2026 TASH Conference

This presentation reports a longitudinal analysis of students participating in alternate statewide assessments across 22 states from 2016–17 through 2023–24, examining who is included in alternate assessment populations as policy and practice responded to ESSA’s 1% participation guidance. Grounded in TASH’s commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion for people with the most significant support needs, the study investigates how state-level policy shifts, guidance, and waiver activity relate to changes in the demographic, instructional, communication, and achievement profiles of students who take alternate assessments.Alternate assessments are intended for a very small population of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, yet there is no single diagnostic test that delineates this group. Instead, participation reflects how states and IEP teams interpret federal policy. After ESSA established the 1% participation threshold, many states revised guidance or sought waivers, prompting shifts in identification and assessment decisions. Most prior research predates ESSA; therefore, updated longitudinal evidence is crucial for advocates, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to ensure assessments align with equity and inclusion principles.Using a secondary analysis of comprehensive annual datasets (assessment results and pretest teacher surveys) for the full population of students in states that use Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) alternate assessments, we examined trends in primary disability categories, English learner status, instructional settings, expressive communication complexity bands and modes, teacher-reported academic skills, and achievement in English language arts, mathematics, and science. Sample sizes varied by year and question (13–22 states; ~70,000–100,000+ students), permitting state-level and aggregate descriptions and exploration of relationships between observed trends and state policy actions.Key findings indicate a more than 10% decline in the DLM-tested population from 2017 to 2024, concurrent with increases in the concentration of primary disability categories (autism, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities), greater representation of students instructed in separate class settings, and shifts toward lower expressive communication complexity bands and increased reliance on sign and augmentative/alternative communication (AAC). DLM ELA performance reveals a growing proportion of students at the lowest performance level, while mathematics and multilingual learner status remain comparatively stable. Teacher ratings of academic skills show a slight decline, consistent with a narrowing to students with more intensive support needs.

This Meta-analysis and meta-regression examined 22 studies that provided efficacy data for teacher-implemented NDBIs. We examined effect sizes for both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and single case design studies, in which we employed a method of digitizing single case design studies to use the Between-Case Standardized Mean Difference (BC-SMD; Pustejovsky et al., 2023). We found an overall moderate effect across studies. Additionally, we conducted meta-regressions to examine the following moderators: NDBI type, dependent variable type, and dosage. We conclude that teacher-implemented NDBIs are effective and that it is important to further investigate the types of training and support for teachers when conducting NDBIs for preschoolers. 

In recent years, research has emerged in support of structured literacy, which involves systemic, explicit, and cumulative instruction in the components of reading. While some children will learn to read proficiently with mere exposure to literature, many children need direct instruction that breaks down the steps in reading in order to become proficient in literacy. While structured literacy programs are expanding access to literacy in many classrooms, some barriers remain. Literacy curricula, most of which is designed with typically developing students or students with learning disabilities in mind, remains inaccessible for many students with additional needs. Too often, educators wrongly assume that students with more significant disabilities are incapable of literacy. This assumption becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as these students are denied access to quality reading instruction and adapted literacy resources. However, given the right set of tools and creative instruction, many students defy these low expectations and show that they are capable of literacy (Erickson & Koppenhaver, 2020). Visual Phonics is a strategy that can be used to support all students who are struggling with early literacy skills. In this system, each phoneme is paired with a unique hand gesture, providing an additional way for students to distinguish phonemes and connect phonemes to graphemes. The system was originally designed for Deaf students, allowing them to match graphemes with gestures representing spoken sounds. However, Visual Phonics can also support hearing students as they learn to read. The gestures add an additional kinesthetic element to help solidify the connections between letters and sounds, while providing a way for students with communication needs to participate nonverbally during literacy instruction. Because Visual Phonics is applicable for so many students, it can be used either as an intervention for struggling readers or added to the general education phonics curriculum to make instruction more effective and accessible for a wider range of students. Visual Phonics can support a wide range of students, including those with limited hearing, nonspeaking students who use AAC, and students with other extensive support needs, making it a way to broaden access to high-quality literacy instruction in inclusive classrooms. 

