TASH 2024 Webinar Series

Thursday, October 3, 2024

How to Participate This series of live webinars will be streamed over the web via Zoom. Registered participants will receive an e-mail with instructions, the link to join the webinar and any other materials on Wednesday (the day prior) and a reminder the morning of the event. Each workshop will be 50 minutes to an hour and 20 minutes, consisting of a discussion of the main topic of the webinar by the presenters, with about ten minutes at the end for questions and answers. Registration is free for TASH Members and $25 for non-members. You need to be logged in to your member account for the system to apply your member discount. If you don’t know your member account login and password, you can find instructions for resetting them here. All presentations will be recorded and available for purchase in the TASH Training Resource Library, or available without additional charge to applicable TASH members. Not presently eligible for the membership discount? Become a member today and save. If you have any questions or need help, you can contact Donald Taylor at dtaylor@tash.org or (202) 878-6959.
About the series
	2:00-3:00 PM Eastern, Thursday, April 11, 2024 The Power of Inclusion Aaron DeVries As the parent of a child with a disability I have witnessed how powerful inclusion can be for everyone involved. It is powerful for both the person with a disability and those in the community around them. It is important that all of us include those who are different than us to have a more fulfilling community. I have shared some of my story in a TEDx talk that can be found on YouTube. Those students who qualify for special education under the category of multiple disabilities are often sent down a path of being segregated from their peers from the beginning. The more people who know the importance of inclusion for these students the more likely they will be included in the community both in school and later in life. By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Define inclusion List the benefits of inclusion Identify ways that can include those around them Learn the importance of inclusion and how they can help Aaron DeVries is the founder of The Inclusive Dad, an organization whose mission is “Building stronger communities through inclusion.” His commitment to “Inclusion” is evidenced by the tattoo on his left arm. He is the father of two young adults. He was thrust into the world of disabilities and special education after his daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy and cerebral palsy at an early age. He has spent over 15 years advocating for inclusion for his daughter in school and the community. He has served on various boards and committees of disability related organizations. He has given a TEDx talk entitled “The Power of Inclusion”. Keywords: Inclusive Education, K-12 Education Register for this Episode

	2:00-3:00 PM Eastern, Thursday, April 18, 2024 Comparing Educational Environments: A Systematic Review of Empirical Findings Elyse Schirmer Least restrictive environment is inconsistently implemented across the USA, ranging from 54.8% to 16.1% of students being pulled from regular classes. How does instruction and students’ outcomes compare from inclusive settings to separate settings? Does this inconsistent implementation of special education placements across the USA create inequitable opportunities for students? Overall, this systematic literature review identified and selected 18 articles with empirical research comparing special education placements. The findings demonstrate that students who are placed in inclusive settings with supports and services experience better access to general education standards, better access to specially designed instruction, make more academic growth, and make more progress in their social skills development than those who are placed in separate settings or a combination of both. By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Define special education and the least restrictive environment. Compare the instruction and student outcomes of various educational environments. Decide if educational opportunities are equitable for students with special education needs. Suggest implications and strategies for IEP teams to make decisions with this knowledge. Elyse Schirmer is a PhD student and adjunct faculty member at the University of Rochester, New York. She has ten years of experience as a special education teacher in various educational environments, schools districts, and states, as well as three years of experience as the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) District Coach at Greece Central School District, New York. Her research interests include inclusive education and educational environments for students with special education needs. Keywords: Inclusive Education, K-12 Education, Least restrictive environment, Access to curriculum, Academic outcomes, Social skills development, Specialized instruction Register for this Episode

