Friday Sessions
Keynote
Why We Need to Unlearn Deficit Thinking
Presented by Dr. Byron McClure
This keynote challenges deficit-based practices, advocating for a shift to strength-based approaches rooted in science. Participants will leave with practical strategies to enhance student development by focusing on strengths rather than problems, fostering actionable change in their school communities.
10:15 AM - 11:25 AM Breakout Sessions
UDL Engagement Strategies to Hook your Learners
Presented by Leslie Gaiser
This session will focus on strategies to engage learners in content that might be more difficult for them. This session will be interactive and the participant will walk away with strategies to use the next day in the classroom.
What’s So Funny About Peace, Love & Executive Functioning?: A Workshop About the Why, What & How of Executive Functioning
Presented by Philippe Ernewein
Too often the conversations and training in the teaching world are focused on “what” we should learn and not “how” we should learn it. Focused on how, specifically in the realm of executive functioning, this framework will add to the toolkit of support you are already doing in your classrooms.
Monitoring Students' Literacy Progress in the Classroom Setting
Presented by Laura Boak
Learn how to use one literacy activity to effectively differentiate your small group instruction. Walk away with simple strategies and tools to easily track data within your small reading groups without losing valuable instructional time!
Student Discipline & Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline
Presented by Emily Harvey & Sara Pielsticker
This session will discuss issues related to student discipline and relevant legal requirements. We will also discuss restraint and seclusion of students with disabilities and how all of this information can be used by school staff to help disrupt the school to prison pipeline.
Making Mathematics Meaningful: Cultivating Calm and Cool Curiosity!
Presented by Dr. Mindy Adair
Mathematics Education is challenging. What gives you pause in education? What gives you hope? We will reflect, reimagine, and review what makes mathematics cool, fun, and engaging. Various technologies, from paper and pencil to computers and apps, will be utilized to explore, investigate, and think!
Building Bridges: Integrating Trauma Informed Care with ABA Strategies
Presented by Leia Henaghan
Elevate teaching with ABA based course integrating trauma informed practices. Learn adaptable strategies to address diverse needs, behavioral challenges, and trauma effects. Ideal for educators, enhancing classroom dynamics and fostering student success.
Rerouting the Pipeline: Prioritizing Restorative Justice & Executive Functioning
Presented by Caron A. Westland, Ph.D. & Emma Luthans, M.A.
“Cradle to prison" morphed to “school to prison" pipeline, highlighting the disproportionality trend. Zero Tolerance policy impacted & flooded the pipe of inequity. .Learn about the transformative approaches (i.e. restorative justice, PBS, & executive functioning coaching) to reroute the pipeline.
Presuming Competence for Postsecondary Success: Student Panel
Presented by Shayna Laing & Elise Kramer
Students with intellectual disability (ID) will share their experiences in preparing for inclusive postsecondary education while engaging participants in reflective discussion about presuming competence of all students and thoughtfully preparing students with ID for inclusive college pathways.
Lessons to Legacy: Get in the Game!
Presented by Meagan Ackerman
Education has seriously shifted. Fewer teachers are coming up in programs. How do we change the play and get more players on the bench and in the game so we can grow and change education? Join me to talk realities, ideas, and strategies. Leave a legacy beyond your classroom.
Deep Thoughts: Exploring Varied Implementation of Paraeducator Support
Presented by Katrine Gosselin & Aimee Massafra
Paraeducator support is vital to educator and students’ success. Perceptions surrounding paraeducator services can become narrowed and lead to attrition and burnout. This session will explore ways to diversify paraeducator roles, bolster training, and meaningfully support students.
Learning Disability or Language Difference? Process for Dual Identification
Presented by Crystal Reid, Jeanne Bonds, Lindsay Marino, & Courtney Berry
When Multilingual Learners struggle academically, teams ask: Does this student need more time to
acquire English or could it be a disability? Participants will learn a process to determine next steps that may or may not result in a Special Education Referral for Multilingual Learners.
Crafting Effective IEP Goals
Presented by Shauna Moden
Learn to develop precise, measurable objectives that align with students' needs and foster growth. This workshop equips educators with strategies to create targeted goals, ensuring individualized support and meaningful progress within the framework of the IEP.
11:45 AM - 1:15 PM Luncheon Sessions
Care and Feeding of the Exceptional Teachers/Parents Soul
Based On: Shame-Free Parenting: Building Resiliency in Times of Hardship, Guns and Social Media
Presented by Craig Knippenberg
This lunch time keynote will touch the deep emotions which teachers and parents experience while teaching and raising exceptional students. It will also help participants learn to let go ofstress in a culture which places high expectations on teachers and parents. Concepts include:
The Crossroads of parenting/teaching, exceptional students and modern culture.
