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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10:00am CST

ABLE Accounts

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin A

President Barack Obama signed the ABLE Act on December 19, 2014, as part of the Tax Extenders package. This law allows eligible individuals with disabilities to have a tax-advantaged saving account; modeled after 529 college plan accounts. Account funds can be used for a range of qualified expenses related to the disability of the individual.

Presenters

Kelly Piacenti, MA, CHSNC®

Head of MassMutual SpecialCare, MassMutual SpecialCare

Kelly Piacenti leads MassMutual’s SpecialCare program which includes nearly 500 financial professionals across the country who’ve received extensive training in special needs planning. She oversees partnerships with some of the largest special needs national non-profits. Kelly... Read More →

Jerry L. Hulick, CLU®, ChFC®, ChSNC®, CLTC®

MassMutual SpecialCare Planner - The Washington Group Special Care Planning Team, MassMutual

Jerry has been active in the financial services industry for over 50 years and in 2004 he started The Washington Group Special Care Planning Team, assisting individuals with special needs, their caregivers, and other family members with developing valuable financial strategies and... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin A Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest Financial Planning
Key Words ABLE, ABLE Accounts, Special Needs Trust, Expenses, Financial, Financial Planning, Planning, Future Planning.
Presentation Type General

11:15am CST

Catalight's Compass Work Tool-Help PwD Find Meaningful Careers

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

4TH Floor - Imperial 10

Catalight Research Institute has developed Compass Work. This self-paced program offers participants a unique set of tools to help them find a position that fits their strengths and sets them up for lifelong career success. It is person-centered, strength-based, assessment-driven, and career-focused. It consists of over 30 training elements, including skills assessments, resume building, interviewing, accommodation requests, handling rejections, accepting job offers, and creating a 100-day plan for when they start a new job. It launched in February 2023 and is used by over 100 job seekers, advocates, career coaches, and employment service providers. We will present the program design and the successes candidates and advocates for these candidates have accomplished. We will share how they use the tool and the feedback generated along the way. We will share critical feedback from candidates and advocates. We also plan to give TASH attendees free access to the tool.

Presenters

Dan Middleton

Senior Director, Clinical Excellence Planning and Development, Catalight

As the Clinical Excellence Planning and Development Leader at Catalight, I have led new strategies for employment services for neurodiverse adults since December 2021. With over 20 years of experience in process improvement, mentoring, and organizational support, I am passionate about... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 10 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Employment
Themes of Interest Competitive Integrated Employment
Key Words Competitive Integrated Employment, Person Centered, Career Coaching, Career Planning, Strength Based
Presentation Type General

2:15pm CST

Celebrate Together: Empowering Transitions with Student-Led IEPs!

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

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin B

In this presentation, we advocate for student-led Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for transition-age adults with intellectual disabilities (ages 18-21). Transitioning from school to adulthood is critical, and empowering these individuals to participate in their IEPs is essential. Research highlights the importance of self-determination, self-advocacy, and engagement for better outcomes in education, employment, and independent living. Our approach includes providing direct instruction for self-advocacy skills, fostering collaboration between students, families, educators, and community agencies, and enhancing communication to improve participation. The presentation includes a student from a post-secondary transition program who adopted a person-centered IEP approach.

Moderators

Graciela Copes

Presenters

Huaiyue Zhang

Talisa Bates

Friday December 6, 2024 2:15pm - 3:10pm CST
3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin B Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Transition, Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination, Person Centered Practice
Key Words Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Collaboration, Person-Centered Planning, Self-Determination, Transition to Adulthood, IEP, Transition, Advocacy, Empowerment
Presentation Type Research, General

2:15pm CST

Comparing Literacy Programs for Non-speaking Students with Extensive Support Needs

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

2ND Floor - Foster 2

In this pilot randomized controlled trial, we tested two reading curricula designed to teach early literacy skills to nonspeaking studentsâ€”Early Literacy Skills Builder and Accessible Literacy Learning. Twenty-four participants were randomized to an ELSB, ALL, or control group, and we measured outcomes for all groups at 4 time points for phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and word reading. We used growth curve modeling to analyze our data. We found statistically significant effects for both ELSB and ALL compared to the control group on some outcomes, although ELSB outperformed ALL on most measures. We will report on effects of each intervention relative to each other and a control group, and share practical implications for practitioners.

