President: Kasey Murphy
President-Elect: Tari Selig
Past President: Joseph Mahoney
Treasurer: Alex McDermid
Secretary: Megan Athanasiou
NASP Delegate: Travis Bickford
At my first job after graduate school, I had a coworker who often used the phrase “opportunities for growth.” We collaborated on an elementary school intervention team, and my coworker used the phrase regarding student intervention cases. We worked for the Guilford County Schools in North Carolina, an excellent employer to whom I am indebted. At that time, my case conceptualization was anchored in deficit language: below-grade-level, disability, performance versus skills deficit, etc. Over the years, as I’ve become less certain of the phenomena we study (e.g., learning disability), my problem-solving orientation has shifted away from categorical labels. Instead, I often think and speak about student needs as representing delays, with the implication that any child is capable of attaining goals which are data-driven and developmentally and culturally appropriate. This is where “opportunities for growth” comes in. From a developmental perspective, a delay is growth which hasn’t happened yet. Our systematic problem-solving must always aim to remove barriers to children’s growth while also providing new opportunities.
These days, “opportunities for growth” comes to mind for me often, mostly at work, but sometimes outside of work as well. I’m reminded of it again as the 2025-26 NHASP membership year comes to a close. Serving as President of the Association this year has been the most significant opportunity for growth in my career in many years. I am very grateful to the volunteer leadership of the Association for their support this year, and for their ongoing commitment to the needs of schoolchildren and practicing School Psychologists in New Hampshire. Our colleagues who made this membership year possible include Amy Bahan, Jake Barry, Julie Bassi, Samantha Broadhead, Laura Conley, Maddie DiGregorio Aubin, Nate Jones, Alex McDermid, Kasey Murphy, Chris Nelson, Emily Russell, Kate Salvati, Mary Ann Salvatoriello, Tari Selig, Dave Smith, Felicia Sperry, Tyler St. Cyr, and Kristina Styren. I hope that NHASP has provided meaningful opportunities for your professional growth recently too. I’m proud of the number and variety of opportunities which were available to members this year.
There were three community meetings which were available over Zoom each month: the Lunchtime and Afterschool PLCs and the Early Career Group. There were four editions of the NHASP Note digital newsletter delivered straight to your email inbox. Members received discounted registration rates for the in-person Fall and Spring Conferences. Our conferences provided opportunities to connect with allied nonprofit organizations, most notably the New Hampshire Children’s Trust. NASP-Approved CPD hours were also offered to our members free of charge in the form of live webinars. Starting in the winter, members had access to a tracker for 2026 New Hampshire legislative activities related to education and child welfare, managed by committee chair Emily Russell. The tracker spreadsheet was easily accessed via a new Members-Only section of our website (www.nhaspweb.org). Other Members-Only content was added to the website this year, including an archive of more than 15 years’ worth of our newsletter content.
You can expect that other benefits will always be available as part of membership in the Association. The NHASP Board has Regional Representatives around the state of New Hampshire who reach out to connect with members and serve as a resource. Members can access informal consultation with knowledgeable NHASP leaders regarding practice issues via our Ethics & Professional Standards committee. And there are dedicated sources of funding for professional activities. These include the Ginny Harvey Scholarship for graduate students, which was increased from $1,000 to $3,000 for 2026-27; and the research stipend to support members who are presenting research projects at NASP Convention (refer to the Members Only tab). Lastly, there are the ways that NHASP supports the practice of School Psychology throughout New Hampshire. There are NHASP leaders who interface with NASP on an ongoing basis regarding professional issues and the advancement of School Psychology. The Association also has a liaison who advocates for us with the NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) and its Board of Psychologists. And NHASP has awards to recognize exemplary practice within our profession, including the School Psychologist of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award. It’s our great privilege to identify and publicize the accomplishments of our award winners.
As membership renewal season has arrived, I hope you find these activities a compelling reason to join us or renew your NHASP membership. Serving as President this year, I often reflected on how they wouldn’t happen without a dedicated volunteer workforce. Some of our colleagues have been involved with the NHASP Board for several decades, and others, for less than a year. Some colleagues have continuous involvement with the Board, while others participate when time allows. Volunteering needs to fit with both one’s goals and life circumstances. I have found my volunteer service for NHASP to be very rewarding since I got involved in 2022. NHASP always benefits from more help, but it really needs help at the moment. If you’re interested, and there is space in your life, please reach out. You can reach out using our website's Contact Us form.
