CEC
The Council for Exceptional Children has united educators supporting exceptional learners for over 75 years. CEC 2026 will inspire educators to advance high-quality, inclusive education through hundreds of sessions addressing curriculum innovation, technology, and strategies to meet diverse needs. Network with colleagues, learn from experts, and discover resources in the expansive exhibit hall. The featured topic area strands for CEC 2026 include Innovative Access: Innovation Redefined and Beyond the Labels: Rewriting the Story of Special Education. This comprehensive event empowers thousands of educators to enhance exceptional education practices for students with special needs.
Sessions (515)
Thursday, March 12, 2025
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
DEC Board Meeting (Invite Only)
Badge Pickup/Registration
CEC Hub Open
CEC Board of Directors Meeting (Invite Only)
Sunrise Social (Invite Only)
CEC Division of Research Board Meeting (Invite Only)
Grant Proposal Development Workshop (Invite Only)
DCD Board Meeting (Invite Only)
ISET Executive Board Meeting (Invite Only)
Pre-Convention Workshop 1: Legally Defensible IEPs
Pre-Convention Workshop 10: TURN Around Behavior: Implementing a Behavioral Framework to Reduce Exclusionary Discipline, Promote Inclusion, and Build Relationships with Students
Pre-Convention Workshop 11: Inclusive by Design: Embedding Inclusion into the DNA of Your School
Pre-Convention Workshop 13: Specially Designed Instruction & Legal Compliance: From IEP Alignment to System-Wide Integration
Pre-Convention Workshop 14: Using Early Warning Indicators to Improve Graduation Outcomes for Students with Disabilities
Pre-Convention Workshop 16: Strategies to Increase Positive Behaviors: Antecedents, Instruction, and Consequences
Pre-Convention Workshop 2: Co-Teaching Evolved: Strategies, Structures, and Smart Tech
Pre-Convention Workshop 3: Success through UDL, HLPs, Evidence-Based Practices and AI tools
Pre-Convention Workshop 4: From Support to Success: Tools for Teachers and Administrators to Build Paraeducator Capacity
Pre-Convention Workshop 5: Empowering Special Education with AI: A Hands-On Workshop
Pre-Convention Workshop 6: From Struggle to Strategy: Supporting ADHD, Executive Function, and Student Mindset in the Classroom
Pre-Convention Workshop 7: The Power of Induction: Supporting New Special Ed Teachers with the Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers 3rd edition.
Pre-Convention Workshop 8: From Dots to Decisions: Making Student Data Work for Real Kids
Pre-Convention Workshop 9: Specially Designed Instruction in Action: Strategies and Techniques to Improve Student Outcomes
DISES Board Meeting (Invite Only)
TED Board Meeting (Invite Only)
AI for MTSS: Using Artificial Intelligence to Support Students At Risk or With Disabilities
Bridging Gaps in Teacher Preparation for Bilingual Learners With and Without Mathematics Disabilities
Bridging Realities: Practical Tools for Social Skill Generalization at Home and at School
Bridging the Cliff: Student-Centered Innovations in Transition Planning and Employability
Bridging the Gap: Applying the Science of Reading to Learners with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Creating Calm Classrooms: Inclusive Sensory Strategies for Effective Behavioral Management
Deep Dive: Identifying Dyslexia and DLD Using Dynamic Assessments of Language and Literacy
Disproportionality in Testing Accommodations
DLD Board Meeting (Invite Only)
Empowering Paraeducators Through Evidence-Based Practices for Autistic Students
Expanding Pathways for Communication: Inclusive Strategies to Support All Learners
Expo Hall Open
Hot Topic | Building Expertise: Training the ECI Workforce in Critical Service Delivery Components
Implementing Math Strategies to Support Elementary English Language Learners With Disabilities
Inclusion-Oriented Practice for Students With ESN: A Pragmatic Approach to the Challenge of Meaningful Inclusion
Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health: Advancing Practices in Personnel Preparation
Make n’ Takes: Low Tech Projects to Take with You
Preparing Teacher Candidates to Support Students with Speech-Language Impairments: Insights from a Mixed-Reality Simulation Study
Stimulus Preference Assessment for Individuals with Severe, Multiple Disabilities: Case Studies, Results, and Implications
