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Concurrent Sessions Group C

Monday, November 9, 2026

4:00 pm - 5:15 pm

Meeting Level

Concurrent sessions are 75-minute small group discussions or panel presentations.

Meetings & Sessions

Using Game-Based Learning to Teach and Practice Real-World Skills

Game-based Learning (GBL) is a fun and innovative way to teach and practice new skills. Games create immersive learning environments where participants can safely try new things, make mistakes, and learn from their experiences. In this presentation, participants will have the chance to play two newly-created games designed in collaboration with young adults with IDD and to discuss how GBL can be used across settings.

Presenter(s)

Sarah Lineberry, PhD

Program Evaluation Associate Partnership for People with Disabilities, UCEDD/LEND

Co Presenter(s)

Seb Prohn, PhD, VA - Partnership for People with Disabilities, UCEDD/LEND

#Ready2Work: A Workforce Readiness Model for Incarcerated Youth with Developmental and Other Disabilities

#Ready2Work is an eight-session workforce readiness intervention implemented at New Beginnings Youth Development Center, a secure 60-bed residential facility in Laurel, MD serving Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services committed youth. This pilot program, designed for incarcerated youth with developmental and related disabilities, utilizes a strengths-based, experiential framework to build skills in communication, professionalism, and job readiness. Preliminary outcomes indicate increased self-advocacy, improved employability skills, and enhanced readiness for community reintegration.

Presenter(s)

Erica Thomas, MS

Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, UCEDD/LEND

Co Presenter(s)

Susan Brooks
Breeanna Reyes

From Listening to Action: Community Conversations as a Tool for Engagement, Learning, and Systems Improvement

How do you learn what people really need? One way is Community Conversations. In this interactive session, presenters from three projects will share how they used Community Conversations to listen to people with disabilities, families, educators, researchers, and community leaders. Participants will learn the basics of the model, experience a mini Community Conversation, and leave with practical ideas for using this approach to guide programs, research, and systems change.

Presenter(s)

Kris Herakovich Curtis, EdD

Co-Director, Project CONNECTS & VTSS Systems Coach Partnership for People with Disabilities, UCEDD/LEND

Co Presenter(s)

Kim Dupre, VA - Partnership for People with Disabilities, UCEDD/LEND
Jenn Bumble
Seb Prohn, VA - Partnership for People with Disabilities, UCEDD/LEND

Purposeful Direct Service for DSPs: Integrating Administrative Tasks into Person-Centered Care

Purposeful Direct Service explores how Direct Support Professionals and supervisors can integrate documentation, planning, and compliance responsibilities into meaningful daily interactions. Through person-centered staffing, compatibility-based support, and intentional engagement strategies, participants will learn practical approaches that strengthen relationships, reduce administrative burden, improve outcomes, and promote belonging. Relevant for DSPs, Supervisors, Program Managers, Directors, Case Managers, and other IDD service professionals,

Presenter(s)

Stephanie Higginbottom, Master Public Administration

Program Director Hope House Foundation

Co Presenter(s)

Shannon Pociask, BS of Social Work, Hope House Foundation/IDD Provider in VA

Data-Driven Decision Making to Improve Outcomes among People with IDD who have Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions

This session examines mental health among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), integrating National Core Indicators-IDD data with systems-change efforts. Presentations explore state variation in mental health identification and treatment, associations among psychotropic medication use, falls, and community participation, and The Link Center's work to improve cross-system coordination and access to person-centered, disability-competent mental health services. Relevant disciplines include mental health, psychotropic medication, and disability research and policy.

Presenter(s)

James Houseworth,

Institute on Community Integration, UCEDD/LEND

Co Presenter(s)

Zandam Hussaini, Human Services Research Institute
Lindsay DuBois, Human Services Research Institute
Dorothy Hiersteiner, Human Services Research Institute
Stacy Nonnemacher, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services
Laura Vegas, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services

Contributing Author(s)

Roger Stancliffe, MN - Institute on Community Integration, UCEDD/LEND
Sandra Pettingell, MN - Institute on Community Integration, UCEDD/LEND
Renata Ticha, MN - Institute on Community Integration, UCEDD/LEND
Yi-Chen Wu, MN - Institute on Community Integration, UCEDD/LEND

Stronger Together: Community Networking through Lived Experience

In this workshop, participants will learn from those with lived experience how to leverage their connections to make long-lasting and meaningful change. Leaders will leave with a complete relationship map that identifies areas of strengths and opportunities to grow. Please join us for this informative session as we help you build your network. This workshop is applicable for all disciplines.