	2:00-3:00 PM Eastern, Thursday, April 25, 2024 Empowering Autonomy: Safeguarding Disabled Rights through Community Safety and Self-Advocacy Lisa Shaw Courtney Burnett This presentation explores empowering autonomy for disabled individuals through community safety and self-advocacy. It emphasizes the importance of inclusive communities, accessible environments, and equal opportunities. By showcasing successful self-advocacy strategies and addressing barriers to community safety, the presentation inspires participants to become advocates for disabled rights and create a society that upholds autonomy and eliminates barriers. By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Understand the fundamental principles and importance of safeguarding the human rights of disabled individuals within the context of community safety and self-advocacy. Identify the barriers and challenges faced by disabled individuals in accessing their rights and achieving autonomy, focusing on community safety. Explore effective strategies and approaches for promoting self-advocacy among disabled individuals, empowering them to assert their rights and participate in decision-making processes. Gain insights into the significance of creating inclusive communities that prioritize safety, accessibility, and equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their abilities. Lisa Shaw is an IEP Coach and Postsecondary Transition Specialist. Lisa’s valuable lived experience with her own sight-impairment and autistic son ignites a passion to help parents cultivate a vision for the future of their special needs child after high school and provide the services needed to make that future happen! Courtney Burnett is a board-certified advocate in special education. Courtney grew up on an IEP and has a learning disability herself; because of this, Courtney understands how essential IEP services are. Courtney is passionate about helping families understand special education and IEPs. Keywords:Self-Advocacy, Autonomy, Equity, Opportunity, Inclusion, Community Safety Register for this Episode
	2:00-3:00 PM Eastern, Thursday, May 9, 2024 Pulling the Plug on Ableism Abby George For the past year, SEEC (Silver Spring MD), has been working with Subject Matter Expert, Jennifer White of Able Opportunities, to understand ableism and dismantle it through the use of Person Driven Technology. Ableism is the mindset that people with disabilities are unable to communicate, understand and make choices for themselves. We have tackled this toxic mindset by putting smart screen technology in the hands of the people we support and their staff. We’ve empowered people to advocate for themselves in their communities by ordering their own food at a restaurant, in their homes by creating visual schedules with photos and making self-advocacy films to help staff better understand how to support them. This work has led to a culture shift at SEEC, where we recognize our innate ableism, but stop it in its tracks to be more equitable to the people we support. In this workshop you will learn the strategies and tech tools needed to address Ableism. Participants will: Learn what Ableism is and acknowledge it in ourselves. Learn techniques to combat ableism (modeling and inviting, hand under hand, calling in, compliance to alliance). Demonstrate visual schedules and choice-making tools. Hear testimonials from SEEC staff who have been part of the person-driven tech pilot. Abby George has been with SEEC since 2014 and has served in many roles ranging from employment services to curriculum development to staff training. She currently serves as Person Driven Technology Manager and is helping SEEC create more opportunities for people supported to advocate for themselves using low and high tech tools. Abby lives in Frederick, Maryland with her husband and two dogs and is always on the lookout for the next good true crime podcast! Kyra Harvey, is currently working at SEEC as an Instructional Resource Coordinator, with a bachelors and master’s in social work from The National Treasure Morgan State University. Kyra has developed and facilitated life skill classes for adults with disabilities such as money management, home and housing, and sexuality. She is excited to work on technology as a strategy and not the solution for the people supported at her agency. It has sparked a shift in thinking about Ableism and how depth can be built into support services. Keywords: Human Rights, Technology, ableism, technology, person-driven, organizational change Register for this Episode

	2:00-3:00 PM Eastern, Thursday, May 23, 2024 Always A Second Thought: Examining Barriers to Education for Students with Disabilities through Pandemic-Related Changes Haley Clark As all students, caregivers and educators alike managed the unprecedented changes to education through the public health crisis, students with disabilities continue to face barriers to education and discrimination. Using semi-structured interviews with caring adults, primary caregivers or educators including paraprofessionals of elementary school students, this study explored the barriers that students with disabilities faced throughout the pandemic-related changes. Key topics of concern were the physical alterations in the classroom, transition to online learning, and lack of continued support disabled students throughout the pandemic. Some of the most prevalent barriers included the lack of routine, lack of support and resources online, and changes to the school climate. Aside from the social and academic impacts, caring adults also expressed behavioral changes in their students directly related to the barriers to education throughout the pandemic related changes. This session will use disability studies literature to discuss the barriers and ableist attitudes towards disabled students throughout the pandemic and discuss some strategies for creating affirming and inclusive spaces post-pandemic. By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Highlight the barriers to education for students with disabilities through the pandemic-related changes Identify systemic dis-ablement and ableist tendencies throughout the educational systems Critically examine how they can support students with disabilities post-pandemic Haley Clark is a PhD student in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. Her research focuses on lived experiences of systemic ableism and disability identity in education, particularly as this relates to Autism and ADHD. Haley’s background in the sociology of education and critical disability studies spurs her active involvement in inclusive education: she is a Special Education Advisory Board member for Autism Ontario, Co-Chair of the Rosa Bruno Jofré Symposium in Education, Graduate Student Mentorship Coordinator in Faculty of Education at Queen’s, Add*ed Research Group Coordinator and Secretary/Treasurer for Canadian Society of Social Justice Education. Haley has presented at numerous regional and international conferences on ableism and disability identity including TASH. She is a published author in the area of disability studies and mentorship. Haley completed her Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice and Public Policy with a minor in Family and Child Studies) and her Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Guelph. Keywords: Inclusive Education, COVID-19, pandemic-related changes, students with disabilities, disability studies, systemic ableism Register for this Episode

