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.

arrow_back View All Dates

8:45am CST

Go the Distance: Doing the Work to Retain Direct Support Workers

Saturday December 7, 2024 8:45am - 9:45am CST

2ND Floor - Foster 1

The direct support workforce continues to be in crisis, struggling with high retention rates and resulting in an unstable system of support for people with disabilities. Many employers and states nationwide are trying innovative techniques to keep their workers and stabilize the workforce. During this presentation, we will explore the vital role of a stable and well-trained direct support workforce in supporting the lives of individuals and give some techniques and tips for stabilizing your workforce. We will discuss the importance of a well-trained, retained workforce and the status of the workforce nationwide. You will learn of recruitment, selection, training, and retention techniques to build committed and well-trained direct support professionals and hear from an organization that has implemented these strategies with success. Join us to reflect on your current workforce and make a plan to continue to engage your workforce to result in highly skilled, highly retained workers.

Moderators

Megan Sanders

National Workforce Consultant, Institute on Community Integration

Presenters

Kelsey Johnson

Workforce Training and Curriculum Development Specialist, SEEC

Saturday December 7, 2024 8:45am - 9:45am CST
2ND Floor - Foster 1 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest Direct Support
Key Words DirectSsupport, Workforce Strategies, Retention, Training, Turnover
Presentation Type General

8:45am CST

Looking at Quality Services - How Do We Know?

Saturday December 7, 2024 8:45am - 9:45am CST

4TH Floor - Imperial 8

How do we know the services we are providing are what people really want? How do we know people are getting not just what they need but what they want? TLC has embarked on a quest to answer these questions. We have invited an independent team to come and spend a week with the people receiving services investigating these questions. Using a mixture of mediums (art, observation, story telling, group chats and 1:1 discussions), the team will "interview" people. TLC is interested in truly understanding how effective we are in supporting people to live the lives they need and want. This information, along with surveys of staff and families will be a part of our planning for the future of the agency. We are excited to share our process, how it went and what we learned. Representatives from TLC and the independent team will share their experiences.

Moderators

Jennifer Lengyel

Executive Director, Total Living Concept

Presenters

Nanette Vanderford

Total Living Concept

Sheldon Schwitek

Co-Founder/ Consultant, In the Company of Others

Sheldon Schwitek has been supporting individuals with complex behavioural needs in the United Statesb and in Canada for over decades. He was introduced to the founding members of the Marsha Forest Center in 1990 and became a facilitator of the person-centered processes of MAPS, PATH... Read More →

Saturday December 7, 2024 8:45am - 9:45am CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 8 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest Person Centered Practice
Key Words Quality Assurance, Person Centered, Community Living, Listening Service Provision
Presentation Type General

11:15am CST

Addressing Early Turnover: The Critical Role of Realistic Job Previews For Direct Support Professionals

Saturday December 7, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

4TH Floor - Imperial 12

Our presentation will explore developing and using realistic job previews (RJPs) as a critical selection tool when hiring direct support professionals. Unclear job expectations are why most employees leave within the first six months, accounting for 41% of turnover and an average cost of $5,000 per employee. A well-designed RJP, illustrating both positive and negative aspects of the job, can reduce early turnover and enhance new employee commitment by enabling them to make an informed decision.

Presenters

Jerry Smith

Saturday December 7, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 12 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest Direct Support
Key Words Workforce, Direct Support Professional, Selection, Retention
Presentation Type General

11:15am CST

Creating Student-Designed Space For Non-Speaking/Minimally-Speaking Learners

Saturday December 7, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin E

Nonspeaking and minimally-speaking learners are among the most marginalized students in school settings. Historically, students without spoken communication have been segregated to self-contained learning environments that offer students little to no choice in their education. While families and advocates still routinely have to fight for access, inclusion, and equity in schools, communities like ours have come together to build learning environments that meet the expressed needs of our nonspeaking and minimally-speaking students. By listening to and learning from these individuals, Reach Every Voice has designed multiple learning environments that our students describe as â€œa space created with disability celebrated [that] feels like a friendâ€™s hug folding me in its warmth.â€ This presentation explores how communities around the nation have successfully designed learning environments driven by the voiced desires of their nonspeaking and minimally-speaking students.

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

Anne Butler

Communication teacher, Reach Every Voice

Over the last few decades, Anne has had a diversity of opportunities as a special educator in elementary and secondary settings. She has also worked at the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE) to further inclusion for all students. For over a decade, Anne worked as a... Read More →

Ingrid Ventura Ellis, M.Ed.

