Welcome to the official website for the 2024 TASH Conference!
Each year, the TASH Conference brings together our constituents to share resources and success stories, learn about field-driven best practices, and network within a community engaged in shared values. The Conference is attended by passionate leaders, experts, and advocates from every corner of the disability community. Conference attendees are influential in their fields and communities, and play an important role in the provision of services and supports for individuals and organizations around the world; and include professors and researchers from leading institutions; those involved in local, state, and federal governments and public policy; special and general educators, and school administrators; self-advocates, adult service providers; students, family members, and many others. This year’s conference theme is Celebrate Together: Let the Good Times Roll!
Click on the "Registration and More" tab for additional information about our Conference location, registration, reserving a guest room, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and more! The full Conference schedule is now available for viewing. Registered attendees will receive an invitation to log in and create a personalized schedule.
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This workshop brings together national experts in creating a sustainable inclusive and equitable education system. This deep work requires a multi-level, multi-year focus on systemic and structural barriers that maintain current practices. While research such as implementation and improvement science offer strong structural guidance, the nuances and context of different states, districts, and schools require some individualization of approaches. Panelists will share research, best practices, and tools related to creating sustainable change while discussing differences in our approaches and options. High-level and practical insight will be shared in this highly interactive session.
This presentation brings together national leaders in the field of system change. Christine Betchel, Jessica Bowman, Meghan Cosier, Patricia McDaid, Effie McMillian, Michael McSheehan, Diane Ryndak, Kurt Schneider, and Debbie Taub have been engaged with system change work throughout their careers. While there will be prepared materials and shared content, this colloquium allows for opportunities similar to a panel discussion to showcase the range of work, areas of focus, and different approaches to change. This will be an interactive session though there are specific times for audience questions..
Introduction to the topic (30 min) Mini-case studies by each participant related to their work (1.5 hours total) Commentary on big-picture levers and areas of agreement (30 min) Panelist questions and discussion related to contextual differences (1 hour) Audience questions (20 min)
Panelists will share case studies from their work to highlight contextualized levers and barriers in planning for and implementing sustainable systemic change. Key resources will be shared with participants. The goal of this colloquium is a lively discussion filled with practical guidance, debate, and audience engagement.
Michael McSheehan’s life work has been at the intersection of disability and K-12 education. During his twenty years at the University of New Hampshire, he worked on projects for assistive technology, inclusive education, alternate assessment, RTI & PBIS, and MTSS. Michael helped... Read More →
Kurt A. Schneider, Ph.D. is in his ninth year as Superintendent of TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804, in Highland Park, Illinois. Under his direction, the educational cooperative works in partnership with 18 local school districts to meet the needs of diverse learners through... Read More →
This colloquium centers youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex support needs as essential research partners within six participatory research projects, including inclusive research, participatory action research, community-based participatory research, and youth participatory action research. Each research team embodies the processes and principles of participatory research by how they center and amplify youth and adult experiences and perspectives to influence the policies, practices, scholarship, and systems that impact them most. Authentic equity, justice, access, and inclusion cannot be actualized without the epistemic agency of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex support needs. This session calls for more participatory research controlled by them from theorization to dissemination.
This proposed four-hour session consists of 6 research paper presentations that will last 25 minutes each. We will reserve 10 minutes total for the session chair’s introduction and closing as well as 10 minutes for discussant remarks. There will also be a 10 minute break. This allows for 10 minutes for questions/discussion, dialogue/resource sharing with attendees after each presentation.
5 minutes: Introduction to the overall session and speakers, Colloquium Chair – Hasan Ko
25 minutes: “What Matters Most to Adults with Disabilities in Their Daily Lives: A Nationwide Project” - Paul Betz, Thomas Caswell, Whitley Daper, David Frye, Jess Kilpeck, Hasan Ko, Mark Utter, Nicole Villemaire, Emily Anderson, and Amanda Miller 10 minutes: Questions and discussion
25 minutes: “Participatory Action Research on the Service Planning Experiences of Massachusetts Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities” – Anne Fracht and Hezzy Smith 10 minutes: Questions and discussion
25 minutes: “Person Centered Planning and Home Community-Based Services on the Move” – David Taylor, Chaquetta Stuckey, and Anne Fracht 10 minutes: Questions and discussion
10 minutes: Break
25 minutes: “Collaborating With And Promoting Youth Voices in Research With Youth With Cerebral Palsy Who Do Not Speak And Who Use AAC” – Ramona Schwartz-Johnston 10 minutes: Questions and discussion
25 minutes: “Applying Inclusive Methods to Shed Light on the COVID-19 Pandemic Experiences of Group Home Residents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Massachusetts” – Anne Fracht and Hezzy Smith 10 minutes: Questions and discussion
25 minutes: “Working Together as an Inclusive Team” – Pauline Bosma and Oscar Hughes 10 minutes: Questions and discussion
10 minutes: Remarks, Discussant – Amanda L. Miller
