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.

2:00pm CST

Exploring Opportunities to Enhance Research Engagement, Use of Data, and Disability Advocacy

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 5:00pm CST

4TH Floor - Imperial 5B

While there is lots of research on the experiences and outcomes of people with disabilities, findings are not often shared in ways that are accessible and supportive of advocacy efforts. Advocacy methods that include quality data are often highly effective in steering the changes advocates hope to see; however, community engagement with disability data, including the collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data, is usually minimal. This can result in a disconnect between what researchers and policymakers feel is important to advocates and what advocates feel is important for their community. This session will feature an overview of existing efforts related to collecting and strengthening disability data and how these efforts are currently supporting advocacy. Then, we will have a rousing discussion with attendees about the most critical ways to enhance engagement with the disability community to support use of disability data in local, state, and national advocacy,

Moderators

Lindsay DuBois

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 5:00pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 5B Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Day 1 Intensive Workshops

Primary Topic Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Research to Practice
Key Words Disability Data, Advocacy, Participatory Research, Community Engagement, Grassroots, Systems Change, Quality Improvements
Presentation Type Research

10:00am CST

The Social Impact of An Inclusive Dance Program

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

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin F

Given the framework of the Contact Hypothesis, the We Dance Together program seeks to decrease bias and increase familiarity and acceptance between students with and without disabilities. This program was the subject of a mixed methods single case study investigating the social impact of program participation. Three groups of second grade students were included in the study in order to evaluate different qualities and quantities of contact: the intervention group, control group with contact, and a control group without contact. Results indicated significantly increased levels of favorability and an emerging desire to "play with" students with complex communication needs for the intervention group.

Presenters

Robin Schulz

North College Hill City Schools

I am a school-based Speech and Language Pathologist, Adjunct Instructor at the University of Cincinnati, and Ohio Ambassador for Charting the LifeCourse. I earned my Doctor of Education degree from the University of Findlay where I completed my dissertation study of We Dance Together... Read More →

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

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest Research to Practice
Key Words Inclusion, Dance, Acceptance, Relationship, Autism
Presentation Type Research

11:15am CST

Why Mix Methods? Iterative Development of A Peer Network Intervention

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

4TH Floor - Imperial 5A

Mixed methods designs are gaining traction in research for inclusive education, but there are still few examples of how mixed methods can inform intervention development. Learn how our team has used mixed and multi-methods research to develop an intervention that promotes social communication, language, and peer relationships for elementary-aged students with autism who are nonspeaking or have limited speech. Participants will learn about the components of the Enhanced Peer Network intervention, which include: (a) communication access through augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), (b) storybook lessons to promote social-emotional development for students with and without disabilities, and (c) support for peers and students with disabilities to promote social communication and engagement during play. Participants will also learn about the powerful roles mixed methods research can play in successfully bridging research-to-practice.

Presenters

Elizabeth Biggs

Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University

Elizabeth E. Biggs, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. Her work focuses on promoting social, communication, language, and literacy outcomes for children and youth with autism... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 5A Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest Research to Practice
Key Words Autism, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Peer Relationships, Social Communication, Mixed Methods Research
Presentation Type Research

11:15am CST

Writing Together: Small Group Writing Instructions for Students with IDD

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

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin H

In this engaging presentation, presenters will discuss past research on writing instruction for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and describe two recent studies on the effectiveness of an intervention package including constant time delay, sentence frames, and technology-assisted instruction on: (a) writing within a shared story reading and (b) small group writing instruction for students with IDD. Additionally, we will provide teachers with writing examples that can be implemented in their classrooms without the need for additional funding.

Presenters

Fred Spooner

Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Fred Spooner is Professor of Special Education at UNC Charlotte. Dr. Spooner has researched and written about instructional strategies for students with severe disabilities since the 1980s. Recently, he has focused on alternate assessment and linking both assessment and instruction... Read More →

Thai Williams

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

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest Research to Practice
Key Words Writing, Assistive Technology, Academic Instruction, Communication
Presentation Type Research

3:25pm CST

The Role of Safety and Accessibility: Stories Shared By Adults with IDD in A Research Space

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

2ND Floor - Foster 2

Experiences of belonging are a basic human need and the accessibility of belonging might look different for individuals labeled with IDD due to historic and ongoing exclusion. This qualitative, participatory study explored how adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities defined belonging, reflected on experiences of belonging, and co-constructed a conceptualization of belonging together. With a focus on presumptions of competence and epistemic agency, this project includes those with lived experiences in â€œthe process of scienceâ€ (Shogren, 2023).This presentation seeks to share critical implications (for schools, families, and communities) about the issues of safety and accessibility as taken up by co-researchers during our conversations.

Presenters

Bailey Allred

University of Kansas

Friday December 6, 2024 3:25pm - 4:20pm CST
2ND Floor - Foster 2 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Human Rights
Themes of Interest Research to Practice
Key Words Belonging, Participatory, Choice, Adults, Reflections, Accessibility
Presentation Type Research

5:45pm CST

Year Two: Pre-Service Teachers' Reflections on A Variety of Placement Settings

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

3RD Floor - Storyville Hall

Last year, I had the privilege of presenting with a group of students who had never seen inclusive practices, this year my university extended my grant funding to continue this line of research. Through university support, we are taking students on a study abroad trip to the Czech Republic, where inclusive opportunities are minimal. The purpose of this research is to allow undergraduate pre-service teachers to experience a variety of placement settings both in the United States and the Czech Republic. Additionally, data will be analyzed across two cohorts of students who are visiting inclusive placements for the first time. Pre-service teachers will complete a pre- and post- reflection on their experiences. Additionally students will record their initial reaction to a variety of placement sites to see differences and changes their perceptions during the semester. These video and written reflections will be analyzed qualitatively for themes.

Moderators

Kristin Burnette

Assistant Professor, East Carolina 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 Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest Research to Practice
Key Words Inclusive Education, Experiential Learning, Qualitative Research
Presentation Type Research