2024 TASH Conference: Full Schedule

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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11:15am CST

Benefits of Collaborative, Multidisciplinary Approaches to AAC Training in Schools

Friday December 6, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin A

A multidisciplinary approach involving speech-language pathologists, educators, occupational therapists, and other professionals leads to improved communication outcomes for individuals using Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) systems (McNaughton & Light, 2013). Despite this knowledge, AAC training opportunities for school staff often focus only on SLPs and less frequently on the direct support professionals assisting students on a daily basis. Our session focuses on the benefits of a multidisciplinary training approach, which facilitates the generalization and maintenance of communication skills across different settings and communication partners. This collaboration promotes communication and inclusion in a wider range of contexts (Millar et al., 2019). Multidisciplinary collaboration provides valuable opportunities for professional development and knowledge exchange among team members, enhancing AAC service delivery in educational settings (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013).

Moderators

Lisa Mihalich Quinn

Executive Director, Reach Every Voice

Lisa Mihalich Quinn, M.A / M.Ed. is a licensed special educator with more than 15 years of experience making academic content accessible for neurodiverse students and learners who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She is a former Maryland Public Schools teacher... Read More →

Presenters

Edlyn Peña

California Lutheran University

I am a professor in the Educational Leadership doctoral program at California Lutheran University. I am also the Director of the Autism and Communication Center. Proud mom to an autistic teenager and book author, Diego.

Julie Sando

Director, Communication for Education

My colleague Lisa and I will be presenting in a breakout room about text-based communication in educational settings. We will share about our experience with Communication For Education, where we help parents and educators learn how to support non-speaking, minimally-speaking, or... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin A Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest Capacity Building for Inclusion
Key Words Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Teacher Training, Multidisciplinary Approach, Professional Development
Presentation Type Research

11:15am CST

FamTAM Intervention Development to Support Children Who Use Aided AAC

Friday December 6, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

4TH Floor - Imperial 8

Family support is essential for effective augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) implementation. Family level intervention is necessary to ensure this support, but few interventions exist. We will share the development process utilized as part of an IES funded grant to create an aided language modeling intervention for SLPs and families.

Presenters

Sarah Douglas

Associate Professor, Michigan State University

Dr. Sarah Douglas is an Associate Professor at Michigan State University where she directs the RADD lab (Research on Autism and Developmental Disabilities). Her work focuses on paraeducator supports, augmentative and alternative communication, children with extensive support needs... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 8 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest Family Support
Key Words Communication, Intervention Development, Family Training
Presentation Type Research

2:15pm CST

Preparing Teachers to Support Children Who Use AAC

Friday December 6, 2024 2:15pm - 3:10pm CST

4TH Floor - Imperial 11

Preparing teachers to effectively support students with extensive support needs and complex communication needs who require Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) necessitates collaboration with speech pathologists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, parents, and families. Training should cover AAC methods, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, and practical experiences and should be taught through coursework and meaningful clinical experiences. Collaborative partnerships ensure educators gain insights into best practices and access resources, and ongoing professional development keeps teachers aware of current best practices. Cultivating a school culture that values diversity in communicative expression is crucial for creating inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive academically and socially.

Presenters

Natalie Andzik

Associate Professor, Northern Illinois University

Dr. Natalie Andzik is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special and Early Education at Northern Illinois University. Natalie's research interest grew from her experiences as a special educator in California. There, she worked with students with mild to significant disabilities... Read More →

Virginia Walker

Professor, UNC Charlotte

Friday December 6, 2024 2:15pm - 3:10pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 11 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest K-12 Education
Key Words Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Communication Access, Teacher Peparation, Inclusion, Training
Presentation Type General

2:30pm CST

Building A Health Education Website Together

Friday December 6, 2024 2:30pm - 4:30pm CST

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin E

Indiana Complex Care Coordination Collaborative (IC4) at Indiana University School of Medicine is creating a patient-facing website for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities (AIDD) to promote health and wellness and build confidence in interacting with the medical community. Components include webpages, videos and worksheets which address healthy habits, engaging in healthcare, and self-management of chronic illnesses. In collaboration with health messengers from Special Olympics Indiana (SOI), we are creating videos and social stories to help AIDD prepare for specific medical exams (belly, chest, ear-nose-throat, genitalia, etc.) and procedures (mammogram, dental, colonoscopy, EEG, radiology, sleep study, audiology, etc.) Initial scripts and ideas are created by IC4 medical professionals then vetted by SOI health messengers who are employed part-time to contribute to this work. All components are significantly redirected and modified based on feedback.

