Utah Foster Care is dedicated to educating foster parents and the larger community about the hopes and struggles of children in foster care. Our annual Symposium brings local and national experts to share their knowledge and skills. The Symposium is open to foster parents, adoptive parents, professionals, and the public. In addition to being an educational and social event, the Symposium is one way for attendees to meet their personal educational goals. For foster parents, the conference counts towards their in-service training requirements.
Sensory Healing after Developmental Trauma
Utah Foster Care Symposium | April 24th, 2025 | Park City, Utah
* 5.5 hours of in-service credit for licensed foster parents is available
* 5.5 NASW CEU Credits (pending)
* Free book for the first 250 foster parent registrants
Agenda
8:30am – 9:00am – Registration and Light Breakfast Buffet
9:00am – 9:10am – Welcome and Presentation of Fostering Community Award
9:10am – 12:00pm – Keynote Speaker: Marti Smith, OTR/L
Marti graduated from Indiana University in 1996. She was a Child Trauma Academy Fellow, a TBRI Travis County Collaborative participant, and co-founder of Simple Sparrow Farm. The care farm is a non-profit where she collaborates with Jamie Tanner, Simple Sparrow owner and president, to help heal individuals through farm related activities. Marti began her OT career at the Covered Bridge Special Education Co-op where she specialized in autism, handwriting, and creative adaptive equipment provided on a minimal budget. She currently specializes in sensory regulation as it relates to trauma and has helped develop the sensory portions of the CTA’s NMT and TCU’s TBRI education. She has completed additional certification and training in Interactive Metronome, Therapeutic Listening, Wilbarger Deep Pressure Protocol, Therapeutic massage, Floor Time, Vestibular Dysfunction, Reflex Integration, Picky Eating, Athletic Training, CISM, and Rescue Scuba Diving. She has been an international speaker since 2004, sharing her passion to help children in creative, fun, inexpensive, and simple therapeutic ways. She resides in Austin, Texas with her husband and two children. She enjoys traveling, nature, photography, quilting, and spending time at Simple Sparrow Farm.
She has authored several books including The Connected Therapist: Relating Through the Senses, Sensory Healing After Developmental Trauma, Letter Babies, Hints for Horrible Handwriting, and PVC for Rehab.
12:00pm – 1:00pm – Lunch Buffet Provided
1:10pm – 4:00pm – Sensory Lab and Q/A with Marti
The sensory lab will provide a hands-on experience of some of the principles discussed in the lecture portion. All attendees will take home items to help with creating the activities at home. The first 250 foster parents to register will also receive a copy of The Connected Therapist by Marti Smith.
Please join us for a day that promises to be immensely informative AND fun!
For more information about this year’s Symposium, click HERE.