Community living and participation (CLP) involves “a set of complex and ever-evolving dimensions related to both the place of community and the feeling of community” (Nye-Lengerman & Hewitt, 2019, p.3). Primary CLP domains include employment, ongoing education, community living, health and wellness, meaningful relationships, and supported decision-making (ACL, n.d.; Nye-Lengerman & Hewitt, 2019). Research documents many bioecological factors (an individual person’s characteristics and environmental factors/social factors) that directly or indirectly effect an individual’s development including, waitlists for services, limited government funding, and discrimination (Stern, 2020; Technical Assistance Collaborative, 2020; Tyler et al., 2022). Further, research reinforces the powerful effect that expectations have on individual outcomes (O’Donnell et al., 2022; Whitney et al, 2021). Outcomes for individuals with IDD and significant support needs (IWIDD) across CLP domains of: (a) competitive employment, (b) postsecondary education, (c) community living, and (d) relationships and community engagement are not comparable to other populations (USDOL, 2019). For example, the employment rate for working-age individuals with disabilities is considerably lower that of individuals without disabilities (Erickson et al., 2020; U.S. Department of Labor, 2022). Further, despite the increasing availability of degree, certificate, or non-degree higher education postsecondary programs designed for IwIDD, IwIDD continue to experience greater barriers in postsecondary education or training programs than do students without IwIDD (Lee et al., 2022). In addition, the rate of living outside of the family home for IwIDD is substantially lower when compared to IwIDD (Lui et al., 2018). Moreover, IwIDD who do live outside of their family homes often do not live in place of their choice or preference (Anderson, 2022; Schaak et al., 2017). Finally, IwIDD report higher degrees of loneliness and/or isolation than do people without disabilities (Macdonald et al., 2018; Raines, 2023). These negative outcomes are a result of pervasive factors that neither policies nor practices have successfully overcome (Medisked & The Arc, 2018; Tichá et al., 2013). What remains largely unknown, however, is which bioecological factors most profoundly impact CLP expectations. Further, there is limited information about the perceived impact of expectations on CLP outcomes. This study sought to enhance CLP outcomes among IwIDD needs by investigating bioecological factors that have an effect on CLP expectations among IwIDD and family members (FM) of IwIDD to inform and enhance future CLP research, policy, and practice across contexts and disciplines (e.g., education, medicine, workforce, direct support provision). 

Compared to civilian families, military families often have unique experiences such as frequent moves, a strong sense of patriotism, perseverance, and grit. Military families of children with disabilities may benefit from their parents’ dispositions and diligence; however, they also may struggle with frequent moves which impact service access. In this study, we interviewed 10 military families of children with Section 504 plans. Using an a priori framework based on administrative burden theory (Herd & Moynihan, 2019), we examined their experiences with accessing education supports for their children with disabilities. Altogether, participants reported encountering learning (e.g., learning their rights), compliance (e.g., attending eligibility meetings), and psychological costs (e.g., frustration, disempowerment) in accessing Section 504 supports. These costs were compounded by frequent relocations due to military permanent change of station (PCS) orders. The costs generalized to military health insurance (i.e., navigating TRICARE). Implications for research and practice are discussed including the need to have explicit policy guidance that Section 504 plans should travel with the child, regardless of their state of residence.

Research increasingly demonstrates that schools, particularly secondary settings, engage in hyper-surveillance of neurodivergent students, often interpreting disability-related behaviors as defiance, disruption, or criminal misconduct (Hines et al., 2018; Kim et al., 2021; Losen et al., 2015; Yell et al., 2022). This surveillance disproportionately affects neurodivergent students (Haight et al., 2016, Losen et al., 2015, Milner et al., 2025). Prior work has documented how behaviors intrinsic to neurodivergence—such as differences in communication, emotional regulation, sensory processing, and attention—are frequently framed as behavioral violations rather than access needs. Black girls are underdiagnosed or diagnosed later than their male counterparts, increasing their vulnerability to punitive responses rather than supportive interventions (Annamma et al., 2023; Harvey et al., 2024Lovelace et al., 2021). This under identification is exacerbated in schools with limited resources, heightened security measures, and insufficient preparation in disability-responsive practices (Miller, 2023.This presentation examines how misinterpretations of disability-related behavior contribute to the criminalization of neurodivergent girls within educational systems and proposes actionable steps for embedding culturally responsive practices within teacher preparation for both special and general educators. Specifically, this presentation examines (a) the underdiagnosis and masking of neurodivergence in girls, (b) teacher preparation and educators’ reported readiness to support neurodivergent girls in general and special education settings, and (c) empirical evidence of disciplinary and criminalization disparities across lines of socioeconomic status, geography, and ethnicity. Findings reveal consistent patterns of heightened monitoring, behavioral misinterpretation, and reliance on exclusionary or punitive responses, with notable differences between rural and urban contexts. In response to those findings, this presentation also uses existing culturally responsive frameworks to propose actionable steps and key features within teacher preparation programs to combat the hyper-surveillance and, at times, criminalization of Black neurodivergent female students (Jenkins et al., 2022; Miller, 2023; Muhammad, 2023; Siwatu, 2007). Additional implications are included regarding policy and systems change as well as identifying directions for future research emphasizing the urgent need for disability-informed, gender-responsive approaches that disrupt pathways to criminalization and promote equitable educational experiences for neurodivergent girls (Jenkins, 2022; Wilson, 2013).