Presenters

Katie Weber

Melony Salla

Special Olympics Indiana

Mary Ciccarelli

Indiana University School of MEdicine

Friday December 6, 2024 2:30pm - 4:30pm CST
3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin E Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

TASH Talks

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest Capacity Building for Inclusion
Key Words Inclusive Health Care Education, Medical Self-Advocate Partnership
Presentation Type General

3:25pm CST

The Road to Independence in Communication is A Long and Winding One

Friday December 6, 2024 3:25pm - 4:20pm CST

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin G

Independence is commonly seen as one of the primary goals for augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) users. It is also commonly defined as the ability of a person to use their AAC method without assistance. However, many AAC users see independence more broadly in terms of having freedom of expression and self-determination in their lives. They also see that support from skilled communication partners is a critical part of the process. This presentation will focus on the journey that one AAC user has taken towards having greater independence in his communication and in his life. He will share strategies for communication partners to use in supporting AAC users with greater independence in their communication.

Presenters

Pascal Cheng

Education and Communication Specialist, PC Communication Supports

I currently work for the Howard Center in Burlington, Vermont as an educational and communication specialist, providing training and consultation in the areas of augmentative/alternative communication, assistive technology and literacy for children and adults with developmental disabilities... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 3:25pm - 4:20pm CST
3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin G Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Independence, Self-Determination, Self-Expression, Communication
Presentation Type General

5:45pm CST

Communication Opportunities For Preschoolers with Disabilities and Complex Communication Needs

Friday December 6, 2024 5:45pm - 7:15pm CST

3RD Floor - Storyville Hall

For children, social interaction plays a critical role in overall social, emotional, and cognitive development, however, not every child has equal opportunity to engage socially with their peers. Specifically, children with disabilities and complex communication needs (CCN) have limited meaningful opportunities to interact with their peers in inclusive educational spaces. To better support young children with CCN in early childhood educational settings, it is imperative to understand what opportunities exist naturally for social interaction and communication. This observational study investigates these naturally occurring communication opportunities for students with disabilities and CCN as well as other contextual factors that may impact social communication in inclusive classroom settings.

Presenters

Jenna Hurlburt

The Ohio State University

Friday December 6, 2024 5:45pm - 7:15pm CST
3RD Floor - Storyville Hall Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Poster Presentations

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest Assistive Technology & Apps
Key Words Social Communication, Augmentative, Alternative Communication, Early Childhood, Inclusive Education
Presentation Type Research

5:45pm CST

How Inclusive is AAC Research? A Scoping Review

Friday December 6, 2024 5:45pm - 7:15pm CST

3RD Floor - Storyville Hall

Traditionally, AAC researchers have defined topics for investigation. However, it is important to include AAC users in research to ensure that it addresses their needs and priorities and that it results in increased awareness and uptake to improve outcomes. This scoping review aimed to identify whether AAC users have been involved in the research conducted to address issues related to adults with cerebral palsy who use AAC, and, if so, in what types of studies. Through a systematic search, only 34 data-based studies from the last twenty years were identified that focused on adults with CP who used AAC. Nine of those studies involved an AAC user in at least one research process (conceptualization of the problem, determining research methods, collecting study data, analyzing study data, and disseminating study findings). To improve the outcomes of research, there is an urgent need to involve AAC users in studies conducted to understand and support their needs.

Moderators

Kelsey Steffen

I am interested in partnering with individuals with disabilities to inform research directions within the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) community. I have a deep interest in disability justice, self-determination, and the transition into adulthood for individuals... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 5:45pm - 7:15pm CST
3RD Floor - Storyville Hall Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Poster Presentations

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest Capacity Building for Inclusion
Key Words Inclusive Research, AAC Research, Adults with Cerebral Palsy Who Use AAC
Presentation Type Research

5:45pm CST

Supporting Complex Communication Needs of Children with Extensive Support Needs

Friday December 6, 2024 5:45pm - 7:15pm CST

3RD Floor - Storyville Hall

Communication skills are essential to everyday life to express our thoughts, needs, feelings, and to connect with others. Thus, access to communication should be available to all. Yet, due to complex communication needs, many children with significant cognitive disabilities do not have access to reliable communication modes. For these presymbolic communicators, we must take on creative approaches to improve access to communication. I used qualitative interviews to explore how 10 educators of young children with significant cognitive disabilities think about supporting complex communication needs. Findings suggest that, in addition to extensive support needs, factors such as, quality of relationships, school environments, and perceptions of disability affect communication outcomes. Findings also highlight strengths in educatorsâ€™ commitment to their students but identify a discord between educatorsâ€™ expectations and beliefs vs. actual feasibility due to school environment and resources.

Presenters

Chi Baik

PhD Student, University of Washington

Friday December 6, 2024 5:45pm - 7:15pm CST
3RD Floor - Storyville Hall Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Poster Presentations

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest Early Childhood
Key Words Communication, Early Childhood, Qualitative, Extensive Support Needs, Complex Communication Needs, Significant Cognitive Disabilities