Taming the “Beast”: Using Close Reading to Help Secondary Students Tackle Complex Texts
Teacher Exchange - Precision Teaching for Elementary Teachers: Practical Tools, Phonics, SEL, and Differentiation for Every Learner
Technology Blitz: Technology Tools for Your Classroom
Ten Years of Teacher Residency Preparation and Partnerships: Impact and Lessons Learned
Together We Learn: Building Inclusive Collaboration Skills in Post-Secondary Education
First Time Attendee Orientation
Poster Round A
TAG Board Meeting (Invite Only)
DEBH Executive Council Meeting (Invite Only)
Collaborating Across Early Childhood and Special Education to Advance Inclusive Literacy Practices in Teacher Preparation
Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Transition: Supporting Students and Families Praxis
DADD Showcase: Bridging Research to Practice: The Role of Research-Based Curriculum in Supporting Systematic Instruction
Exploring the Experiences of Twice-Exceptional Youth with Section 504 Plans
From Opportunity to Action: Using AI to Track and Monitor Teachers' Delivery of OTRs
Hot Topic | Supporting AI Integration in Your School and Classroom
IEP CoPilot: Leveraging Open-Source Resources to Improve Outcomes for Students with Disabilities
Improving the Outcomes of Young Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Increase Accessibility With Low-Cost Assistive Technologies
Mentoring That Matters: Research-Informed and Practitioner-Tested Approaches
Planning and Providing Professional Development for Paraeducators
Possible Selves: Helping Your Student Through Transition
President Theme: Innovative Ways to Provide Rural Communities Access to Mental Health Services Through Technology and the MTSS Model
Program Chairs Spotlight Session: Empowering Early Career Special Educators by Building Communities of Practice
Promoting Equity, Advocacy, and Civil Rights in Special Education
Social Competence and Inclusion for Individuals with Autism/Developmental Disabilities
Strategic Leadership and Disability Compliance: Making Sense of Reading Policy
Unlocking the Power of Data Based Individualization (DBI) for Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
Virtual Learning Community: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Addressing Challenging Behavior
Poster Round B
Deep Dive: Implementing Peer-Mediated Interventions with Students with Diverse Learning Needs in High School Classrooms
A Meta-Analysis of Interventions for Algebraic Concepts and Skills of Secondary Students with Mathematics Disabilities
Accessible Digital Content that Works for Learners with Disabilities
Advancing Equity with the WESS-SP: The First Spanish SEL Survey Assessing Students with Learning Disabilities
AI Tools in Special Education: Translation, Assessment, and Ethical Use
Are Word Problems a Problem? Evidence-Based Strategies for Word-Problem Solving
Beyond the Basics : Promoting Rigor and Growth in Self-Contained Classrooms
Bridging Language, Spirit, and Resistance: Transforming Bilingual Special Education
Diversity Leadership Academy Reception (Invite Only)
From Average to Excellent: Leveraging Collective Efficacy and Data Ownership to Support All Learners
Increasing Special Education Teacher Retention Through Targeted Coaching: Focusing on High Leverage Practices (HLPs)
Innovation Showcase- Smarter IEPs, Faster Decisions: Districts Using AI to Redefine Special Education
Let’s Go! Teaching Travel Skills to Young Adults with IDD
Preparing Teachers with Disabilities: Voices and Visions
Promoting Positive Behavior in Middle School Students at Risk for EBD Using Class-Wide FIT
Reframing Challenges: Strategies for Working with 2e Students
Special Education (SPED) and English Language Teaching (ELT) Implementing Differentiated Literacy
State Policy Advocacy: The Birth of Educators United for Action Wisconsin
Teacher Exchange - Empowering Connections: Family Advocacy, Collaboration, and Identity in Special Education
Teaching at the Intersections: Love and Rigor for Students of Color with Disabilities
Trauma, Voice, and Connection: Supporting Students and Families
What’s Happening in Washington, DC
Opening Keynote: Opportunity in the Shift: Honoring IDEA’s Legacy and the Future You’re Leading and Learning in the Age of AI
