2020 TASH Conference - Virtual Edition

Day 1 Intensives: Employment & Transition Track

11:15-11:30 AM EST: Welcome and Keynote Address: The Power of Competitive Integrated Employment in Achieving Equity and Opportunity for All
Presenter: Jennifer Johnson

11:30 AM-12:30 PM EST: Promoting Inclusion to Increase Employment for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities
Presenters: Kathleen Woodward, Kristin Corcoran, Montrel Tennessee, Sandy Jordan, Kelie Hess
Employment remains a critical part of community inclusion for people with disabilities (Administration on Community Living, 2019). This presentation will share how the Administration on Disabilities' Partnerships in Employment grantees formed a group of stakeholders to improve employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities by creating and supporting programs and policies that promote inclusion. Participants will hear from the national evaluator and grantees from DC, South Carolina, and Utah on how they promote inclusion of youth and young adults with disabilities through self-advocacy programs, parent and family engagement, and career and technical education. Presenters will also share success stories of how their states' have involved students with the most significant disabilities in employment opportunities. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on the importance of inclusion of youth and young adults with disabilities in competitive integrated employment.

12:45-2:00 PM EST: Building an Inclusive and Resilient Workforce: Recruitment, Retention and Innovation
Presenters: Susan Brooks, Dale Verstegan
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the fragility of the Direct Support Professional workforce, and increased the already too high unemployment rate of people with disabilities. Now, more than ever, innovative ideas are needed to tackle these critical issues. The DSP Academy is a training program that certifies people with disabilities as DSP's supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It starts with high expectations and uses principles of customized employment and universal design to prepare people with disabilities for success as a Direct Support Professional, supporting others to achieve their dreams. We will also share our learning from adapting to provide a large portion of the DSP Academy curriculum in a virtual environment. Staff development is most often accomplished through external training organizations. The DSP Academy is a great example of provider organizations adopting and reinforcing the training curriculum. While external training trainers and events should be valued, this approach does not ensure the development of staff skills, competency and improved employment outcomes and presents challenges with sustainability as well.

2:15-3:30 PM EST: Supporting Employment through Supported Decision-Making
Presenter: Erin Leveton, Joan Christopher, Morgan Whitlatch
Talk with DC and MO about how they are braiding the National Supporting Families Community of Practice principles and tools with learning from the National Supported Decision-Making CoP to support self-determination and employment. Hear the national perspective on what's happening to launch and grow supported decision-making and promote self-determination, inclusion, and competitive integrated employment. We will share experiences in MO and DC and then have you share what's happening in your state. Next, we will do a deep dive with family members about how supported decision-making works in practice. Finally, we will facilitate a conversation to share promising practices in engaging self-advocates and families to not only help them envision and plan a good life for themselves and their children, but also to better inform state systems changes through deep engagement with families and to successfully advocate for those changes.

3:45-5:00 PM EST: The Power of Leading a Self-Determined Life Through Person-Centered Planning
Presenters: Kelie Hess, Tricia Jones-Parkin, Aubrey Snyder
As the Utah School to Work Interagency Transition Initiative enters its 5th year of the project, we have identified a need for building self-advocacy skills and focusing on strengthening individualized opportunities and aligning service plans prior to work experiences and going through the process of discovery. The school to work project is introducing person-centered planning tools and the process with students entering their first year of post-high with the goal of 1. Students directing IEP and person-centered planning meetings 2. Aligning goals across service systems and life domains 3. Development and exploration of individualized work and community-based experiences to inform and strengthen the Discovery and Customized Job Development process.

Inclusion in surveys and the census of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is a civil right. Being visible in that data - that is, being identifiable as a distinct group by disability status - is essential in order for needs and inequities to be identified and addressed. The Roadmap for Health Equity Data for Persons with IDD 2020-2030 is a collaborative cross-agency and multi-stakeholder initiative led by the Administration for Community Living. Its vision is to build a robust health surveillance system for people with IDD that is used to inform policies, programs and projections. This presentation will report on progress of the past year in drafting the Roadmap based on multiple-stakeholders' input. Presenters will provide an overview of: 1) the Roadmap process and activities for the coming decade, including IDD identifiers for national health surveillance, 2) leveraging federal, state and private insurer administrative data, and 3) communicating findings.

The recording for this session is located under the title, "About TASH Talks (Part 1). NOTE: TASH Talks are a take off the popular “Ted Talks” - short 8- to 10-minute presentations on critically important topics facing the disability rights movement followed by a brief Q & A session during the one-hour session.

Disability is a natural reflection of human diversity and variation. Disability is also inherently intersectional, so no two people have the same lived experience of disability. People with disabilities form the most intersectional of all identity groups, and we know that disabled people form the only identity group that any person (regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, class, religion, etc.) can join at any time in their life. In this short session, we will explore disability as a social identity and the ways in which disability interacts with our other identities. The presenter will draw connections to her own personal story of having the privilege of being able to choose whether or not she discloses that she has non-apparent disabilities - while unpacking the ways in which her other identities compound or diminish her overall social privilege. This TASH Talk will conclude by questioning whether or not important concepts such as privilege, oppression, and disability identity are investigated deeply enough by disability organizations and professionals.

