-winning toolkit that brings credibility, accessibility, creativity, and joy to learning emotion-coping strategies. From school stress to bedtime struggles, the FYBS strategies fit into everyday life, making emotional navigation simpler. https://www.feelyourbestself.org/
No refunds will be provided for cancellations received after 5pm on Friday, September 12, 2025.
For questions, please contact NHASP President Joe Mahoney using the Contact Us page.
Dr. Sandra M. Chafouleas is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Neag Endowed Professor in the Neag School of Education at UConn. She also serves as the founder and Co-Director of the UConn Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH). Dr. Chafouleas received her Ph.D. in psychology (school) from Syracuse University and is a licensed psychologist in Connecticut. Dr. Chafouleas focuses her work on usable practices that support the whole child, with specific expertise in strategies to support social, emotional, and behavioral well-being. As PI/Co-PI, she has secured over $20 million to support these research, service, and training activities. Dr. Chafouleas is co-creator of Feel Your Best Self, an award-winning toolkit for learning simple emotion-coping strategies. She has authored over 200 publications and regularly serves as a national presenter and invited speaker. She has received multiple recognitions for her work, including Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association.
Disclosure: Dr. Chafouleas is a co-creator of the Feel Your Best Self toolkit, which is a free resource
I hope you’re well and looking forward to the summer break season. I wanted to share all of the membership benefits you can expect as a NHASP Member in 2025-26. If you are currently a Member, and renew before the end of this month (June), you can receive a $20 discount off the Regular rate of $70. You should have received your first renewal reminder on May 2, which included a unique discount code.
Membership benefits in 2025-26 will include:
More information regarding the September and October PD events will be coming very soon. Please reach out if there is anything I can do to support your decision-making. And please see below for instructions on how to renew.
Sincerely,
Joe Mahoney
NHASP President-Elect
Instructions
1. Click below: ‘click here to renew your membership online’
2. Log in as prompted
3. Click ‘Renew to 01 JUL 2026’
4. Click ‘Update and Next’
5A. Click ‘pay online’ and pay electronically -or-
5B. Click ‘invoice me’ and pay electronically from the email you receive
Click here to renew your membership online
Be sure your membership category & directory information are accurate.
For assistance, message us at https://www.nhaspweb.org/contact-us
Don't know your password? Reset it here:
https://www.nhaspweb.org/Sys/ResetPasswordRequest
Travis Bickford attended UNH and received his school psychology degree from the University of Southern Maine in 2006. He's a nationally certified school psychologist and has been president of NHASP and has worked at Dover since 2006 becoming the district's lead psychologist in 2018. Travis is known for his flexibility and responsiveness and exemplary knowledge and performance in the field of school psychology. He is an innovative thinker who not only has the knowledge but the skill to work with students and families at their level. Parents and staff report they feel better when Travis is attending a challenging meeting because they know the students’ needs will be well represented and he will present student orientated solutions. He is has led district initiatives in SEL learning, including chairing the SEL task force which provided the district with baseline data on readiness and a blueprint on how to move forward in SEL. Travis has participated in a citywide review of the mental health response in collaboration with public safety officials and the mental health alliance developing a strategic plan to address recent trends and barriers in accessing mental health services in the City of Dover. Travis also has been integral in creating and implementing a critical incident response team and protocols that are now in place for the Dover Public schools and currently is in the new role as the district’s MTSS coordinator. Travis is a true student-centered individual. He brings a deep care and passion to his work, always putting everything about the needs of students first. He has a remarkable ability to connect with students, families, and staff, creating an environment of trust and support. He's deeply respected for his professional standards, willingness to go the extra mile and being originally from Maine his wonderful, wicked funny sense of humor rules the day.
The NH School Psychologist of the Year Award (SPY) recognizes excellence in the provision of school psychological services by an NHASP member. Nominees who are considered for the SPY Award provide a full range of school psychological services, perform the job in an exemplary manner, earn the respect of colleagues, students, and parents, display pride in NHASP and represent school psychology well, and are well informed about NHASP standards and goals.
