Parent-Mediated Responsive Feeding Therapy for Tube Weaning in Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions: A Comparative Case Series

The purpose this program is to compare outcomes of a combined hunger-based and parent-mediated responsive feeding approach in three children with neurodevelopmental conditions and longstanding G-tube dependence.​

Person-Centered Service Planning Practices Supporting People with IDD Across the United States

Person-centered service planning (PCSP) is an integral component of Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) for individuals with IDD. This research project examines PCSP practices, as implemented by case managers, in IDD 1915(c) Medicaid waivers across the US. Results indicate a wide range of processes, offering a preliminary understanding of how PCSP practices differ across states. This presentation is relevant to professionals, disability advocates, and other attendees interested in HCBS.

?Neurodivergent people just get each other?: Navigating friendship and community in the transition to adulthood for autistic adults.

Qualitative interviews with transition-age autistic adults provide insight into their experiences building meaningful friendships and relationships during the journey into adulthood. Attendees will learn the barriers autistic adults encountered in forming meaningful connections and strategies for finding community in adulthood for autistic young adults.

Understanding social support needs and motivations of parents of children with disabilities

This study examined the types of social support available to parents of children with disabilities in West Virginia. The study was focused on understanding the motivating factors, barriers, and facilitators that influence participation in social support groups. Findings will provide insight into the emerging preferences for social support offered through informal, peer-based social activities compared to formal support models and identify the determinants that influence participation in social support.

"My Father Always Believed in Me": A Self-Advocate's Perspective on Family Caregiving at the End of Life

THIS POSTER EXPLORES THE PERIPHERY OF CARE IN A FAMILY BY LOOKING AT THE LIFE OF AN ADULT SELF-ADVOCATE, MELISSA PICCINATI, WHOM SHARON MARTS (LEND TRAINEE) MET IN 2024 AS A WRITING COACH. SHARON WAS INSPIRED BY MELISSA'S EXPERIENCE OF SUPPORTIVE CAREGIVING (ALONGSIDE HER MOTHER, PRIMARY CAREGIVER OF HER FATHER) & SIBLINGS. THIS ALIGNED WITH FINDINGS FROM SHARON'S 2013 DOCTORAL STUDY SHOWING HOW BRIDGED GENERATIONS FIND RESILIENCE IN FAMILY CARE.

The Student Behind the Mask: Self-Advocating After Years of Silent Struggles

Many students living with invisible disabilities come across as proficient in their academic work while silently struggling with executive functioning, anxious thoughts and feelings, and feelings of exhaustion, masking their challenges from others. This poster shows how late diagnosis, self-awareness, and advocacy help with your journey towards self-determination and thriving rather than surviving. This poster is relevant to people with lived experience, family advocates, and teaching professionals.

Strive to Thrive: Findings from a Mixed-Methods Study of  Aging Family Caregivers of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities  

Strive to Thrive is a multi-phase research project that seeks to identify supports that facilitate thriving for people with IDD and their families. Integrated findings from the first two phases, an environmental scan and a national caregiver survey, along with key recommendations, will be presented. The results contribute to guiding practical strategies for providers and policy to enhance life quality, autonomy, and well-being for adults with IDD and their families.

Designing the Family SHADE Leadership Network: Utilizing a Community of Practice Framework to Support Participation and Engagement Among Families

The Family SHADE Leadership Network (FSLN) is a community of parents and caregivers working to improve Delaware's system of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN). The FSLN is a hallmark component of the Family SHADE project, which uses a collective impact approach to build state and local capacity to serve CYSHCN. This presentation overviews the FSLN and provides strategies for fostering family engagement across statewide initiatives.

• Download Clark & Mallory - FSLN Poster

From Digital Data to Program Scalability: A Trans-Institutional Partnership with Outpatient Brain Injury Clubhouse Members and Leaders

A team of brain injury survivors, clubhouse leaders, and researchers evaluated an outpatient community clubhouse to understand member experiences, barriers to participation, and the effects of participation on brain injury survivors. This poster will describe the methods taken to include brain injury survivor members in all areas of the study, measures taken to protect clubhouse members with cognitive disabilities, program evaluation findings, and clubhouse model recommendations.

Assets, Resources, and Adaptation: Mapping Parental Resilience in Developmental Disabilities Through the Resilience Portfolio Model

Moving beyond deficit models, this qualitative scoping review uses the Resilience Portfolio Model to explore protective factors among parents raising children with developmental disabilities. Findings synthesize four key resilience domains: meaning-making, interpersonal, regulatory, and environmental strengths. Implications for strength-based practice, policy, and family-centered care are discussed. Relevant to social work, psychology, public health, nursing, special education, occupational therapy, and anyone who identifies as a family ally.

• Download Yunzi-QSR parent resilience-AUCD2026.pdf

2026 in Review: Disability Headlines That Shaped the Year

This session highlights the top disability news stories of 2026, offering a fast‑paced look at the policies, cultural moments, legal battles, and community‑driven wins that shaped the year. From breakthroughs in accessibility to national controversies and grassroots advocacy, panelists will unpack what mattered, why it mattered, and how these stories signal the future of disability rights. Join us for an engaging, informative snapshot of a landmark year.