In this session, the Virginia Center for Inclusive Practice at Radford University will share what we have learned working with families in Virginia who have successfully advocated for their own child's inclusion but want to become part of the larger movement promoting inclusive practice for all PreK-12 students. The session will provide participants with a set of tools for advocating for inclusive schools in their own communities. This session will also provide support for those who want to advocate for a greater commitment to inclusive practice in their school divisions. We will share already prepared 3, 5 and 10-minute PowerPoint Presentations with talking points and handouts to be used to present to Building Teams, Special Education Advisory Boards, parent groups, or School Boards. We will work together to brainstorm the next steps each participant can take!

The concept of teacher agency can serve as an important lens through which to understand teachers' everyday practices. It acknowledges both individual teachers' efforts in providing better inclusive education services and contextual factors' vital role in shaping such work. This preliminary study explores what personal and contextual factors affect teacher agency for teaching students with disabilities in an inclusive environment and how inclusion and justice-oriented special educators make sense of their professional agency. Preliminary analysis of the interview data from four special educators indicated that navigating the mismatch between the professional identity and school contexts, engaging in collegial collaboration, seeking principal support, and being in a leadership position were perceived as the major enabling and/or constraining factors. Furthermore, special educator's sense-making of agency demonstrated the multifaced, relational, and temporal nature of teacher agency.

Due to limited access to hearing and vision, individuals who are deafblind (DB) often need support from others to access their environment. Some professionals who provide that access are interveners and support service providers (SSPs). It is crucial for the success of DB individuals that education personnel, administrators, and agencies have an awareness and understanding of each role. These roles continue to develop as professionals better understand the needs of individuals who are DB. For example, the role of an intervener is still evolving and gaining recognition within the educational system as one that significantly enhances access to the general education curriculum for students who are DB. The role of the SSP, while not utilized within the school environment, is a vital role that supports independence and self-determined behaviors into adulthood. It is imperative that families and professionals understand these roles and convey this knowledge to others.

This study examined the curricular areas and contexts in which students with intellectual disability (ID) receive instruction. Participants (N = 57) were high school special educators from Pennsylvania with at least one student with ID on their caseload that took the state's alternate assessment and received educational services for at least a part of the day at a public school that educated students with and without disabilities. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. Results indicated that all students received instruction in academic areas, most in functional areas, and slightly fewer in non-academic/functional areas. Instruction in academic and functional areas was primarily provided in special education classrooms. Students from urban/suburban areas were more likely to receive instruction in the school building than those in rural areas. Students with severe/profound level of ID were more likely to get instruction in the community than those with mild/moderate needs.

Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework that can be inclusive of all students with disabilities, including those with significant cognitive disabilities. MTSS provides an opportunity for integrating general and special education so students with significant cognitive disabilities access and progress in the general education curriculum in inclusive classrooms. However, often how MTSS is designed and implemented is not inclusive of all students. By isolating the instructional systems for students with significant cognitive disabilities, the concept that all students are general education students first and that special education is a supplementary service is virtually negated. This session provides a MTSS framework that is inclusive of students with significant cognitive disabilities with examples of how this could be implemented in schools.

The purpose of this review was to summarize single-case intervention studies involving paraprofessional-implemented interventions in inclusive school settings for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Studies were synthesized to summarize participant and setting characteristics, intervention characteristics, and the quality of the studies. Intervention effect across study participants also was calculated. Implications for practice, limitations, and areas for future research will be addressed.

We describe a professional development and coaching package that supporting general and special educators to implement inclusive small group literacy instruction. In this multiple baseline across skills study, three teachers received professional development and ongoing performance feedback to integrate a multicomponent shared reading intervention into small group literacy center rotations that included one student with extensive support needs (ESN) in general education classrooms. All teachers implemented engagement strategies, systematic instruction, and accurate data collection on student responses with high fidelity the following professional development package. There was no negative impact on student comprehension and teachers reported the lessons were meaningful to all students. Attendees leave with examples accessible books, professional development materials, and coaching strategies they can implement in their practice. Implications for practice and research are shared.

To explore how schools include students with severe disabilities in school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS), we interviewed 15 school administrators, special educators, and general educators from schools implementing SWPBIS during the 2019-2020 school year. We asked all school members to describe how students with severe disabilities were included in SWPBIS systems procedures, practices, and data collection. In addition to identifying specific strategies for promoting and barriers that hindered inclusion within SWPBIS, educators also described their willingness to implement evidence-based practices to promote inclusion in SWPBIS. In this presentation we will present themes that emerged from qualitative analysis and implications for research and practice pertaining to the inclusion of students with severe disabilities in SWPBIS.

This session addresses the topic of inclusion with particular focus on the importance of seeking parent input and perspective in our efforts to include children with disabilities in the general education classroom. Pre-service teachers interview parents of children with disabilities and collaborate on ways to create programs that engage all students in meaningful activities that promote student success in the inclusive classroom. The descriptive results suggest that parents of children with disabilities offer a great deal of knowledge and wisdom on ways to successfully include students when given an opportunity for their voices to be heard.

