Conference Program 

Equity, Opportunity and Inclusion

TASH 2007 brings together experiences, research, and our shared mission.  It offers opportunities to get involved and to become a source of change in your community.

With more than 200 peer-reviewed talks on the latest research findings, innovations and national issues helping to open doors for people with significant disabilities.

Final Conference Program (PDF) 

Wednesday, December 5 (text)

Thursday, December 6 (text)

Friday, December 7 (text)

Saturday, December 8 (text)

Conference session at TASH 2007 will focus on the following topics and levels of information.
Topic Areas:

Advocacy/Self – Advocacy: Acquire advocacy skills
Preventive Approaches to Challenging Behavior: Find effective methods for teaching alternative ways to communicate and decrease the use of problem behavior.

Communication and Social Interactions: What Works. Gain information on enhancing the communication of individuals with severe communication impairments. 

Community Living: Listen, learn, and participate with a variety of individuals and agencies that have a long term commitment to individual community supports

Inclusive Education:
There are many issues affecting the delivery of inclusive special education services, ranging from teacher knowledge to administrative structures to individual attitudes. Education sessions have been grouped into categories to help participants identify those sessions of most interest to them. 
 
Philosophy of Inclusion: Local and international perspectives on the evolution or philosophy of inclusive education and how it affects service delivery.

Educational Advocacy and IEP Participation: Learn more about IEP development, parent-school partnerships, and self-advocacy by students.

Curriculum & Instruction Strategies that work: Educators, administrators, and family members will enjoy these sessions that address strategies for teaching students within the general education curriculum.

Restructuring for Inclusive Schools:  Learn successful change strategies and discuss district or school restructuring efforts within the current educational climate.

Transition Planning for Life Beyond School:  Best and proven practices in planning the transition of services and planning for post-school participation in the community.

Post Secondary Education: Find inclusive post-secondary education options for students with significant disabilities are described.

Preparation of Personnel: Explore and get a handle on what’s new in teacher education. 

Education Assessment: This topic area focuses on delivering meaningful evaluations and improving outcomes through effective design and alternate assessment.

Educational Interventions for Students With The Most Significant Cognitive and Sensory Disabilities: Learn about innovative, evidence-based practices to increase communication skills in this population of students and effectively transition high school aged students to post secondary environments.

Employment Supports (or Employment and Careers): Gain personal, organizational and state systems perspectives for creating individualized employment options and providing meaningful work opportunities.
 Friendships and Family Relationships Considerations and Opportunities: Discuss family issues, including considerations for international families and the unique perceptions of parents and siblings.  

International Culture and Disability: These sessions provide an opportunity for enhancing cultural competency and promoting cross-cultural exchanges that advance our knowledge of diversity and improve our practice for enriching the quality of education and life for people with disabilities.

Legal and Public Policy Issues: Family members, educators, and other service providers will enjoy these sessions that discuss current trends in the law that affect people with disabilities.  Sessions also include policy discussions that influence those trends.

Determining My Future: Person-Centered Planning: Find resources that enable people with disabilities to direct their own journey to success, and provide information for family members and support staff to learn how to act as guides.

Perspectives on Disability: Dispel inappropriate myths and beliefs by sharing first hand experiences of these prejudices and behaviors.  Even the most seasoned of disability advocates will have the opportunity to become more accepting by attending these sessions.

Level of information: 

 A. Theory concepts and practices: introductory
 B. Theory concepts and practices: Innovations and advancements
 C. Research findings
 D. Service delivery models
 E. Discussion of a controversial issue