Meanwhile, the Association would simply not exist without our members. NHASP greatly appreciates our members and their participation in the New Hampshire School Psychology community. A big congratulations goes to one member, our School Psychologist of the Year, Heather Nelson with the Moultonborough School District. Heather is a longtime member of the Association. I was fortunate to participate in her recognition at the recent New Hampshire Excellence in Education Awards event. You can check that out along with other recent events on our Instagram feed. Finally, I would like to thank all of the event presenters who worked with us this year, with special thanks to Dr. Nancy Sullivan from Boston Children’s Hospital and Dr. Matthew K. Burns from the University of Florida. I hope this summer brings many opportunities for you.
Joe on LinkedIn
NHASP has a new resource to help members keep track of current state legislative activities which have direct bearing on the education and/or well-being of children. This resource primarily represents the work of our Chair for Government & Professional Relations, Emily Russell. If you would like to reach out and thank Emily for her efforts, you can find her email address in the Member Directory!
The spreadsheet linked below contains information including bill numbers and active hyperlinks, docket status, committee status, and voting results. It also contains instructions for how to advocate regarding legislation in various ways, if you are inclined to do so. The spreadsheet can be found in the Members Only section of our website here.
Please note that as an organization, NHASP does not take positions to endorse or oppose legislation. Instead, we hope that this resource helps you to amplify your voice as an advocate for issues that you feel passionate about.
Thanks for all you do on behalf of children!
Lessons from her book Raising Resilience
An introduction to these valuable ideas for fostering resilience in children, for anyone who cares for children
1.0 CPD hour is 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 1.0 CPD hour will be awarded for this event. This hour is accepted towards the NCSP and other professional credentials.
A Zoom link will be provided to registrants in advance.
Register Here!
Presenter: Dr. Tovah P. Klein, Director of the Barnard College Toddler Center and author of Raising Resilience: How to Help Our Children Thrive in Times of Uncertainty (2024)
Whether it’s national or global events affecting our sense of safety or stressors in our day-to-day lives, we are constantly confronted with situations that threaten the wellbeing of our children. Thankfully, there is good news: we can mitigate the effect of such rampant uncertainty by guiding our children to manage adversity and become more resilient. The key is parental involvement. Developmental psychologist Dr. Klein will share a five-point plan to guide children to become resourceful, adaptive, and able to grow and flourish now and in the future. Drawing on research on trauma and its impact on emotional and intellectual development, including her own findings, Dr. Klein offers a lifeline for every family contending with life’s many stresses and traumas—from the most devastating to the most commonplace, including peer conflicts, divorce, moving, academic struggles, and larger national events. This session will support participants with practical guidance for instilling in children the emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and social know-how they need to manage life’s challenges and create a lasting capacity for meaningful, happy lives.
After an introduction to the main ideas of her book, this session will feature a Question & Answer session with Dr. Klein. And, three copies of her book Raising Resilience will be raffled off after the webinar, with all participants eligible to win.
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 Monday, February 2, 2026.
For questions, please contact NHASP President Joe Mahoney using the Contact Us page.
Tovah P. Klein, Ph.D. is Director Emerita of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development and was a psychology professor for over thirty years. Dr. Klein received her doctorate in psychology from Duke University. She was a clinical fellow at Harvard and clinical psychology intern at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her research, teaching and applied work focus on children and families. Dr. Klein’s research aims to understand children's social and emotional development, parental influences on children’s development, and parents' experiences raising children, including the challenges of combining work and family and being a parent during challenging times including the pandemic and natural disasters. She also studies children’s play as a means to process emotions and stressful experiences. Dr. Klein is an advisor to programs for children worldwide and an advisor to children’s media including National Geographic and Apple TV+. Check out her website for more information: tovahklein.com.
Dr. Klein is the author of two books, USA Today Bestseller Raising Resilience: How to help our children thrive in times of uncertainty (HarperCollins, 2024) and How Toddlers Thrive: What parents can do today to plant the seeds of lifelong success (Simon & Schuster, 2014).