CEC 2026 Opening Reception (All Welcome)
Wellness Chair Yoga
A Framework to Support Neurodiversity in a Global Context
A School Leader's Guide to Navigating Uncomfortable Conversations
Building Strong Foundations and Empowering Paraprofessionals: BST and Antecedent Interventions for Reducing Challenging Behavior
Coffee in the Expo Hall
Educator Preparation: "A Whole New Game"
Effective Early Literacy Intervention for Students with Disabilities: Building Reading Fluency and Comprehension
Empowering Access: Driving Subgroup Academic Growth Through Data and Coaching Cycles
Empowering Educational Assistants in Rural Communities through Targeted Professional Development
Enhancing Learner Success with the Neuroinclusion Framework
Finding, Selecting, and Using Children's Books to Promote Inclusion and Equity for Students with Disabilities
From Anxious Thoughts to Action Plans: "Testing. Recognize. Relax. Record," A Teacher-Led Tier 2 Intervention
Greater Than the Sum of its Parts: Adding Math-Vocabulary Instruction to a Word-Problem Intervention
Helping Parents Thrive: A Relational Approach to Family Education and Support for Early Intervention
Lovin’ LIFE and Empowered to Work: Strengthening Employability Through Inclusive Postsecondary Programs
PD That Works: Customizing Learning for Educators by What, Who, and How
Pre-Service Mentoring Breakfast
Regulations, Roles, and Supervision Structures for Paraeducators in Schoolwide Implementation of Multitiered Systems of Support
Students Can Praise Their Peers! Three Student-Delivered Strategies Supporting Classroom Management
Three Steps Toward Inclusion: Practical Strategies for Private School Educators
Understanding the Reading and Language Needs of English Learners with Dyslexia
Using the Latest Online Resources from the IRIS Center
Virtual Connections: Using VR to Boost Social Communication in Transition-Aged Youth with Autism
Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast (Invite Only)
DLD Public Policy Committee Meeting (Invite Only)
TED Policy Committee Meeting
AI and Education: Use Cases, Toolkits, and Resources
Cancelled | Identifying What Works: A Systematic and Comprehensive Review of Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education
CASE Showcase: 90 Tips in 120 Minutes
Confusion to Clarity: Building a Shared Language for Special Education Services
Creating Connection: Multi-Modal Pathways for Inclusive Learning
DDEL Showcase: Interrogating and Animating Inclusion in Diverse Educational Contexts
DEBH Showcase: Defining Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Challenges, Perspectives, and Pathways Forward
Defining Excellence in Transition: The Updated CEC/DCDT Competencies to Transform Postsecondary Outcomes
Division / Units Treasurers’ Meeting
Early Career Mentoring Breakfast
Empowering Early Childhood: DEC Resources to Support Quality Practices from Preschool Through the Early Grades
Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent Maltreatment and Support Students Who Have Experienced Trauma
Expo Showcase: Beyond the Budget Cut: Creative Solutions for Sustaining Special Education Programs
Expo Showcase: Free, Flexible, Effective: ANTON for Diverse Learning Needs
From Data to Direction: Advancing Special Education Teacher Preparation Through the 2025 State of the Profession Report
From Silos to Systems: Building Inclusive MTSS
Linking Classroom Strategies, Coaching, and Extracurriculars: Pathways to Student Outcomes
Making Math Click: Multiple Representations in Intervention
Maximize Behavioral Outcomes Using Trauma-Informed, Neuroscience-Aligned, Neurodivergence-Affirming Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Support Plans
Poster Round C
President Theme: A Collective Effort: Navigating Research to Implementation of Innovative Transition Strategies" with Melanie Allen
Retaining High-Quality Teachers in Deaf Education
Strategic AI Integration to Improve IEP Quality: Early-Stage Modeling from a Systems Perspective
Supporting Students with Intellectual Disabilities Through Explicit Instruction - HLP 16
Teacher Exchange - Stronger Every Day: Reading and Survival Tips for Educators
Think Tank Thursday
Understanding the State’s Role: How SEAs Shape Gifted Education Policy and Practice
Writing Without Limits: Tools and Strategies for Learners Who Haven't Spelled or Scribbled, Yet!
