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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8:45am CST

Identification with Disability: Narrative Imagination and Disability Identity

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

4TH Floor - Imperial 5B

Whether they have a disability or not, a person must identify with disability in order to fully engage with the movement for a more equitable and inclusive society. This presentations shares a grounded theory of educatorsâ€™ conceptions of disability based on interviews with preservice general educators and teacher education instructors. The theory, identification with disability, is a bridge between narrative imagination (Nussbaum, 1997) and disability identity (Darling & Heckert, 2010; Forber-Pratt & Zape, 2017). Narrative imagination is the ability to understand and share the feelings and experiences of others, and a strong disability identity requires disability acceptance, alignment with the social model of disability, and involvement with collective social change. Educators and family members who identify with disability are most equipped to empower individuals with complex support needs and collaborate to create a more socially just, democratic, and inclusive society.

Presenters

Charles Pittack

University of Kansas

Saturday December 7, 2024 8:45am - 9:45am CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 5B Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Human Rights
Themes of Interest Capacity Building for Inclusion
Key Words Identification with Disability, Narrative Imagination, Disability Identity
Presentation Type Research

11:15am CST

Correlates of Individual, Peer and Systemic Advocacy Among Parents of Children with Disabilities

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

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin F

Parents advocate in a variety of ways for their children with disabilities to access services and supports in inclusive settings. Given the importance of parent advocacy at every level, it is essential to understand the factors that influence parent legislative advocacy. This study aimed to identify the correlates of individual, peer, and systemic advocacy among parents of children with disabilities. Altogether, 78 parents of children with disabilities participated in this six-site study. Data were analyzed using baseline data prior to participants completing a civic engagement program. We conducted linear regressions to identify correlates of parent advocacy levels. We found that disability connectedness significantly correlates with individual, peer, and systemic advocacy. Additionally, moral conviction was a significant correlate of individual advocacy. The results highlight the importance of fostering disability connectedness and enhancing moral conviction to boost advocacy efforts

Moderators

Chak Li

Vanderbilt University, Peabody College

Presenters

Meghan Burke

Vanderbilt University

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 →

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

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Human Rights
Themes of Interest Voting & Civic Engagement
Key Words Families, Advocacy, Disability Connectedness, Moral Conviction
Presentation Type Research

11:15am CST

Empowering Independence Through Guardianship Public Policy Reform

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

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin C

Guardianships, intended as protective measures, are often overused and overly restrictive, depriving individuals of autonomy and decision-making skills. This overreliance fails to recognize the potential of individuals with disabilities and overlooks less restrictive alternatives, such as supported decision-making. Guardianships can also allow entities like medical and service providers to avoid making reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. The Maine Protection and Advocacy Agency has spearheaded guardianship policy reform for over two decades, culminating in setting a national precedent by being the first to adopt the progressive 2017 Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act. This presentation will explore Maineâ€™s innovative strategies, offering insights and lessons. Attendees will understand the successes and challenges in advocating for less restrictive alternatives. Join us to contribute to the guardianship reform dialogue.

Presenters

Lauren Wille

Legal Director, Disability Rights Maine

Staci Converse

Disability Rights Maine

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

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education, Human Rights
Themes of Interest Agency Transformation, Self-Determination
Key Words Advocacy, Belongingness, Collaboration, Inclusion, Leadership, Partnerships, Guardianship Reform, Autonomy, Self-Determination, Public Policy Systems Change, Civil Rights
Presentation Type General

3:00pm CST

Neurodiversity Advisory: Grappling with Implications For Practice

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

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin H

The TASH Neurodiversity Advisory has created a resource articulating the Elements of Neurodiversity Affirming Practice. In this session, participants will use the Elements resource to reflect on current issues in education, employment, communication access, human rights, and community living. We will explore what our practice looks like and doesn't look like when we embrace neurodiversity and advance neurodiversity-affirming practice.

Moderators

Michael McSheehan

Owner/TA Provider, Evolve & Effect, LLC

Michael McSheehan’s life work has been at the intersection of disability and K-12 education. He is a systems-thinker, an implementation specialist, and a leader in the field of multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and inclusive education. Whether it’s assisting with student-specific... Read More →

Presenters

Deborah Taub

Owner/CEO, OTL Education Solutions, LLC

Mary Fisher

Professor, Lewis University

Leah Kelley

I am Leah Kelley, EdD, (she/her) an education consultant, writer, activist, parent, and teacher educator, who identifies as Neurodivergent and otherwise disabled. My research interests include connecting disability studies in education (DSE) to educational practice, strength-based... Read More →

Amy Hanreddy

Associate Professor, Special Education, CSUN

Amy Hanreddy is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at California State University, Northridge. She teaches about inclusive and collaborative practices, with an emphasis on strategies that provide students with disabilities access to meaningful instruction... Read More →

Robyn Reagan

Vice President of Special Education Services, Villa Esperanza Services

Robyn has been improving systems and supports for children, youth and families for over 25 years. Her first role model was Annie Sullivan, teacher and friend to Helen Keller. She is a lifelong advocate for children who struggle to make their gifts and needs known.Robyn’s experience... Read More →

Jean Gonsier-Gerdin

Professor, Teaching Credentials-Special Education, California State University, Sacramento

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

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Human Rights
Themes of Interest Discrimination & Ableism
Key Words Ableism, Neurodiversity, Affirming, Rights
Presentation Type General

3:00pm CST

Rethinking Practices: Supporting Students with Significant Needs with Trauma

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

4TH Floor - Imperial 12

This session aims to develop a deeper understanding of Big T (capital "T") and little t (lowercase "t") trauma in students with significant needs, focusing on the educational and psychological impacts. By distinguishing the nuanced effects of Big T and little t trauma, the session seeks to inform more tailored intervention strategies and support systems in educational settings. The importance of trauma-informed educational practices and the need for continuous professional development for educators to recognize and address the spectrum of trauma. Ultimately, this session underscores the critical role of a supportive, trauma-sensitive environment in fostering resilience and academic success among ALL students including those who demonstrate significant needs.

Presenters

katrine Gosselin

University of Northern Colorado

Saturday December 7, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 12 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Human Rights
Themes of Interest PBIS & Trauma Informed Practices
Key Words Trauma, Support, Significant Needs, Trauma-Informed
Presentation Type General

3:00pm CST

You Don't Look Autistic: Racism, Sexism, and Autistic Communities

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

2ND Floor - Foster 2

Autism as originally defined by Dr. Sukhareva, and later, Dr. Asperger, was understood as a condition that could be found in any segment of the population, discriminating by neither sex nor ethnicity. However, when Leo Kanner redefined and codified autism diagnosis in the United States, his definition explicitly leaned on then-contemporary sexism, and implicitly on racism and classism, to define â€œrealâ€ autistics. This talk will explore this history and discuss its impact on autistics in the generations since, ranging from ongoing differential access to formal diagnosis, to disproportionate pathologization and violence against BIPOC autistics in institutional settings, to how ideas about "female autism,â€ race, and wealth pervade debates about self-diagnosis. We will then open into a discussion about intersectionality, implicit and explicit bias, and promoting autistic advocacy that centers the concerns of historically marginalized groups.

Presenters

Algernon Lutwak

Northern Light Health

Corissa Pittman

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

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Human Rights
Themes of Interest Discrimination & Ableism
Key Words Ableism, Racism, Sexism, Diagnostic Accessibility, Advocacy
Presentation Type General