Join us at Francis Marion University for exceptional professional learning opportunities, renewed friendships, and celebrations of the work we do!
2025 SCASP Fall Conference
"Increasing Efficiency in Your Daily Practice"
Dates: October 15-17, 2025
Location: The Carter Center for Health Services at Francis Marion University, 200 West Evans St., Florence, SC 29501
This exciting and informative experience is designed to increase your efficiency in the day to day activities of being a School Psychologist as well as best practices in evaluations for developmental disorders and ASD. You also won’t want to miss our Friday mini-sessions, including EdPlan updates, new SLD requirements, suicide interventions, and the use of growth rates in eligibility determinations.
Join us Thursday, Oct 16th from 4:30 to 6:30 at Victors Patio for a complimentary cocktail hour!
All attendees have the opportunity to attend the conference for credit through SCASP or to earn course credit through Winthrop University. Click HERE to register for Winthrop credit.
If you register for Winthrop credit, you must also register with SCASP and select the Winthrop credit option. For everything you need to know about Winthrop credit, click here: WU Credit Flyer
We have reserved room blocks at two great hotels in Florence:
The Hyatt Place, Florence, Rates from $139/ night, Promo code: G-SCAS
Hyatt | Select Room
The Hotel Florence, a boutique hotel, Rates from $179/night, Promo code: 90B
Available Rooms - Hotel Florence, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
We hope to see you all in October!!
Fall 2025 SCASP Conference Schedule
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Wednesday, October 15, 2025: Virtual or In-Person
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM Continental Breakfast/Coffee and Registration
8:30 AM – 4:15 PM Two Half-day Workshops
Presenter: Dr. Donna Berghauser is a Florida-licensed and Nationally Certified School Psychologist with over 20 years' experience working in school, community, and private practice settings. She currently supports clinicians and educators throughout the Southeast as an Assessment Consultant with WPS. She earned her Doctorate of Psychology from Nova Southeastern University and is an adjunct professor within their school psychology training program. Donna is a Past President of the Florida Association of School Psychologists (2017-2019) and has held several roles with the organization since. Her professional interests include culturally sensitive assessment and intervention, training and leadership development, and systems change. In her leisure, she enjoys travelling, visiting local coffee shops, and hanging out with her fluffy dog– Cosmo.
Session One: 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Title: The ABCs of Developmental Evaluations
Description: Assessing young children as they transition into the school setting. It will review evaluation methods that can be utilized in a holistic evaluation of young children. Particular emphasis will be placed on assessment and eligibility considerations for children with developmental delays and intellectual disabilities.
Session Two: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Title: Piecing it Together: Best Practices in Multidisciplinary Team Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Schools
Description: Overview of ASD and assessment considerations needed for clinical and educational decision-making. Discussions include diagnostic and eligibility considerations, multi-disciplinary tools for fulfilling assessment requirements (including pragmatic language skills), and educational planning outcomes.
Thursday, October 16, 2025 ****NEW IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL****
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM Continental Breakfast/Coffee and Registration
8:30 AM – 4:15 PM Two Half-day Workshops
4:30 – 6:30 School Psych Social at Victor’s
NEW Presenter (VIRTUAL): Dr. Amy Burns Merenda comes to us from the state of California and is the owner of Blooming Brains Educational Psychology. She is a proud alumna of the University of the Pacific, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2014), Master of Arts in Education (2015), Educational Specialist in Educational Psychology (2018), and Doctorate of Education (2018). She has served as a school psychologist in public schools for nearly a decade and has a personal connection to advocating for children in the school system. She is also a Certified Facilitative Leadership Coach (CFLC) and enjoys coaching neurodivergent youth and adults alike. Learn more at bloomingbrains.org
Session One: 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Title: The Stack is Too High: AI Shortcuts for the Overworked School Psych
Description: Tired of assessment-related paperwork stealing your time with students? This session reveals how school psychologists can ethically leverage generative AI as a powerful timesaver and administrative co-pilot across the entire psychoeducational workflow—from the initial Assessment Plan (AP) to the final Individualized Education Program (IEP). We will focus specifically on maximizing efficiency in the following critical areas:
Administrative Streamlining
Report Synthesis
Data Deep Dive
IEP/BIP Development
Crucially, we will maintain a focus on ethical practice and compliance. Learn how to vet and utilize compliant tools, protect student confidentiality (FERPA/HIPAA), and ensure that your professional clinical judgment remains the final, indispensable piece of the assessment process. Leave with the exact prompts and strategies needed to implement these timesavers immediately.
Session Two: 1:00 PM to 4:15 PM
Title: Decoding the Algorithm: Using AI for Data Driven Student Support
Description: The world of AI for school psychologists is like the “wild west!” It's brimming with potential, and the landscape is constantly changing. Many psychologists might feel unsure how to navigate this exciting new terrain. But fear not! This course equips you with the essentials. We'll delve into the "what" and "why" of AI, explore its capabilities and limitations, and navigate the legal and ethical considerations for responsible use. You'll even get hands-on with demonstrations of popular AI programs used in schools.
