This year’s theme — The Power of Partnership — reflects LDAC’s mission to promote the full participation of children, youth, and adults with learning disabilities in school, work, and life. Whether you’re a caregiver navigating your child’s diagnosis, a teacher looking for proven tools, or a professional working to support inclusion, this conference delivers practical knowledge, actionable strategies, and powerful connections.
Your participation directly supports LDAC’s national advocacy, research, and programming — supporting the 5.6% of Canadians living with learning disabilities — and the educators, professionals, and families who stand beside them.
Presenter: Dr. Rick Bryck
Presentation Title: Optimizing Learning: The Role of Executive Function & Cognitive Load.
Presentation Blurb: Today’s student body is more diverse than ever, and this presentation will show how an understanding of executive function (EF), and the related concept of cognitive load, is crucial for their success. The importance of framing learning through this lens will be demonstrated, followed by outlining three principles for scaffolding learning by maximizing available cognitive load. Attendees will walk away with strategies they can adopt to improve learning and academic achievement for all students.
Presenter Bio: Rick Bryck, Ph.D.’s work centers on the study of executive function (EF), including understanding disparities in EF, and testing the efficacy of interventions, programs, and strategies aimed at enhancing EF. He has served as an investigator on grants exploring: a cognitive training program for low-income children, the well-being and academic effects of resilience training, and the effects of metacognitive and EF scaffolds in math problem solving. He also serves as the campus lead on a National Science Foundation project providing STEM mentoring for students with disabilities. Rick regularly presents professional learning workshops on EF and educational techniques for enhancing learning. He also regularly teaches in Landmark College’s Learning Differences and Neurodiversity online certificate program for education professionals, including courses on student engagement, executive function, and classroom technologies.
