2026 TASH Conference

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.