Giving Back: A CHAT about Neurodiversity, Advocacy, and Possibility for your Child
January 28, 2025 @ 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Giving Back: A CHAT about Neurodiversity, Advocacy, and Possibility for your Child
Sponsored by
On Tuesday, January 28th, CHAT will host a free, inspirational webinar for families of neurodivergent children, speaking to the power of possible from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective. With presentations by our CEO and two of our directors, the evening will be interactive, include Q&A, and focus on a possibility mindset for parents and guardians.
You know your child best, and your instincts matter. People may tell you there are clear, limited paths or your child; we disagree. Just because the path for your child doesn’t seem to exist doesn’t mean that it’s not possible. We will help you to imagine it so that you can begin to build it, while sharing tips on approaches toward maximizing your child’s happiness, academic, and social success.
We will share success stories and guidance around listening to your gut when it tells you that your child needs support, enrichment, or accommodations they’re not getting.
We hope you will join us and share this event with anyone who may benefit. For every three people who register and list you as their source, you will receive a Giving Back raffle ticket to use for any of the following prizes
- Chicago Bulls merchandise package with Vucevic signed jersey
- Wellness package with three-month Barre3 membership and Davines haircare product basket
- Stationery Basket
- Executive Functioning Consults – Package of four, one-hour sessions
- Neurodiversity-Affirming Consults – Package of four, one-hour sessions about paths you may not have considered for your child
Relevant for parents and guardians of neurodivergent children two and up, and applicable to Autism, ADHD, Communication Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Anxiety, Intellectual Disabilities, and Other Health Impairments.
Karine Faden Fiore, JD/MPH
President & CEO
Karine came to CHAT seven years ago, inspired by her personal experience as a mom and advocate to steward and grow its impact for more children. Passionate about access and inclusion, she does not take no for an answer, removing barriers and creating paths where none exist. Under her leadership, CHAT has pioneered the field of communication justice, innovating to bring speech-language services to under-resourced children whose disorders and differences contribute to their inequitable treatment. Prior to CHAT, Karine practiced law and held leadership roles in the private sector, navigating complex frameworks for her clients. She brings this lens to her personal and professional advocacy, challenging the systems we work within to do better.
Katie Trainor, M.S., CCC-SLP/L
Senior Director, Therapeutic Services
Katie leads CHAT’s clinical practice and oversees its Lombard clinic. In this role, she helps our entire clinical team to ensure that the individuals they serve receive comprehensive, client-focused services. Katie has deep knowledge of language-based Executive Functions (EFs), creating CHAT’s intensive therapeutic EF program in 2020. She is deeply passionate about working with children with complex language and behavioral needs and has a strong record of success connecting with children whose “behaviors” limit their clinical options. Katie has been with CHAT for over 10 years.
Brigid Cavanagh, M.A., CCC-SLP/L
Assistant Director, Neurodiversity-Affirming Services
Brigid is CHAT’s leading clinician on neurodiversity-affirming therapy, guiding our team on developing best practices and advising families on inclusive approaches to care. She is passionate about total communication and innovative in her approaches to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems, for which she strongly advocates. In addition to her work in schools and at community partner nonprofit sites, Brigid provides consultative services and speaks to nonprofit and corporate groups about neurodiversity and inclusion. She joined CHAT in 2018.