Wow! Our 2nd Annual Birth to Three Conference wrapped up last week and it’s safe to say it was a tremendous success! With 410 enthusiastic participants in attendance, this conference aimed to bring together therapists from various fields focused on early childhood education and development in the birth to three setting. From “aha” moments to actionable tactics, these two days of learning provided our therapists with meaningful information, connections and resources they can take back to practice the very next day. The diversity and richness of the sessions kept attendees engaged and eager to learn more!
How to Connect During a Virtual Conference
Our conference may be virtual, but that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of social engagement and networking taking place! Our online platform, Whova, allows for our attendees and speakers to engage in constant communication before, during and after the event. Attendees can network with like-minded therapists, suggest meetups, share resources/information, engage with speakers, and even participate in our fun gamification to win some fantastic prizes. Whova was buzzing with excitement during these two days of learning and we absolutely love how involved these B-3 therapists were. Connections were being made all across the country and beyond – it was thrilling to watch and helped to foster a real sense of community.
Partners and Sponsors
A huge thank you to our Facility Partners who helped to collaborate and spread the word about this amazing conference. We so appreciate their partnership and commitment to advancing the learning of their birth to three therapists.
Additionally, a big shout out to our Sponsors, who so generously donated their products as special prizes and giveaways throughout the conference. These companies create products that benefit the therapist community and can be utilized by OTs, PTs and SLPs alike. Our winners were thrilled with the giveaways and look forward to using them in practice.
Thank you so much! I had a wonderful time at the conference and am honored to have won this prize! I work in a low income, urban setting, so I’m eager to be able to share these tools with my families who wouldn’t be able to afford it otherwise!” – Kimberly A. winner of EaZyHold gift set.
“The conference was GREAT and made even better by the win of the Crawligator! This will be SO used at my facility and all of the Children’s Specialized Hospital staff in attendance were so excited that I won.” – Cheryl P. winner of a Crawligator.
Stellar Speaker Lineup
With 14 different topics presented that spanned across the birth to three field, therapists had a variety of content to choose from when selecting their sessions and earning CEUs. Our exceptional lineup of speakers delivered inspiring presentations full of practical knowledge and tools to bring back to their patients and families. Mary Massery, Liesa Ritchie-Persaud, Holly Schisfky and Michele Parkins were just some of the esteemed speakers whose presentation style and wealth of knowledge left attendees wanting to learn more.
Day 1 Overview:
Michele Parkins session on Connecting with Caregivers:
“This was fascinating. I have realized the parent piece for carryover is essential and I am always trying to connect with them with where I think they are at. I am going to post these descriptions on my bulletin board to reference as I go in and out of sessions to better relate and hopefully be more effective. Thank you.” – Susan G.
Holly Schifsky’s session on the Impact of Prematurity and Prolonged Hospitalization on Early Infant Development:
“This was a very informative session that helped provide a preface for the types of children who I typically see in an outpatient setting after NICU discharge. This is helpful in knowing why these kiddos present as they do and why they respond or don’t respond to certain treatment methods.” – Amanda G.
Liesa Ritchie-Persaud session on Toe Walking:
“Such an engaging speaker and a fantastic presentation. So much actionable information I can apply to my current clients to improve their outcomes. Thank you!” – Samantha F.
Rona Alexander’s session on Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing:
“The treatment pictures and videos were so powerful and demonstrated the importance of alignment, mobility and impact on function. It was so important for every discipline that you linked the fact that all systems impact on each other and that om function is linked to the rest of the body. Thank you!” – Melissa S.
Day 2 Overview:
Mary Massery’s session on GERD:
“Mary’s presentation was AMAZING. Being an SLP who works with reflux infants all the time, I truly learned so much and gained such a deeper understanding of the information you shared. Thank you SO much, Mary!!” – Anna P.
Lori Overland’s session on Tethered Oral Tissue (TOTS):
“This lecture was great with a lot of information. I will use my clinical oral observation with the babies who I work with and refer to get a supplemental evaluation. Thank you so much!” – Rosa P.
Leslie Paparsenos and Bethanne Mazurczak’s sesion on Motor Learning and Plasticity for the Infant:
“Loved the case examples and treatment techniques. It was nice to see a presentation focus on the “meat and potatoes” and not just the background info. Lots of great treatment strategies, progression, and integrating into the early on setting.” – Jennifer S.
Subah Gupta on her session CVI: The Who, What, Where and Why of Cerebral Visual Impairment
“Great pacing and explanation of slides with good use of images and videos to get the point across. I learned a great deal that I look forward to bringing back to my clinic! Thank you so much!” – Joanna K.
Special Guest Lunch Speaker Dr. Becky Kennedy of Good Inside
What a treat to listen to special guest speaker, Dr. Becky at Good Inside, discuss the parent/provider relationship and how we can try to best relate to our young patients and meet them where they are. Her Q&A touched on both a professional and personal level that was relatable in SO many areas. Our therapists thoroughly enjoyed spending their lunch session with her and hearing about tips and tools that they can not only bring back to practice, but use in every day life as well.
A Heartfelt Thank You!
The ERI Birth to Three Conference 2025 was undoubtedly a resounding success. With our enthusiastic therapists, an impressive lineup of speakers, engaging and diverse sessions, and a strong sense of networking and connection, we successfully created an enriching environment for all. The high levels of attendee satisfaction and engagement fostered a community of learning and collaboration that we hope to build upon in future events. We are already excited for what’s next. Stayed tuned for the 2026 dates…we’ll be reaching out soon!