Positive Discipline for Children with Special Needs

Dr. Jane Nelsen is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and author or co-author of 18 books, including Positive Discipline, Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World, Serenity, When Your Dog is Like Family, and 12 other books in the Positive Discipline Series. She earned her Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco, but her formal training has been secondary to her hands-on training as the mother of seven and grandmother of 20. She now shares this wealth of knowledge and experience as a popular keynote speaker and workshop leader throughout the world. Steven Foster is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been working with children and families in the Portland area for over thirty years. During that time he has worked in, directed and designed a number of treatment programs, always using a relationship-based approach, for young children and families struggling with emotional, social and behavioral challenges. For the last sixteen years he has worked as an Early Childhood Specialist at the Clackamas Education Service District outside of Portland. There he has helped to create the array of services provided to children ages birth to five, and their families. A Positive Discipline parent educator since 2001, Steven is also a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer, training others to teach parenting classes. He is also a sought-after speaker on working with children and families with mental health concerns. Arlene Raphael, M.S. Special Education, is a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer. For over 35 years, Arlene has provided services to children on the autism spectrum and to children with other significant special needs. This has included teaching students in classroom and clinic settings, training their instructors in public and private school settings, and educating their families through parent education classes and family consultations. She has designed and taught Positive Discipline courses for parents and teachers of children with special needs, including children on the autism spectrum. Arlene serves as an adjunct instructor in Special Education at Portland State University where she supervises student teachers and assists with the development of course curricula for teacher candidates who serve students with significant disabilities.