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.

9:00am CST

Person Centered Planning and Website Portfolios in Action

Thursday December 5, 2024 9:00am - 12:00pm CST

Foster 2

Feeling stuck? Need new tools to expand possibility for students/job seekers? This workshop offers hands-on practice using Person Centered Planning tools to develop website portfolios for students/job seekers. The goal is to get unstuck, here's how. We'll start with the best practice of Person Centered Planning. Attendees will practice using tools to expand on skills and contributions, integrating a strengths-based approach. We will dig deep to develop strategies for success in education and employment, and then think creatively about new possibilities. Next, we'll explore how to use the information effectively. The second half of the workshop dives into creating website portfolios, which are dynamic resumes and marketing tools showcasing skills, experiences, and achievements. Attendees will set up accounts on Wix Tomorrow, a free platform, and explore tools and editor functions, including generative AI, to develop a sample website. So kick off TASH with us and let the good times roll!

Moderators

Katherine Titus

Presenters

Alison DeYoung

Training & Technical Assistance Manager, Wise

Alison DeYoung has worked in the field of transition and employment since 2008 in various roles as a direct support provider, job developer and special education teacher. She worked as the Lead Instructor of Campus Life with Project FOCUS at the University of Arizona, a model demonstration... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 9:00am - 12:00pm CST
Foster 2 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Day One Intensives

Primary Topic Employment
Themes of Interest Technology
Key Words Person-Centered Planning, Employment, Autonomy, Transition, Capacity Building
Presentation Type General

2:00pm CST

Empowering Adults with IDD and Caregivers Through Advance Care Planning

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

Foster 2

Advance care planning (ACP) involves preparing for future decisions about oneâ€™s medical care if one becomes seriously ill or unable to communicate. ACP helps people ensure that their healthcare preferences are respected, their care is tailored to their needs, and their rights are protected. It promotes dignity, autonomy, and person-centered care. 1 in 3 U.S. adults has advance directive documents, and even less in the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) community. This workshop aims to demystify ACP and facilitate its acceptance in the IDD community. By focusing on ACP in adults with IDD and their caregivers, this session will provide insights into ACPâ€™s unique importance and opportunities in this community. Through interactive discussions and case studies, participants will learn about the ACP process and explore ways to overcome barriers. The workshop will include an opportunity for participants to engage in their own ACP in a session led by an industry expert.

Moderators

Courtney Schlueter

Catalight

Presenters

Doreen Samelson

Chief Clinical Officer, Catalight Foundation

I am a disabled psychologist. I am also the parent of an adult child who is significantly disabled. I am very interested in empowering parents and facilitating self-determination for disabled children, youth and adults. I live with 2 spoiled kitties.

Thursday December 5, 2024 2:00pm - 5:00pm CST
Foster 2 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Day One Intensives

Primary Topic PBIS
Themes of Interest Aging Issues
Key Words Health, Aging, Advance Care Planning, Advanced Directive, Power of Attorney

10:00am CST

ABLE Accounts

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

Celestin 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.

Moderators

Kelly Piacenti

MassMutual SpecialCare

SpecialCare is a program developed by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) since 2004 that provides access to information and resources to families with dependents who have a disability. Our mission is to help educate families and caregivers about the importance... Read More →

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

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
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

3:25pm CST

Empowering My Voice: Self-Advocacy and Transition Triumphs

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

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. Known for her dedication to inclusive education and student success, and a profound commitment to educational equity, Jennifer has played a role in shaping the landscape... Read More →

Gage Perryman

Gage Gives Back

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

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.

Presenters

Megan Best

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

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

10:00am CST

Supports for Students with Complex Needs in Grade-Aligned Lessons

Saturday December 7, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

Celestin Ballroom: Celestin G

Students with complex support needs are at risk of not receiving adequate personalized supports during grade-aligned instruction in general education. To ensure access to the general education curriculum and environment, special educators need expertise to provide effective supports to students with complex needs. This study examined what supports teachers assigned in response to a piloted intervention intended to help teachers better understand how to support students while maintaining grade-aligned learning. An analysis of 25 priority plans for K-12 students with complex support needs was conducted using a qualitative reflexive thematic approach. We found special education teachers undertake labor-intensive and creative preparation of supports in addition to bearing the primary responsibility of implementation. In addition, visual supports, peer supports, and systematic instruction practices were found to be widely used.

Presenters

Roxanne Loyless

Doctoral Student, The University of Kansas

Roxanne Loyless is a second-year Ph.D. student in Special Education at The University of Kansas. Her research interests center on inclusive education practices, strategies, and supports for students with significant support needs.

Saturday December 7, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Celestin Ballroom: Celestin G Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest K-12 Education
Key Words Inclusive Practices, Supports, Curriculum, Lesson Planning, Complex Support Needs
Presentation Type Research

11:15am CST

Deciding What to Teach: Prioritizing Outcomes for Students with CSN

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

Celestin Ballroom: Celestin A

To help teachers identify priority grade-aligned learning goals to be taught in general education settings for students with complex support needs, we developed a priority planning intervention and tested it with 41 teachers. We determined if the priority planning intervention changed teacher planning for inclusive academic instruction, identified the general education content teachers prioritized, assessed the social validity of the priority planning intervention, and measured the extent to which students learned prioritized goals when taught entirely in general education classrooms. Our findings revealed that teachers were more likely to develop instruction based on the general education curriculum after the intervention. Teachers developed primarily math, communication, and academic vocabulary goals. Students were successful in learning those prioritized goals when taught entirely in general education settings, and teachers reported the intervention was helpful and efficient.

Moderators

Jennifer Kurth

Professor, University of Kansas

Inclusive Education

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

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest Capacity Building for Inclusion
Key Words Academic Instruction, Planning, Complex Support Needs
Presentation Type Research

3:00pm CST

Creating Student-Designed Space for Nonspeaking/Minimally-Speaking Learners

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

Foster 2

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.

Presenters

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 Public Schools teacher and the... Read More →

Saturday December 7, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Foster 2 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