	2:00-3:00 PM Eastern, Thursday, September 26, 2024 Using Business Process Improvement Strategies to Customize Employment Opportunities Laura Owens Customizing jobs is really about process improvement. The Lean process is a business methodology that helps companies eliminate “waste” from the day-to-day operations of the business and focus on delivering value to customers. Customized employment is a strategy that identifies the passions and interests of a job seeker with a disability to identify and develop employment opportunities tailored to the individual while adding value to the business. Using Lean strategies, we are able to match job seekers with businesses by creating unique opportunities for process improvement while focusing on individual interests and skills. This session will discuss the components and essential elements of customized employment connecting them to the Lean process. Examples of Customized Employment successes will be shared. Participants will be able to: Identify the difference between job placement and job development Identify strategies to customize employment opportunities for job seekers using the Lean process improvement process Identify how the Lean process improvement principles align with customized employment Learn how customized employment strategies can be implemented through examples Laura Owens, Ph.D., CESP is the President of TransCen and a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Exceptional Education Department where she teaches courses focusing on high school inclusion and transition from school to work. She is also the founder and President of Creative Employment Opportunities, Inc. (CEO), in Milwaukee, which she founded in 1991. Prior to joining TransCen, Laura served as the Executive Director of APSE (the Association of People Supporting Employment First), a national organization focusing on the advancement of integrated employment for citizens with disabilities. She is an internationally known speaker having presented to businesses, organizations, schools, and at conferences in Israel, Ireland, Croatia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Chile, and Portugal. Keywords: Employment, Competitive Integrated Employment, Customized Employment, Employer Engagement Register for this Episode

	2:00-3:00 PM Eastern, Thursday, October 3, 2024 Relational Health: A Path to Restoring Whole Person Health and Building Family Resilience Kellie Green Relational Health is the cornerstone of human health and development. This presentation will offer a framing of the health outcomes associated with isolation and family separation and the importance of relational richness as the key contributor of health and well-being across the life course. In reframing the view of health, and including relational health as an integral part, we begin to reframe how we respond to families. Human beings, at core biology, operate relationally. This beginning impacts all other “types” of health and knowing this we can adjust course on how we understand, conceptualize and build health in society, including amongst marginalized groups like children and families who experience isolation. We offer a perspective of power, framed about who owns health; people own their health, in communities and membership in those communities. People hold the capability and capacity for change. This is health and healing. Learning Participants will be offered meta-data as foundational to a new conceptualization of thought and subsequent action around the definition of relational health, actionable change around health-building activities, and a healthcare specific approach for both. Relationships and social connections are one of the most important protective factors families have that can help keep children safe from abuse and neglect. Our health system today is focused on what makes people unhealthy and we aim to diagnose these issues and treat them with intervention and medicine. This discussion will offer a wholistic view on what keeps families healthy and safe from abuse and neglect. Kellie Green is Director, Child and Family Health at CareSource. Kellie works collaboratively with business leaders, key partners and state and federal leaders to develop products, programs and solutions to improve health care outcomes and quality of life for children with complex health needs and their families. Kellie has more than 15 years of experience as Director, Medicaid and Children’s Mental Health for the Kansas Department for Children and Families; Director, Communication and Recruitment for KVC Health Systems; Director, Intensive In-Home Services; Kansas Intensive Permanency Project (KIPP) Supervisor; and In-Home Family Therapist Supervisor for KVC Health Systems. Kellie earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Nebraska Wesleyan University and master’s degree in counseling and guidance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and a Mental Health First Aid Certified Trainer. Keywords: Community Living, Family Support, relational health Register for this Episode