This presentation will share findings from a four-year, mixed methods study focused on advancing inclusion for middle school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The project was focused on supporting a general education science teacher and special education teacher in increasing student participation and learning in general education science. The study involved a series of single-case interventions, paired with teacher professional development focused on inclusion and collaboration, over a four-year period. Data sources included single-case intervention data on student academic outcomes and engagement, teacher and student interviews, and classroom observations. The presentation will include a discussion of teacher and student outcomes as well as the ways mixed methods approaches can enhance understanding of classroom context and student learning.

Disability advocates have often ignored/avoided the dynamic interaction of race and disability in the lives of people who experience both. The concepts of racism and ableism are commonly addressed separately but they are inextricably linked, and this presentation will work to highlight these connections. This presentation will examine the unique intersection of racism and ableism through the lens of social role valorization. Advocacy cannot be effective without understanding the intersectional nature of devaluation. The presenters will guide attendees to raise their consciousness while offering an opportunity to gain language and skill in navigating this space.

In light of the death of George Floyd, the World turned its attention to race relations. Protests were held, Marches were held and demonstrations in all areas of life raised awareness of race relations. Students discussed these topics in online meetings. Often students with moderate to severe disabilities are left out of the conversation. Fear of the reaction of the students and families limit their participation in this matter.

There are many aspects of an inclusive classroom that need to be addressed when students with the most significant cognitive disabilities are included in the classroom. Grading for assignments and report cards is one aspect that often creates a barrier to a successful inclusive classroom experience for all involved Ð teachers, parents, and students.

School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is a tiered framework designed to support the behavioral needs of all students in a school (Horner et al., 2010). All students should receive Tier 1 supports, including direct teaching of behavioral expectations and a school-wide reward system (Horner et al., 2010). It is expected that some students will need additional Tier 2 support (Horner et al., 2010). Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) is a research-based Tier 2 support based on behavior report cards and reinforcement (Crone et al., 2010). Although there is a substantial research base supporting the positive effects of CICO to date, there is limited research on the effects of CICO for students with ESN (Maggin et al., 2015). This is critical because CICO is efficient to implement and can be effective in reducing challenging behavior and increasing positive behavior (Hawken et al., 2015).

When schools decide to improve their inclusive practices, they often consider how to increase the time that learners with disabilities spend in general education settings, or consider which classes might be a good match based on how teachers deliver instruction. This results in increased 'minutes' of general education placement, but does not necessarily increase 'inclusion' aka membership, meaningful participation and learning aligned with grade level standards. In these partial participation scenarios, students with disabilities are not equitably accessing general education. In this session, the presenter will describe a comprehensive approach to school-wide planning that begins with developing a shared understanding of inclusion, reflection on current practices, intentional targeting of grades for intensive student planning for full participation as valued members and learners.

This session presents a framework and processes for supporting students with significant cognitive disabilities during distance and hybrid education that aligns across school and home. The session highlights several distance learning resources filled with practical tips, and includes suggestions for creating inclusive school communities during distance and hybrid education.

As school systems across the country develop virtual learning opportunities for their students, many of our students with low vision and blindness who learn through more tactile methods are being left behind. In order to make sure school leaders and educators are considering our students with visual impairments and blindness, we must develop collaborative models for differentiation and inclusive practices even in online learning platforms. This presentation will include basic strategies for considering our tactile learners and provide collaborative models for engaging school IEP teams in supporting our students with visual impairments and blindness in virtual instruction. Digital work completion will continue to be a critical part of the learning expectations for our students.This session will help school teams create inclusive plans for distance learning for students with visual impairments and blindness.

This presentation will describe a multi-university, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Inclusion project designed to improve the practices of childcare providers and special education teachers in diverse urban settings. Presenters provided professional development (PD) to early childhood daycare and preschool personnel to improve practices that support PBIS and inclusion. Participants will learn about the rationale for the project, the PD model and preliminary/baseline data.

The recording for this session is located under the title, "About TASH Talks (Part II). NOTE: TASH Talks are a take off the popular “Ted Talks” - short 8- to 10-minute presentations on critically important topics facing the disability rights movement followed by a brief Q & A session during the one-hour session.

In this literature review, I explored the experiences of students ages birth-22 with disabilities and their families with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. I considered two features of the remote learning experience: implementation of remote learning for students in special education by state and families' initial experiences with remote learning during the pandemic. I found that remote learning special education guidance and implementation varied widely by state and shifted throughout the pandemic. Reports of initial experiences with remote learning for students with disabilities indicated that parents had concerns with their children having access to educational curriculum, related services, and their support needs being met in the remote learning environment. In my discussion, I considered examining exemplar state-level guidance and families' experiences navigating remote learning to be possible mechanisms for strengthening future inclusive educational practices.

What do we know about creating a meaningful life after high school? The presenters discuss their personal and professional perspectives around transition for their sons who were successfully included during their school-age years. Although both presenters hold doctorates in special education and have spent much of their professional lives teaching about and advocating for inclusive education, neither were prepared for the challenges faces as their sons left school and transitioned into the adult world. The presenters will discuss what they learned on their journey to expand inclusive opportunities and provide recommendations for illuminating the path forward.