March 12–13, 2026
Plenary Speaker
Liz Angoff, Ph.D.
Licensed Educational Psychologist
About Dr. Liz Angoff
Dr. Liz Angoff is a licensed educational psychologist with advanced board certification in school neuropsychology, offering assessment and consultation services to children and their families in the Bay Area. She received her doctorate from UC Berkeley, where she focused on collaborative practices with families. Liz has been working with students, families and teachers for more than 20 years in public schools, community settings and private practice. She began her career as a classroom teacher, transitioned to family advocacy, and then went on to earn her degree as a school psychologist with a specialization in neuropsychology. She is the author of the “Brain Building” books and “Our Brains,” which empower neurodivergent children to understand and celebrate their amazing brains. She was the special guest on the “Highways in the Brain” episode of the What’s Up With Catalight! podcast .
Presentation
Explaining a Diagnosis to Kids (And Their Parents, Too!)
Thursday, March 12 | 2:55PM to 3:55PM| 60 MINUTES | LIVE
Talking to kids about learning and developmental differences is tricky! Yet, if we do not have these conversations with our children, they tend to create their own narratives for why things are hard – and these narratives are often negative and isolating. As a result, too many children face anxiety and depression on top of their challenges. As practitioners, we are in a unique position to help kids change this narrative and their relationship to learning – for life.
In this workshop, you will learn a 4-step approach to helping children develop an accurate and hopeful self-narrative, using empowering and personalized language to explain a diagnosis or difference to the children and families you work with. This approach builds on research looking at how to talk to young people about their differences using collaborative, growth-mindset, and neurodiversity-affirming frameworks to show them the power of their amazing brains!
Elevate Your Impact is Catalight’s annual virtual conference, dedicated to advancing person-centered care for individuals with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities (I/DDs). Offering continuing education to those who qualify, the conference features a dynamic mix of live sessions and on-demand content, providing a flexible learning experience. Elevate Your Impact is an opportunity to connect with thought leaders, gain insights and optimize care outcomes in behavioral health.