The pressure on today’s parents and teachers.
Cultural myths about teaching and parenting that don’t build child/student resilience.
Letting go of guilt, while building child/student resiliency.
Strategies for exceptional students.
Participants will laugh and cry as we explore the ups and downs of exceptional students.
My Journey: Striving for Inclusion and Connections
Presented by Ella Munk
Ella Munk will delight you with her unusual style of story-telling as she shares her life story, featuring what it’s been like to be a young woman with an intellectual disability in today’s world.
Brewability
Presented by Tiffany Fixter and Morgan Forsyth
Join Brewability, an inclusive brewery and pizzeria that proudly hires adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We will kick off with a short pilot video that provides an overview of our company, our mission, and the impact we have on the community by creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
Following the video, we will delve into actionable strategies and techniques that special education teachers can use to prepare students for the workforce. We’ll cover essential skills for employment, including communication, social skills, and hands-on job training. Attendees will leave with practical tools and methods to help students transition successfully from the classroom to meaningful employment opportunities within the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Together, we can foster a more inclusive future by empowering students with disabilities to confidently transition from the classroom to a fulfilling career. Join us to explore how you can make a difference in your students' lives and help build a more inclusive workforce.
1:45 PM - 2:55 PM Breakout Sessions
Don't Underestimate Me: One Student's Perspective on Reading
Presented by Emily Wilson, M.Ed. & Simon Schmid
Simon entered Emily’s middle school class unable to decode cvc words. Now in high school, Simon has transformed as a reader, advocate for himself, and supporter of others. Simon and Emily share their experience navigating explicit reading instruction, advocacy, and creating an effective IEP team.
ADHD and Girls: The Often Overlooked Struggle
Presented by Kristen Hayton
Research shows girls are as likely to have ADHD as boys, but it frequently manifests differently. We will explore the unique challenges faced by girls with ADHD, why they are often underdiagnosed, how ADHD presents in girls, cooccurring conditions, and strategies for supporting their needs.
Working Through Conflict in IEP Meetings
Presented by Katherine Rains, JD & Ann Wilson
This session is intended to improve partnerships with families in the special education process. We will discuss why conflict may happen in IEP meetings. We will cover the importance of trust, how conflict can be productive, and ways to support meaningful family participation in meetings.
Inclusive Practices in Action: A Place for Every Child to Learn
Presented by Stephanie Cavallaro & Stephanie Games
The research supporting inclusion is clear. All students benefit when all students learn together. So why are center programs and separate schools more full than ever? Follow one elementary school's mission to keep all of their students learning together. Hear actual student success stories.
Essential for Some Good for All: Strategies for Access, Structure, and Connection for Neurodiverse Learners
Presented by Erin DeAssis & Tracy Cloninger
Classroom management is the foundation for student engagement and the most important variable for building a high achieving classroom. Presenters will teach the pillars of classroom management and executive functioning strategies that support all students.
Integrating Activities into the Lesson to Enhance Learning
Presented by Tammy Curran, Jessica Bodden, Jenna Jeffress, Kyla Pellouchoud, & Dana Green
In this session, participants will walk away with new ideas to help enhance the learning of any subject. We will give a sample lesson and provide ideas on how to enrich learning through engaging activities. Technology options will be demonstrated to help meet the needs of students.
Culture is Learning: Reconsidering the LD Exclusionary Clause
Presented by Dr. Amy Ferrell
I reflect on the chapter I coauthored with Dr. Alfredo Artiles for The Handbook of LD (3rd edition). We challenge the separation of culture and learning in the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of learning disabilities because culture is the mechanism through which humans learn.
Riding the Double Decker Bus: ADPED in Action
Presented by Dennis DeBay, Karin Rager, Beyza Emine, & Ron Tzur
Dive into a hands-on session with a Breakapartmake10 strategy to foster special education students’ learning of the as a conceptual foundation for multiplicative reasoning. Engage with interactive activities, and discuss insights into student thinking with a student adaptive pedagogy approach.
Dysgraphia: Beyond Typing and Templates: A Holistic Approach
Presented by Sheila Lepkin
Utilizing a case study of a gifted, ADHD 6th grader we will delve into the complexities of written language disorders. We will explore underlying etiologies and discuss interventions to turn thoughts into coherent sentences and paragraphs.
The Intersectionality of Restorative Practices and Trauma Informed Care
Presented by Reid Heller
This training session will provide behavior data to support for restorative practices. This session will go into details and provide alternatives to suspensions and expulsions through a restorative lens that has high, authentic accountability.