Program Director, Reach Every Voice

Ingrid has worked with students with a variety of abilities including autism spectrum disorders, expressive language needs, and motor and physical conditions for more than 20 years. She has worked with children and young adults in school, home, and work settings and has provided... Read More →

Nicholas Barry

Saturday December 7, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin E Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest Autonomy
Key Words Augmentative & Alternative Communication, Student-Directed Learning, Presuming Competence, Person-Centered Planning, Self-Advocacy
Presentation Type General

11:15am CST

Grassroots Supported Civic Engagement

Saturday December 7, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin B

Despite the 1999 Olmstead v. L. C. decision upholding the right to community integration and community living, the state of Illinois continues to operate seven state operated institutions for some Illinois residents with IDD. Going Home Coalition (GHC), formed in 2010, is an advocacy coalition comprised of a diverse statewide network of mostly self-advocates along with families, community providers, and allies whose mission is to advocate for systems change to transition away from institutional living and increase community supports. GHCâ€™s broadest accomplishment to effect systems change is through their civic engagement and collective action of bringing conversations into the public discourse. The purpose of this study is to understand how and to what extent members of the Coalition engage in civic engagement activities. In addition, we sought to understand the barriers and facilitators members with disability have in civic engagement.

Moderators

Kim Fisher

Assistant Professor, Illinois State University

Kim Fisher is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Illinois State University. She studies how social networks and social capital promote community participation and social inclusion for adolescents and young adults with IDD and the role access to information... Read More →

Presenters

Carole Rosen

Advocacy Program Specialist - Going Home Coalition - REV UP Illinois, The Arc of Illinois

Come talk to me about advocacy!I'll be presenting on Saturday at 11:15 am on the 3rd floor Ballroom; Celestin B on Grassroots Supported Civic Engagement.As an Advocacy Program Specialist at The Arc of Illinois, I serve as the Going Home Coalition Manager and the REV UP Illinois Director... Read More →

Sarah Ballard

Illinois State University

Saturday December 7, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin B Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest Voting & Civic Engagement
Key Words Civic Engagement, Advocacy, Accessibility
Presentation Type Research

3:00pm CST

"Well, THAT Will Never Work!"

Saturday December 7, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin A

Parents who barrier-busted obstacles to ensure full inclusion throughout their now adult daughter's lifespan, discuss Johnâ€™s recent admission to Kathy about his lack of faith in their ability to break down those barriers. He never shared this before because he wanted to be supportive of her vision and efforts. This presentation shows how our own attitudinal barriers can be as impactful as the systemic barriers that face people who have disabilities. His thoughts eventually evolved into a paradigm shift as successes accumulated. Barrier-elimination became the norm. Alexa benefited by attending regular classes in schools, accessing needed technology, a wheelchair lift on the regular bus, skating in her chair at the ice rink, using a power beach chair, being a statistician of a girls' ice hockey team, attending college, becoming employed, owning a vehicle a home of her own, and more. Stories, steps taken, lessons learned, and how other families can do the same will be shared.

Presenters

Kathy Brill

Owner, Brill Consulting LLC

John Brill

Parent

Saturday December 7, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin A Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest High Expectations
Key Words Problem-Solving, Self-Determination, Inclusion, Community Living, Parenting, Civil Rights
Presentation Type General

3:00pm CST

Breaking Barriers: Addressing Inequities in Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Care for People with Disabilities

Saturday December 7, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST

2ND Floor - Foster 1

This presentation sheds light on the pervasive disparities faced specifically by womxn with disabilities in accessing sexual and reproductive health care services. Despite advancements in medical technology and healthcare policies, significant barriers persist, hindering their ability to receive essential screenings and treatments. Drawing from personal experiences and community insights, this presentation will examine the multifaceted challenges encountered by people with disabilities when seeking proactive health screenings, such as mammograms, ultrasounds, or pap smears. Key barriers include physical obstacles, such as inaccessible exam tables and weight scales, which prevent individuals from undergoing necessary screenings. Moreover, systemic ableism perpetuates discriminatory attitudes among healthcare providers, leading to the dismissal of preventive medicine as a viable option for people with disabilities.

Presenters

Leah Smith

Associate Director, The National Center for Disability, Equity, and Intersectionality

Saturday December 7, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
2ND Floor - Foster 1 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest Discrimination & Ableism
Key Words Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, Healthcare Inequities, Disabled Womens Health
Presentation Type General

3:00pm CST

My Home, My Life, My Choice

Saturday December 7, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST

4TH Floor - Imperial 10

Home ownership is often overlooked as a viable option for people with intellectual disabilities. This personal story will reflect the realities of home ownership including the challenges faced but also the positive outcomes including stability (both geographically and financially), opportunities for community connection and relationships, and real self-determination.

Presenters

Robert Tyler

KFI

LyAnn Grogan

CEO, KFI

After ten years of working in a segregated Mental Health setting as a Music Therapist at New Hampshire Hospital and serving as a member of the National Music Therapy Association’s Training Committee LyAnn found inspiration. She was inspired by KFI's mission to provide supports... Read More →

Saturday December 7, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 10 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest Housing
Key Words Self-Determination, Home Ownership, Dignity of Risk
Presentation Type General