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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Join this session to learn about an innovative partnership between the LEAD Center and Parent 2 Parent USA (P2P USA), harnessing the input from parent advisors to craft resources to promote employment and career outcomes for their family members with disabilities. Families also identified resources through which they can access essential supports and services. Hear from family leaders and employment subject matter experts from LEAD Center about the pivotal role families play in envisioning and supporting the people with disabilities in their lives across their lifespan as they journey towards competitive integrated employment.
Marsha Quinn is the Co-Executive Director for Parent to Parent USA and brings nearly 30 years experience in non-profit marketing and management to its 40 member organizations across the nation. She works to ensure access to peer to peer emotional support for ALL families of individuals... Read More →
This session will present a case study of a culturally and linguistically diverse high school that implemented a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) emphasizing culturally responsive and restorative practices. By analyzing student, adult, policy, and structural factors through an anti-racist and anti-ableist lens, the school's leadership team shifted their disciplinary and support systems from focusing on control to promoting equitable and inclusive practices. The case study demonstrates how MTSS can be used to increase faculty competence in restorative pedagogy, benefiting all students, particularly those with disabilities who are disproportionately affected by punitive disciplinary practices. Attendees will gain practical strategies for implementing a similar approach in their schools.
When it comes to securing competitive integrated employment (CIE), families may be an integral part of the process. Family members often provide support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across a variety of domains, including employment. For families to establish effective partnerships and help promote CIE outcomes, the field needs a more in-depth understanding of the current state of family involvement and its relationship with accessing and supporting employment outcomes. To fill this knowledge gap, a scoping review was conducted. The review revealed facilitators (i.e., advocacy, knowledge of supports and services, family expectations, contributing to obtaining employment, building a support network, and family member working), barriers (i.e., lack of family support, socioeconomic status, lack of knowledge, perceptions on abilities, and family challenges), support needs, and overall familial perspectives on employment outcomes.
Parents and caregivers of children with medical complexities (CMC) and adults with intellectual or developmental disability (AIDD) report feelings of isolation and loneliness, with difficulty in finding and engaging mitigating social supports. Parent Cafes, developed by Be Strong Families, is a model with evaluative proof that participant families improve strength and resilience. Cafes create a safe and supportive environment where participants come together to share experiences, joys, and concerns. The Indiana Complex Care Coordination Collaborative (IC4) developed, implemented, and evaluated monthly statewide virtual parent-led cafes focusing on empowering families to connect in community, learn about resources, and increase protective factors.
Multi-tiered systems of support inclusive of students with extensive support needs are receiving increased attention as researchers point to improved outcomes and opportunities in general education contexts for students with disabilities. I synthesized 21 studies from 2014 to 2024 which included a review of assumptions and contextual factors either recommended or identified in the literature as factors associated with implementation of inclusive multi-tiered systems of support. Assumptions included beliefs, values, visions, and culture as well as family and community perspectives. Contextual factors included policy and leadership supportive of inclusive practices for students with extensive support needs.
It is easy to read about behavioral crises and describe what staff should do. It isn’t quite as easy when you are the one being hit or yelled at. When confronted by challenging behavior, it is more effective to figure out the root cause of the behavior. Challenging behaviors are often means of communication – it sends the message of needs not being met such as, "I'm frustrated," "I'm bored," "I have no power," "I don't feel safe," "I don't feel valued," etc. Once we identify the root cause, we need to stop or replace the behavior. In order to stop the behavior, we need to stop the pattern, not just the current incidence. This presentation will provide strategies for identifying possible functions of challenging behaviors and identify ways to respond and prevent these behaviors in the workplace. Participants will also gain an understanding of how the environment, and other people, affect behavior. and will learn to correctly carry out behavioral support plans in an ethical manner.
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.