Moderators

Matthew Brock

Associate Professor, Ohio State University

Matt Brock has two major lines of research including (1) inclusion and peer-mediated intervention for students with significant disabilities, and (2) coaching paraprofessionals to implement evidence-based practices. He currently is implementing a large-scale federally-funded efficacy... Read More →

Presenters

Sarah Hudler

The Ohio State University

Kate Anderson

Graduate Student, The Ohio State University

Kaitlyn Viera

Doctoral Candidate, Ohio State University

Sara Martin

Ohio State University

Jenna Hurlburt

The Ohio State University

Friday December 6, 2024 2:15pm - 3:10pm CST
2ND Floor - Foster 2 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Transition, Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest Self-Determination, K-12 Education
Key Words Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Collaboration, Person-Centered Planning, Self-Determination, Transition to Adulthood, Early Literacy, Complex Communication Needs
Presentation Type Research

3:25pm CST

Empowering My Voice: Self-Advocacy and Transition Triumphs

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

4TH Floor - Imperial 10

In this presentation, Gage Perryman talks about his life and how he learned to stand up for himself and make big decisions. Gage has disabilities, but that doesnâ€™t stop him from going to college and getting involved in activities that help his community and other individuals with disabilities across the state of Minnesota and beyond. He has navigated the complexities of transitioning into adulthood, leveraging self-advocacy skills, participating in inclusive higher education and state-wide community advocacy initiatives, and presenting at national conferences. In this talk, he will dive into the strategies, challenges, and successes he has encountered along the way, sharing useful tips and inspirational stories so that listeners feel able to make their own communities better and more welcoming for everyone. It's a talk about finding your voice, overcoming challenges, and making a difference within your community.

Presenters

Jennifer Sommerness

Researcher, TIES Center, UMN, Minneapolis, MN

Jennifer Sommerness is a distinguished educator and researcher at the TIES Center, at the University of Minnesota. She is known for her dedication to inclusive education and student success, with a profound commitment to educational equity. Jennifer has played a role in shaping the... Read More →

Gage Perryman

Gage Gives Back

Friday December 6, 2024 3:25pm - 4:20pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 10 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Transition, Inclusive, Higher Education, Post-Secondary Outcomes, Person-Centered, Planning, Supported Decision-Making, Belonging, Inclusion
Presentation Type General

5:45pm CST

Navigating Advocacy: Youth with Disabilities Share Their Experiences and Perspectives

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

3RD Floor - Storyville Hall

Self-advocacy is an essential component of transition planning for youth with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) mandates students with disabilities are included in transition planning to the greatest extent possible. Additionally, the Workforce and Innovation Act (WIOA, 2014) requires specific pre-employment transition services, one of which includes self-advocacy training. Despite federal requirements, youth with disabilities often report not being active members of their transition planning and self-advocacy is often tied to school and work-based settings. Our research team investigated self-advocacy experiences of transition-aged youth with disabilities through one-on-one interviews led by researches with and without disabilities. Key findings highlight youthsâ€™ advocacy experiences across settings, how they are empowered to advocate, and their suggested improvements to special education for other students with disabilities.

Moderators

Megan Best

PhD Student in Special Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champagin

Presenters

RaeAnne Lindsay

Coordinator for Section 504 project, Vanderbilt University, Peabody College

I am a Licensed Social Worker in the state of Illinois. I received a Masters Degree from the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I am a Disability Advocate and the reining Ms. Wheelchair USA 2024-2025. I currently work at Vanderbilt University in... Read More →

Zach Rossetti

Associate Professor, Boston University

Zach Rossetti, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Special Education in the Teaching and Learning Department at Boston University's Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. His research examines the social belonging and participation of people with intellectual and developmental... Read More →

Oscar Hughes

Postdoctoral researcher, University of Massachusetts Boston

My research supports self-advocacy and self-determination, examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, and promotes access to sexuality education.

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 Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self-Advocacy, Transition-Aged Youth, Transition Planning, Empowerment
Presentation Type Research