Students with extensive support needs (ESN) require a carefully designed instructional education program to meet their strengths and needs and are aligned to grade-level standards. Prior research has demonstrated that students with ESN can learn academic skills through instruction with evidence-based practices (Spooner & Browder, 2015), but the content of student mathematics goals are largely unexamined. This presentation aims to determine the extent to which the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics content and process standards are currently in student IEPs for students participating in the alternate assessment. Over 1,000 goals will be analyzed for these content standards and alignment to grade-level standards. The results of the analysis will be shared with participants to understand how these standards are appearing in this goal snapshot. In addition, recommendations for practice will be shared to embed these standards into mathematics goals to ensure that students with ESN receive a solid foundation across mathematics content areas and processes. 

This poster presentation reports on an action research study examining the community-based implementation of an Ultra-Short-Time Employment model designed to expand employment opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities who are unable to participate in conventional work arrangements.The model enables individuals to engage in highly structured, task-specific roles for very short durations (e.g., as little as one hour per week), based on clearly defined job descriptions. A central component of the model is the role of a coordinator, who identifies unmet labor needs within local businesses, disaggregates job tasks into manageable units, and matches these tasks with individuals’ capabilities and support needs. These coordinators are commissioned by local governments, positioning the initiative as a formal public program.This study focuses on implementation processes across multiple municipalities in Japan, where the model has been introduced through cross-sector collaboration among local governments, service providers, and employers. Employing an action research framework, the project simultaneously sought to develop practical solutions while generating knowledge on effective implementation strategies.Data sources include administrative records (e.g., numbers of registered participants and employers, and job placements), logs of coordinator activities (e.g., time allocated to pre- and post-placement support), and qualitative observations derived from ongoing practice.Findings underscore the importance of proactive employer engagement by coordinators, systematic work analysis through direct consultation with employers, and the development of detailed job descriptions. The results further suggest that the model is particularly effective in reaching individuals who have historically been excluded from employment due to the intensity or inflexibility of standard work arrangements.This presentation contributes to the growing body of research on customized employment and offers practical insights for communities seeking to expand inclusive employment opportunities for individuals with significant support needs.

Direct support professionals, educators, and human service workers are frequently asked to offer regulation, patience, and presence within systems that are fast-paced, under-resourced, and emotionally demanding. Over time, this can lead to burnout, withdrawal, or reactivity- not because practitioners lack commitment, but because their nervous systems are operating under chronic stress and perceived threat.This session introduces Polyvagal PLAY, an embodied, trauma-responsive approach designed to support the nervous systems of practitioners and families so they can remain present, engaged, and sustainable in their support roles. Grounded in polyvagal-informed practice and relational neuroscience, Polyvagal PLAY reframes burnout as a nervous system response rather than a personal shortcoming, and offers practical ways to restore safety and capacity through relationship and PLAY.Participants will explore how their own nervous system states influence interactions with the people they support and with colleagues, particularly during moments of stress. Through brief, accessible experiential practices, attendees will learn how to Pause, Listen, Activate, and Yield in ways that support regulation before, during, and after challenging situations. These practices are designed to be woven into daily routines without adding burden or time pressure.Rather than focusing on behavior management or productivity, this session centers the practitioners or family members capacity as foundational to ethical, dignified, and effective support. By strengthening nervous system awareness and relational regulation, practitioners and families are better able to stay connected, reduce reactivity, and sustain their presence over time. This approach aligns with TASH’s commitment to inclusion, dignity, and justice by recognizing supporter well-being as essential to meaningful, relationship-centered disability support.

This qualitative study interviewed 17 special education teachers from a large urban school district in the Midwest to identify classroom practices that are in use for students with intellectual disability and identify practices that align with SAMHSA’s six principles of trauma-informed practices. Teachers ranged from preschool through high school and included teachers in both self-contained and co-taught settings. The study used an inductive coding strategy and thematic analysis to analyze the data. Classroom practices that were described by participants were identified as belonging within one of the six principles of trauma-informed practice (safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration and mutuality; empowerment, voice, and choice; cultural, historical, and gender issues), neutral practices, and not trauma-informed practices. Results also include reflection on the participants’ beliefs about whether their practices are trauma-informed.