Thank you to everyone who joined us January 24, 2023 for PWSA | USA's first-ever Behavior Summit! A special thank you to our amazing speakers for sharing their knowledge and expertise with the PWS community.

Scroll below to find the Behavior Summit webinar recordings and downloadable presentations.

Recordings, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA
Speakers 1, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA

Paige Rivard Circle, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA

Paige Rivard, MBA, PWSA | USA CEO

Paige joined the staff of PWSA |USA in April 2020 as CEO. In this role, she is focused on engaging with families whose loved one has PWS and increasing family support services, as well as increasing advocacy and awareness of PWS throughout communities across the country.

Paige worked in the credit card processing industry for 20 years. She retired as Vice President of National Accounts in 2015. Paige holds a BS in Business Administration (Marketing) from Kansas State University and an MBA in Healthcare Management from Creighton University. She is active in her community, serving on the Board of Directors for Munroe-Meyer Institute, which provides evaluation, treatment and research for patients and families living with disabilities and special health care needs. She serves on the Quality and Patient Safety Leadership Team at Children’s Hospital in Omaha. Paige is a member of the Superintendent’s Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) for the Omaha Public School District. In 2019, Paige created a non-profit organization, which supports patients and families affected by PWS in Nebraska. Paige brings with her a passion for advocating for newly diagnosed families and increasing awareness of resources to families affected by PWS.

Paige is married to Dr. Matt Rivard and they have two children. Her daughter, Jordan, also has a passion for children with special needs and is working toward a career in providing behavioral health support to that community. Her son, Jake, was born with two genetic disorders, PWS (UPD) and Neurofibromatosis (NF-1). As there aren’t experts in both of these rare disorders, Paige and Matt travel with Jake to see multiple specialists in several different states.

Stacy, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA

Stacy Ward, MS

Stacy Ward, Director of Family Support, lives in Troy, NY with her husband Jeff and their children, Jeffrey and Collin.

Prior to joining the PWSA | USA staff in 2016, Stacy was the Associate Director of Residential Living for a not-for-profit in Albany, NY that specialized in supporting individuals diagnosed with PWS. Stacy has a master’s degree in Psychology/Applied Behavior Analysis, and a certification in Special Education Advocacy from the William and Mary College of Law Pele Clinic.

In her personal life, Stacy is actively involved in her local school district and serves on the board of directors for several youth organizations in her city. In her free time, she enjoys watching her children play sports, hiking with her dog and all things Disney.

Patrice, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA

Patrice Carroll, LICSW

Patrice Carroll, LICSW, is the director of PWS services at Latham Centers in Massachusetts, USA. Patrice received her MSW from Simmons College, Boston, MA, in 2008. Patrice is a member of the International Prader Willi Syndrome Organisation  Professional Providers and Caregiver’s Advisory Board and has over 22 years of experience working with children and adults diagnosed with PWS. Patrice is a co-author of the book Living Healthy with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Patrice is currently working towards her doctorate degree with an emphasis on trauma in families living with PWS.  In addition to her experience with developing person-centered vocational programming for people with PWS, she has specialized in the multi-modal management of skin and rectal picking using intensive, non-contingent, sensory stimulation.

Kasey 1, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA

Kasey Bedard, Ph.D., BCBA-D, IBA

Kasey Bedard is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and International Behavior Analyst who specializes in treating the behavior problems associated with Prader-Willi syndrome. Kasey focuses on providing early behavioral intervention for children with PWS to prevent and reduce behavior problems. She is a staunch advocate for the use of creative technologies, including telehealth, to reduce treatment barriers and expand access to specialists in PWS for families worldwide. Kasey's research focuses on the development of both PWS-specific early intervention, and systemic treatment programs to help teenagers and adults with PWS succeed in educational and vocational settings. She firmly believes that behavior analysis can help create a bright future for individuals with PWS and is passionate about finding ways to support the worldwide PWS community. 

Cindy, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA

Cindy Szapacs, M.Ed. BCBA 

Cindy Szapacs is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst who has a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Virginia. She has been working in the field of special education, mostly using applied behavior analysis, for many years. She has worked both as a direct service provider to individuals with a variety of diagnoses between the ages of 1 and 21 as well as a consultant providing individual, small group and large group trainings to families and professionals.  Currently, Cindy works as a Behavior Analyst, supporting classrooms run by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 in Pennsylvania. She also is a mother of two boys, one of whom happens to have PWS. Since joining the PWS family, she has learned a lot about this unique population and has made a point of educating herself, professionals and parents on how to best meet the needs of those with PWS.

Resources 1, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA

Behavioral Problems in Prader-Willi syndrome: What To Expect - 2021 National Convention Session

Tackling Problem Behavior with Applied Behavior Analysis - 2021 National Convention Session