2026 Keynote Speakers
Brandi J. Rudolph Bolling, M.D.
Dr. Rudolph-Bolling is Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology as an adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist, and by the American Board of Pediatrics as a pediatrician. Currently she serves as the Medical Director and child and adolescent psychiatrist at Rudolph Bolling Psychiatrist, P.C. She has expertise in diagnosing and treating a broad range of psychiatric and behavioral disorders in acute, residential, ambulatory, inpatient, and telehealth settings.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Rudolph-Bolling was educated in Birmingham City Schools. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University and Doctor of Medicine at Meharry Medical College. She completed a Triple Board residency program at Indiana University in Indianapolis, IN, training simultaneously in pediatrics, psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Through the Triple Board Program she reached her ultimate goal of becoming a pediatrician, and gained the expertise to help children and adults maintain their mental health.
Dr. Rudolph-Bolling’s private practice includes the treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults. Her special interests include autism spectrum disorders; childhood obesity and its relation to and effect on mood; bullying; and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She believes in the careful integration of the fields of neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, child development, and education to develop treatments to meet biological, psychological, and social needs.
Matt Cohen, Founder, Matt Cohen & Associates
Matt Cohen is founder of Matt Cohen & Associates and is well known for his work in special education law and has extensive experience in mental health and human services law. He has litigated numerous special education cases and has represented thousands of children and adults with disabilities and their families. He is also the primary or collaborating author of several amendments to the mental health and special education laws of Illinois. In 1997, he was invited to the White House to participate in the signing ceremony for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, in recognition of his participation in the process leading to the passage of that legislation.
Nationally, Matt was a founding board member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) a national special education advocacy organization. Matt has lectured nationally on a wide variety of special education topics, as well as on mental health and confidentiality law and has authored numerous articles on these subjects. He is frequently quoted by the news media on special education issues. Matt was an adjunct professor of law at Loyola University Law School for many years and has taught at Northwestern University Law School.
In 2009, Matt authored the book A Guide to Special Education Advocacy: What Parents, Clinicians and Advocates Need to Know, published by Jessica Kingsley. He is also the author of Barriers to Inclusion in Local School in Illinois: A Blueprint for Change, funded by a grant from the Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities.
Matt received his law degree from the University of Minnesota (1981) and his bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College (1977). Matt has two adult sons and loves spending time with them.