Disclosure: Dr. Klein is the author of the book Raising Resilience (2024) and may earn royalties from its sale
Changing the Story: Defensible academic assessment and intervention for student progress across a tiered system
A conference for education professionals who have an interest in research-supported practices, including school psychologists, curriculum specialists, regular and special education teachers, and education administrators
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.
Presenter: Dr. Matthew K. Burns, Fein Professor of Special Education, University of Florida
Dr. Burns will draw on findings and lessons from the many research studies he and collaborators have conducted over the past 20 years. He will cover a variety of topics related to preventing, identifying, and solving student academic problems, and highlight the value of curriculum-based measures (CBM) in those efforts. Dr. Burns will address decision-making with academic data at all tiers of a multitiered system of support, starting with the purposes of academic assessments (e.g., screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring). For example, he will review the type, amount, and scheduling of academic screenings for all students to determine risk of failure. Dr. Burns will also discuss factors surrounding the selection of core instructional programs (Tier I), and the current understanding of effective reading and mathematics interventions at Tier II and III.
His presentation will also include:
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: Plymouth State University
Merrill Place Conference Center at PSU: 14 Merrill St, Plymouth NH 03264
Includes: continental breakfast and coffee, lunch, afternoon snack
PSU is only minutes from Interstate 93. The following information will help you get to the event:
No refunds will be provided for cancellations received after 5pm on Monday, March 23, 2026.
*Students currently enrolled in an educator training program (including school psychology) receive a greatly reduced registration fee for this event. Evidence of enrollment will be required.
For questions, please contact NHASP President Joe Mahoney using the Contact Us page on our website, https://www.nhaspweb.org.
Dr. Matthew K. Burns is a prolific researcher (e.g., published over 200 articles and book chapters and 15 books), but is dedicated to positively influencing practice in K-12 schools and mentoring the next generation of thought leaders in education. As one of the leading researchers regarding the use of assessment data to determine individual or small-group interventions, Dr. Burns works closely with schools to study and implement multitiered systems of support, intensive reading and math interventions, school-based teams, and generally supporting students with and without disabilities whose needs are not being met. He is a Past Editor of School Psychology Review and Assessment for Effective Intervention. Dr. Burns was also a first-generation college student who was born in Flint, Michigan and served on the faculty of the University of Missouri for 9 years, University of Minnesota for 10 years and Central Michigan University for 5 years.
At Plymouth State University, Plymouth NH
PRESENTER: DR. MATTHEW K. BURNS https://education.ufl.edu/faculty/matthew-burns/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew-Burns-10
Save the Date! More information to come
Get to know Matt's work... NASP Podcast Episode: February 2020: But I’ve Tried Everything! What to Do When the Intervention Does Not Work Some of Matt's recent research (available courtesy of ResearchGate):
During National School Psychology Week, we mentioned a new ongoing feature which will be added to our quarterly e-newsletter, the NHASP Note. This feature will be a Member Spotlight. If you would like to participate in this feature, here is how it will work:
This is an opportunity for you to tell our professional community a little about yourself and the good work you do for kids and their adults. Potential topics for your Spotlight may include: the experiences or other motivations which led you to pursue a career in school psychology; information about your training program and your experiences there; the professional activities which you most enjoy; communities you work or have worked in and your experiences there; volunteer or other professional involvements you have outside of your day job; why school psychology is important to you; the ways you enjoy spending your time outside of work.
The first Member Spotlight submission has a due date of Monday December 15, 2025. Please reach out to current NHASP President, Joe Mahoney with any questions. Have a great weekend.
Supporting Students from Families with Substance Use Disorders
An opportunity for providers such as school psychologists and counselors to learn about the experiences of these students as well as practical strategies for supporting them
Presenter: Kate Peters D.O., physician, Brain Tree Collaborative
Dr. Peters is a co-founder of Brain Tree Collaborative, which provides evidence-based addiction medicine education for healthcare professionals and community partners. Dr. Peters will provide insight into the experiences of families with substance use disorders. Other topics will include neurocognitive and academic effects of prenatal drug exposure, and attachment and behavioral consequences of living in homes with substance use disorders. Dr. Peters will also teach participants how to explore possible implicit biases regarding substance use disorders. Participants will learn strategies for supporting families experiencing substance use disorders, and the treatment resources available for people who use drugs in New Hampshire.