Friday, October 17, 2025: In-Person only
Friday, October 17, 2025: In-Person Only
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM Continental Breakfast/Coffee and Registration
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM Awards Ceremony- School Psychologist of the Year & Outstanding Contributions in the field of School Psychology
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM SCASP Annual Business Meeting- Beth Gavin, SCASP President and Dr. Tricia Daughtry, Executive Director
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Networking
Mini-Session One 10:15 to 11:30
1. Systematic Investigative Routines for Suspicion of a Disability in Multilingual Learners
Description: Systematic Investigative Routines for Suspicion of a Disability in Multilingual Learners will provide attendees with information to help tease apart a language difference from a disability across critical domains of education. In addition, it will outline key questions for teams to ask and data to gather to support suspicion of a disability in a multilingual learner. Connections to the federal regulations of IDEA will also be included.
Presenters: Angie Neal is the Policy Advisor for SLP and Early Literacy at the SCDE, Office of Special Education Services. Dr. Ayla Horton is the Policy Advisor for Evaluations and Post-Secondary Transition at the SCDE, Office of Special Education Services.
2. EDPlan SC for School Psychologists: Practical Tips, Tools, and Troubleshooting
Description: EDPlan can be a useful tool for managing special education data—but only if you know how to make it work for you. This session is designed specifically for school psychologists who want to use EDPlan SC more effectively in their daily work. We’ll cover best practices for navigating evaluations, documenting eligibility, and supporting compliance—all while saving time and reducing frustration. Whether you’re new to the platform or looking for ways to support your team better, you’ll leave with actionable strategies and answers to your most common EDPlan questions.
Presenter: Philip Young, Senior Consultant at Public Consulting Group (PCG)
3. Suicide Intervention in Schools
Description: This session provides a brief overview of the importance of suicide assessment and intervention in schools, then spends the bulk of the time on conducting an evidence-based suicide assessment. It concludes with information on safety planning and the provision of structured follow-up to ensure appropriate support continues
Presenter: Karen L. Monahan, Ph.D., NCSP, Winthrop Assistant Professor
***Lunch Break: 11:30-1:00 PM***
Mini-Session Two 1:00 PM to 2:15 PM
1. South Carolina's SLD Guide and SLD Evaluations
Description: We will discuss the SLD Guide and help clarify how to determine eligibility in a problem-solving model. Also, we will look at the Indicator Aligned Inventory for Word Recognition and how that can be helpful to school psychologists when evaluating for reading disabilities and initial IEP development. Links: SLD Guide and IAI-WR
Presenters: Lisa McCliment, Team Lead for Policy, Guidance, and Community Engagement, Office of Special Education Services. Dr. Ayla Horton, the Policy Advisor for Evaluations and Post-Secondary Transition at the SCDE, Office of Special Education Services.
2. EDPlan SC for School Psychologists: Practical Tips, Tools, and Troubleshooting [REPEAT]
Description: EDPlan can be a useful tool for managing special education data—but only if you know how to make it work for you. This session is designed specifically for school psychologists who want to use EDPlan SC more effectively in their daily work. We’ll cover best practices for navigating evaluations, documenting eligibility, and supporting compliance—all while saving time and reducing frustration. Whether you’re new to the platform or looking for ways to support your team better, you’ll leave with actionable strategies and answers to your most common EDPlan questions.
Presenter: Philip Young, Senior Consultant at Public Consulting Group (PCG)
3 Growth and Rates of Improvement in the Context of MTSS and SLD Determination
Description: This presentation will provide information on how to track student growth during instruction and intervention. The presentation will also provide participants with samples on how to discuss growth in reports, offer tools designed to measure growth, and discuss why it is essential to consider growth when making high-stakes eligibility decisions. The discussion will include information on what participants can do even if they only have access to benchmark data.
Presenter: Dr. Anselmo Giancarlo, Associate Professor and SP Program Director Winthrop University
Mini-Session Three 2:30 PM to 3:45 PM
1. South Carolina's SLD Guide and SLD Evaluations [REPEAT]
Description: We will discuss the SLD Guide and help clarify how to determine eligibility in a problem-solving model. Also, we will look at the Indicator Aligned Inventory for Word Recognition and how that can be helpful to school psychologists when evaluating for reading disabilities and initial IEP development. Links: SLD Guide and IAI-WR
Presenters: Lisa McCliment, Team Lead for Policy, Guidance, and Community Engagement, Office of Special Education Services. Dr. Ayla Horton, the Policy Advisor for Evaluations and Post-Secondary Transition at the SCDE, Office of Special Education Services.
2. EDPlan SC for School Psychologists: Practical Tips, Tools, and Troubleshooting [REPEAT]
Description: EDPlan can be a useful tool for managing special education data—but only if you know how to make it work for you. This session is designed specifically for school psychologists who want to use EDPlan SC more effectively in their daily work. We’ll cover best practices for navigating evaluations, documenting eligibility, and supporting compliance—all while saving time and reducing frustration. Whether you’re new to the platform or looking for ways to support your team better, you’ll leave with actionable strategies and answers to your most common EDPlan questions.
Presenter: Philip Young, Senior Consultant at Public Consulting Group (PCG)
3 Supervision in School Psychology
Description:
Presenters: Dr. Crystal Hill-Chapman, Chair, Psychology at Francis Marion University, Dr. Stephanie Williams, Professor at Francis Marion University, Dr. Sarah Bassin Bruton, School Psychologist at Richland 2