For 2022, our award recipient is Kate O. Salvati, MS, NCSP of Strafford Learning Center. Kate is a true leader in the field and a champion for children, youth, and families. Her colleagues describe Kate as a compassionate and respectful practitioner, who is knowledgeable in best practices and able to foster positive partnerships with diverse stakeholders. She is always willing to help, and problem solve complex situations. One of Kate’s many strengths is her ability to break down insights and recommendations into digestible pieces so that all parties can comprehend and recognize how to best support a child.
Kate has made meaningful contributions to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support throughout her career at the state and local school levels. She is committed to creating systems and services that promote safe and supportive school environments using current research related to fostering resilience, promoting mental health wellbeing, and nurturing social-emotional wellness for children. Beyond her role as a school psychologist, Kate extends her advocacy for the welfare of children by serving as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteer.
Kate is the NASP Delegate for New Hampshire, former NHASP president (2005-2006 & 2013-2014), former NHASP Regional Representative – Seacoast, NHASP Ethics & Professional Standards Committee Member, NHASP Government & Professional Relations Committee Member, and an active NHASP representative at NASP Regional Leadership Meetings and the Public Policy Institute.
NHASP has long maintained a commitment to dedicated and strategic action on behalf of our membership. Part of that commitment is the reliance on a clear strategic plan to guide organizational decisions.
In the spring of 2021, NHASP 2020-2021 president Travis Bickford announced the creation of an updated strategic plan for 2021-2026. This plan continues the strong traditions of NHASP as the leading organization for school psychologists in NH and continues to drive us to strengthen and expand our reach!
In September 2020, NHASP leadership created a Strategic Plan Committee and recruited membership volunteers who were charged with developing a plan that would guide NHASP’s work over the next five years. The goals are purpose-driven, actionable, and aligned to NHASP’s envisioned future. Additionally, the NHASP strategic plan will be further defined and adapted with annual review and action planning. This continuous improvement process will help NHASP celebrate accomplishments, address lessons learned, and respond to the emerging needs of not only its membership, but also to the children and youth of New Hampshire.
The NHASP executive board is honored to announce that Dr. Laurie Brodeur from the Berlin Public School System was selected to be the 2021 NH School Psychologist of the Year. Dr. Brodeur’s compelling nominations came from the school district’s special services director, one of her building principals, and a teacher. Dr. Brodeur graduated with a Psy.D., in Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1991. She has NH licenses for Psychologist and School Psychologist. Her career has included community-based clinical practice as well as school psychology. Much of her career has been in public service working in several area mental health agencies as a clinician and in leadership roles. She has been in the Berlin Public Schools since 2009. Even prior to earning her doctorate and licensure, Dr. Brodeur’s Vitae shows a history of public service in the field of mental health dating back to 1984.
Dr. Brodeur was described as being part of the fabric of the schools she works in, as well as within the greater Berlin community. Dr. Brodeur’s consumer-friendly approach when working with parents, teachers, and students was highlighted by all three of the individual’s who wrote letters on her behalf. It was clear to the nominating committee that Dr. Brodeur not only serves her school with excellence at the individual student level, but that she has been in a leadership role for building- and district-wide committees and teams. The Berlin School District’s Special Services Director described Dr. Brodeur as being integral in the past year helping the Berlin school district heal following sudden loss of two staff members, while leading the district’s crisis intervention team. “Dr Brodeur is the voice of calm and compassion regardless of the communities’ collective sadness,” wrote one of Dr. Brodeur’s building principals. The building principal went on to describe Dr. Brodeur as being the best school psychologist she has ever worked with, in a 27-year career. She stated that Dr. Brodeur played a key role in the school’s behavioral health intervention team, noting that the team often looks to her to guide case discussions and interventions. Her principal also described Laurie as having vast knowledge of pedagogy, noting that this with her compassion have been keys to her success. Dr. Brodeur’s community-based mental health work was also the focus of her nomination letters, illustrating a long career marked by a commitment to public service in the field of mental health and school psychology.
Dr. Brodeur is retiring after the 2021 school year, and she is clearly very loved and appreciated by her school district, the schools she worked in, and in her community. Congratulations to Dr. Brodeur for outstanding representation of our field across multiple domains of School Psychology practice and best of luck in your future endeavors.
NH Association of School Psychologists is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization.