Purchase orders will not be accepted for this event.
No refunds will be provided for cancellations received after 5pm on Friday, November 7, 2025.
Dr. Kate Peters is a family physician and educator with over 15 years of experience providing comprehensive care across diverse clinical settings, including hospital medicine, outpatient primary care, obstetrics, emergency medicine, gender-affirming care, residency education and addiction medicine. Her work has focused on supporting patients in low-resource environments and expanding access to compassionate, evidence-based care for all. Dr. Peters is passionate about education and equity in medicine. She and her spouse recently founded a nonprofit organization, Brain Tree Collaborative, dedicated to advancing addiction medicine education. Outside of her professional life, Dr. Peters enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, caring for their lively menagerie of two dogs, two gerbils, and twelve chickens, and finding joy in learning something new every day.
Disclosure: NHASP and Dr. Peters have reported no conflicts of interest
As I compose this message, our region is experiencing a sunny and cool weekend which feels like autumn. Many of us have returned to work, including myself, where I was pleased to greet so many children who were excited to return to school. Last week was also the return to school for the staff and students of the Oyster River Cooperative School District. Heartbreakingly, they returned without our colleague Ryan Long and his two school-aged children Parker and Ryan. Remembrances of Ryan were recently collected from his professional community, and you can view or download them on our website here. For me, the Long family tragedy was another reminder that as a professional, my most urgent responsibility is to protect children from harm, and to help them heal when they experience it.
Hyperlinks to resources from the National Association of School Psychologists are provided below. These informational resources are available for free, and I hope that you and your collaborators might find them valuable. The resources address a range of relevant topics including systems-level considerations for trauma prevention and intervention, screening procedures to identify traumatized children, key principles in minimizing the effects of trauma, and relatively recent statistics and recommendations regarding children and gun violence.
Preventing Childhood Trauma: Guidelines for Administrators and Crisis Teams
Guidance for Trauma Screening in Schools
The Role of Schools in Supporting Traumatized Students
Gun Violence and Youth 2019
I wish you a healthy and productive start to the 2025-26 academic year. As we continue our mission on behalf of children, NHASP has many opportunities for connection and professional development which are starting up (see the Professional Development page of our website). And as always, your school psychology community is here to support you. If NHASP can help, please reach out to current NHASP President, Joe Mahoney at jmahoneynhasp@gmail.com. And if you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, you can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff. Call the NH Rapid Response Access Point at 833-710-6477, or call or text 988.
Sincerely,
Joe Mahoney, President
New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists
NHASP is deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of Dr. Ryan Long, his wife Emily Long, their son Parker, and their daughter Ryan. Ryan Long was a Past President of NHASP and most recently worked as a school psychologist for the Oyster River Cooperative School District. He also had professional ties to Plymouth State University, Seacoast Mental Health, and NAMI-NH, and previously worked as a clinical mental health counselor. With the start of a new school year quickly approaching, the loss of Ryan, Emily, Parker, and Ryan will be grieved by coworkers, students, classmates, and many others. Hyperlinks to resources from the National Association of School Psychologists are provided below. These informational resources are available for free, and we hope you find them useful as you support children, their parents, and teachers in times like these.
Addressing Grief: Tips for Teachers and Administrators
Of course, the tragedy on Monday is understandably a source of distress for all of us. As you support the needs of others, please make sure to pay attention to your own needs, and utilize the strategies that fit best for you. But if you need help, your school psychology community is here to support you. If NHASP can help, please reach out to current NHASP President, Joe Mahoney at jmahoneynhasp@gmail.com. And if you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, you can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff. Call the NH Rapid Response Access Point at 833-710-6477, or call or text 988.
We will be back in touch with our members very soon with more support resources and opportunities for community and connection. Until then, please give someone you love an extra hug tonight.
Sam Broadhead, Past President
on behalf of New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists
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
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:
Venue: Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Address: 2500 North River Road, Manchester NH 03106
Building: Dining Center banquet hall
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.
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.
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
NH Association of School Psychologists is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization.