Effective Strategies for Supporting Children with Selective Mutism Treatment Planning for Home and School
Presented by Claire Dean Sinclair, Ph.D. & Georgia Magnera Ph.D. CCCSLP Ret
Parents and school professionals will enhance their understanding of the needs of children with selective mutism and/or social anxiety. This session will cover practical skills for helping children with selective mutism to increase their confidence speaking in the community and at school.
How to SPOT Student Strengths: Practical Strategies You Can Start Tomorrow
Presented by Dr. Byron McClure
In this session, participants will learn clear and effective strategies to spot and support student strengths. Using a straightforward framework, educators will gain practical tools to identify strengths in everyday classroom settings, helping students grow and succeed. Come find out how spotting strengths can transform your approach to student development.
3:15 PM - 4:25 PM Breakout Sessions
Can They Be Gifted? How to Support 2e
Presented by Michelle Freddolino
Students with IEPs or 504 Plans CAN also be gifted. These students need interventions and accommodations that not only support their disabilities but also need access to services that support their strengths and talent areas (or areas of giftedness). How do you know and what do you do?
Creating and Upholding Classroom Culture
Presented by Olivia Jennings
Boundaries and expectations can be difficult to set and maintain, especially when also balancing the joy and fun we aim to bring to teaching. However, they are the key to building a successful community where accomplishments, challenges, self growth, and deep learning can be fostered.
5 Step Process to Supporting Executive Functioning
Presented by Corey Pollard, M.S.
Students need solid EF skills to be successful. While many of us are familiar with EF, we may wonder how to help our students develop those skills. Attendees will walk away with a 5Step Process and a simple tool that will provide the structure to transform your students' EF skills.
SEL Tips and Tricks to Teach
Presented by Caroline Wyman & Courtney Parker
Do you recognize the need for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) & Student Wellness? We will show how we teach SEL using activities to give students valuable self regulating strategies, self advocacy skills, and the ability to explore emotions in a safe environment with no right answer.
Reading Fluency It's More Than Reading Quickly
Presented by Mikayla Storey
Fluency is more than reading quickly. In this presentation, we will discuss the 4 forgotten fluency skills and how fluency impacts understanding. The presentation will provide a demonstration of activities that can be used to support fluency development, moving beyond speed to foster comprehension.
Making Disability a Comfortable Conversation
Presented by Lindsey Blankenship & Kati Cahill
We believe in creating space to make disability a comfortable conversation in our workplaces through SEL (social emotional learning) and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) practices.
Inclusive IEPs for Students with Significant Support Needs
Presented by Kara Halley & Julie Richter
Inclusive education is the commitment to ensure every student has equitable access to general education. For students with disabilities, IEPs are crucial to achieve this goal. Strategies for writing IEPs to foster environments where every student can reach their full potential will be presented.
Triangulating Success: Elevating Post School Planning
Presented by Amanda Ferguson
Dive into triangulation for comprehensive postschool planning! Pinpoint student progress, future
goals, and the path to success. Leave equipped with transition assessments, planning tools, and collaborative guides. Let's empower success together!
Family Partnerships in PBIS to Support Student Success
Presented by Kiki McGough
Participants will explore the current research and framework for the National Standards for School Partnerships as the foundation of family school partnerships to support social emotional and behavior needs of students in an MTSS system and identify strategies for their diverse community.
Supporting Success: Addressing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Education
Presented by Jody S. Dickerson MSN, BSN
In this session, we'll explore prenatal alcohol's neurodevelopmental impacts, from cognitive deficits to behavioral challenges. Emphasizing intervention strategies, we'll discuss the Building Blocks of Brain Development and special education considerations for FASD.
Wired and Connected: Understanding and Teaching Impulse Control and Executive Functioning to Students.
Presented by Craig Knippenberg
This interactive brain-based presentation will explain Executive Functioning and the Impulse Control system in easy-to-understand terminology. Best of all, the fun illustrations and role-plays will give you the tools to teach these concepts at school (Elementary-Middle School). Applications include:
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Teaching how the pre-frontal cortex (i.e.: The President) works
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A description of where AD/HD falls on the Spectrum of Presidential Functioning
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The Big Five strategies for improving the President’s functioning
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How the President and Emotional system work together at various developmental stages
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How this amazing system is hijacked by electronic gaming and social media.
These same strategies and terminology can be applied at home for parent participants.
Empower your students to take control of their Presidential functioning!
PERA 101
Presented by PERA
Let’s talk retirement! Whether you’re decades, years, or months away from that milestone, join PERA educators Christy and Leslie to learn: 1. How your retirement pension is calculated and 2. How your strategic career choices can positively impact your pension and future financial security. We’ll explore actionable steps unique to your PERA-member details, with one objective: clarifying what you need to know to maximize your retirement income in a way that works for both Current You and Future You.
CO - TED Meeting
More information to come.