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.

11:15am CST

Benefits of Collaborative, Multidisciplinary Approaches to AAC Training in Schools

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

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin A

A multidisciplinary approach involving speech-language pathologists, educators, occupational therapists, and other professionals leads to improved communication outcomes for individuals using Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) systems (McNaughton & Light, 2013). Despite this knowledge, AAC training opportunities for school staff often focus only on SLPs and less frequently on the direct support professionals assisting students on a daily basis. Our session focuses on the benefits of a multidisciplinary training approach, which facilitates the generalization and maintenance of communication skills across different settings and communication partners. This collaboration promotes communication and inclusion in a wider range of contexts (Millar et al., 2019). Multidisciplinary collaboration provides valuable opportunities for professional development and knowledge exchange among team members, enhancing AAC service delivery in educational settings (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013).

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

Edlyn Peña

California Lutheran University

I am a professor in the Educational Leadership doctoral program at California Lutheran University. I am also the Director of the Autism and Communication Center. Proud mom to an autistic teenager and book author, Diego.

Julie Sando

Director, Communication for Education

My colleague Lisa and I will be presenting in a breakout room about text-based communication in educational settings. We will share about our experience with Communication For Education, where we help parents and educators learn how to support non-speaking, minimally-speaking, or... Read More →

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

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest Capacity Building for Inclusion
Key Words Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Teacher Training, Multidisciplinary Approach, Professional Development
Presentation Type Research

5:45pm CST

Professional Development Needs of Special Educators Working with Transition-Age Students

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

3RD Floor - Storyville Hall

Many adults with disabilities struggle with employment, college participation, and independent and community living post-high school, particularly people with disabilities who have extensive support needs. Improving professional development and support for special education teachers instructing youth and young adults with disabilities who have extensive support needs is a critical step to improving post-school outcomes. Therefore, to address this issue, we conducted a statewide survey exploring the professional development needs of special education teachers instructing transition-aged youth with extensive support needs. Our aims were to understand teachers' confidence in implementing evidence-based transition practices/strategies, training received, knowledge of community supports/opportunities, the extent to which teachers received training on those supports, and preferences for future professional development.

Presenters

Allison Cole

Vanderbilt University, Peabody College

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 Transition
Themes of Interest Transition to Post-Secondary Education
Key Words Transition Across the Lifespan, Evidence-Based Practices, Professional Development, Educational Outcomes, Students with Extensive Support Needs

10:00am CST

Impact of Inclusive Education Focused Short-Term Technical Assistance

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

3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin C

New Jersey continues to be the most segregated state, as only 44% of students with disabilities are included in general education 80% of the day or more. The New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education (NJCIE) has partnered with the New Jersey Department of Education Office of Special Education (NJDOE OSE) to improve inclusion rates and overall quality of inclusive education in New Jersey schools. Through the New Jersey Inclusion Project (NJIP), NJCIE and NJDOE OSE offered short-term technical assistance support to schools around critical topics, including building an inclusive culture, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), differentiation, co-teaching, and accommodations and modifications. Using results from pre- and post-assessments of content knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and self-efficacy, our mixed-methods study provides insight into the impacts of a feasible and sustainable short-term technical assistance model geared toward improving inclusive attitudes, beliefs, and practices.

Moderators

Cristin Montalbano

All In For Inclusive Education

Presenters

Jessica McQueston

Assistant Professor, Sam Houston State University

Saturday December 7, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
3RD Floor - Ballroom: Celestin C Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest Capacity Building for Inclusion
Key Words Inclusive Education, Technical Assistance, Best Practices, Professional Development, Coaching
Presentation Type Research

11:15am CST

Teacher Perceptions of Adaptations For Curriculum Access and Professional Development

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

4TH Floor - Imperial 9

Teachers should be familiar with adaptations that can make learning accessible for all students. Providing access to the general curriculum not only meets requirements outlined in important legislation such as the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act, but it elevates expectations for students with extensive support needs. Among the challenges special education teachers face in providing access are a lack of resources, time, and skills needed to make curriculum adaptations. Given these challenges, teachers can benefit from additional resources and training. This session presents a study on teacher perceptions of curriculum adaptations as a resource for promoting access to the general curriculum and professional development. The study addresses questions related to teacher involvement in curriculum decisions and the challenges and benefits of making adaptations. The findings aim to improve teacher training and outcomes for students with extensive support needs.

Presenters

Joshua Baker

Professor/Researcher, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Department of Educational and Clinical Studies

Catherine Bacos

Associate Director and Curriculum Specialist, UNLV Office of General Curriculum Access, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Saturday December 7, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 9 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest K-12 Education
Key Words Access to the General Curriculum, Curriculum Adaptations, Teacher Professional Development, Extensive Support Needs
Presentation Type Research

4:15pm CST

Using SETTT for Success to Plan Effective Professional Development

Saturday December 7, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm CST

4TH Floor - Imperial 5D

The SETTT for Success project is an OSEP-funded grant to support trainers of teachers of students with extensive support needs (ESN) in planning academic-focused professional development (PD). Trainers plan PD using the SETTT for Success PD cycle, a series of phases trainers complete to use data to determine PD priorities, use backwards design to design and develop PD, and then evaluate the effectiveness of their PD. The PD is designed to target comprehensive academic instruction, defined by this project as building conceptual understandings across and within content areas to know when, why, and how to apply knowledge to solve problems and answer questions. Initial findings show the SETTT PD cycle is useful for trainers in planning academic-focused PD. In this presentation, we will describe the SETTT PD cycle, the resources available to implement the cycle, and invite participants to apply the PD cycle, using SETTT PD resources, to their own local context or a case study example.

Presenters

Lindsay Ruhter

Doctoral Candidate, University of Kansas Center for Research

Saturday December 7, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm CST
4TH Floor - Imperial 5D Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest K-12 Education
Key Words Professional Development, Professional learning, Extensive Support Needs, Academic Instruction
Presentation Type General