Presenter(s)

Rita Despres, Master of Education

Ms. Institute on Disability, UCEDD/LEND

Co Presenter(s)

Karin Mortimer, Certificate, NH - Institute on Disability, UCEDD/LEND
Alex Beauchner, NH - Institute on Disability, UCEDD/LEND

"Pacific Innovations: A Collective and Broader Impact Across the Pacific Territories"

Navigate the Pacific as we weave a collective impact across the islands. Below the equator, American Samoa pioneers a system-designed HCBS through Money-Follows-the-Person in a non-c-waiver community. Northwest, CNMI demonstrates Disability Integration Fund partnership revolutionizes employment and transition. Guam's innovative collaboration charting across three US-affiliated Pacific entities. Join the journey how regional partnerships transform systems and empower the developmental disability community across the Pacific Ocean.

Presenter(s)

Tafaimamao Tupuola, M.Ed

State Director PB- Pacific Basin Program (AS & CNMI), UCEDD

Co Presenter(s)

June De Leon, PhD, GU - Guam Center for Excellence in Disabilities Education, UCEDD
Eileen Babauta, MP - Pacific Basin UCE/Northern Mariana Islands, UCEDD

Beyond Job Training: Partnership-Based Scaffolding for Transition, Employment, and Independence

Most transition models ask whether participants have skills to succeed. This panel offers a different approach: a layered scaffolding model in which providers, participants, employers, and community partners are each supported. Rather than placing the burden of inclusion on participants alone, responsibility is shared across a network. Presenters include a founder, program director, participant, and business partner, offering a framework for transition ecosystems that strengthen employment, independence, and community inclusion.

Presenter(s)

Megan Finnegan,

Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University, UCEDD/LEND

Co Presenter(s)

Amy O'Dell, MEd, The Jacob's Ladder Group
Jake Bryant, Twin Branch Nursery & Landscape
Karla Giltner, Currie Rose Interiors

Assistive Technology Provision in Schools: Challenges and Strategies for Overcoming Them

Many school-age children don't have access to the assistive technology they need for learning, engagement and productivity. This facilitated discussion will examine barriers to AT access experienced across the country and then discuss approaches, strategies and resources that have succeeded in breaking down barriers. The presenters will share strategies that have been pursued in Delaware, and participants will be encouraged to discuss approaches that have worked in their locales.

Presenter(s)

Beth Mineo, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Director Center for Disabilities Studies, UCEDD/LEND

Co Presenter(s)

Hannah Mennella, M.A., CCC-SLP, DE - Center for Disabilities Studies, UCEDD/LEND

Tools to Enhance Research Partnerships with and Research Participation of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Researchers strive to include people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as research partners and participants. Yet gaps in knowledge, skills, and resources challenge our ability to deliver on the promise of knowledge generation practices that are fully inclusive. We will introduce attendees to three tools that support responsible inclusion in research. Then, attendees will collaborate to brainstorm how they will use these tools to enhance inclusion in their research.

Presenter(s)

Ariel Schwartz, PhD

Research Assistant Professor Institute on Disability, UCEDD/LEND

Co Presenter(s)

Katherine McDonald, PhD, Syracuse University
Micah Peace-Urquilla, BA, Self-advocate and Researcher, NH - Institute on Disability, UCEDD/LEND
Maya Sabatello, PhD, Columbia University
Tia Nelis, TASH

Understanding FASD at the Cellular Level

This introductory session will explore the genetics and epigenetics of FASD in accessible language. Participants will learn how prenatal alcohol exposure can influence development at the cellular level and how this knowledge contributes to understanding FASD.

Presenter(s)

Mirian Ofonedu , MGC, CGC

Kennedy Krieger Institute, UCEDD/LEND

Test Day Isn't Enough: Family Support Before and After Pediatric Psychological Assessment

Pediatric psychological assessments are essential for diagnosis and treatment planning, yet families often face barriers before and after an evaluation. This symposium highlights strategies to improve appointment attendance, better understand family-reported barriers, and support implementation through a novel follow-up clinical service model. Relevant to psychologists, clinical directors, supervisors, trainees, and researchers interested in improving family engagement, equitable access, and pediatric assessment practice.

Presenter(s)

Allison Gornik, PhD

Psychologist/Faculty Kennedy Krieger Institute, UCEDD/LEND

Co Presenter(s)

Ashley Ortiz, PhD, MD - Kennedy Krieger Institute, UCEDD/LEND
Ying Wu, PhD, MD - Kennedy Krieger Institute, UCEDD/LEND

Arizona's Partnership Model for Employment First Systems Change

Arizona's Employment First progress is supported by partners with different roles and a shared commitment to competitive integrated employment. Representatives from the Arizona Office of Employment First, Arizona Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council will discuss how they coordinate funding, policy, training, community engagement, and implementation. Participants will gain practical strategies for building equitable partnerships that move Employment First from shared philosophy to sustained systems change.

Presenter(s)

Gina Griffiths, MSW

Employment First Coordinator Sonoran UCEDD

Co Presenter(s)

Jon Meyers, Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council
Kristen Mackey, Arizona RSA
Jessica Winchester, Arizona Office of Employment First, Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, AZ - Sonoran UCEDD
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