A Year in Review: PD Highlights & What’s Ahead
Adapting and Using CW-FIT in Special Education Classrooms
AI Revolution: Strategic Implementation for Special Education Professionals
All Are Welcome: Expanding Inclusion in Early Childhood
Beyond Behavior: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Learning and Connection
Biliteracy in Practice: Using Bilingual Books to Support Biliteracy Development and Morphological Awareness
Bright Spots - Next Steps in Learning about Maltreatment
Children with Autism Will Never be "Normal": Praise be to Gauss!
Collaboration in Action: Developing Best Practices for Interagency Teams
Deep Dive: Laugh and Learn! Special Education Law & Advocacy 101
DISES Showcase: Reimagining Inclusion: Global Perspectives on Expanding Access and Participation in Education
DVIDB Showcase: The Impact of Dual Math Braille Codes: UEB and Nemeth in the United States
Empowering Every Reader: Strategies for Differentiated and Personalized Literacy Instruction
Expo Showcase: Manipulatives Bring Algebra Success for All Students
Expo Showcase: Transforming Group Instruction to Support Inclusion and Behavior
Facilitating Kindergarten Transition: Practitioners Address Hopes, Fears, and Needs of Families with Disabilities
Hot Topic | Foundations of Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) in the Classroom: Integrating Academic and Behavior Support
How Educators Can Support PK-12 Students Who Are Using Digital Math Tools in the Classroom
Implementing an Early Warning System to Support On-Time Graduation of Students with Disabilities
Making Learning Accessible: Research-Driven Practices for Math and Literacy Success
Measuring What Matters: Turning Behavior Data into Effective Behavior Practices
Overcoming Barriers to Progress Monitoring with Free Resources
Poster Round D
Reimagining Access: Building Special Education Workforce Capacity Through Mentorship of Faculty at MSIs
Resilient Schools: Evaluating the Outcomes of Community Engaged Research to Mitigate ACEs and Advance PCEs
Self-Assessing for Program Improvement: A High Leverage Framework for Evaluating Your Special Education System
Staying Power: Navigating and Promoting Resilience and Teacher Leadership
TAG Showcase: Trellis and Blossom with Roots: Designing for Strengths and Supports in Twice-Exceptional Education
Teacher Exchange - Breaking Barriers and Building Brains: Engaging Math Myths, Community, Stories, and Problem Solving for Elementary Learners
Transition Planning Made Powerful: Inside LCE 2.0
Food Concession Stands | Open in the Expo Hall (cost on own)
Awards and Recognition Luncheon (Additional Ticket Required)
Assessing Math Writing and Implementing Interactive Reading for Diverse Learners
Breaking Barriers: Expanding Access for Gifted and Twice-Exceptional Learners through MTSS Integration
Bridging Executive Function and Behavioral Support for Culturally Diverse Students
Creating Change Through Transition-Specific Collaboration Using Person-Driven Planning to Promote Dignity, Advocacy, Determination, and Justice
Data Blitz -Supercharge Special Education: Cutting-Edge AI and Assistive Technologies in Action
Empowering School Leaders to Observe and Coach Teacher Use of Feedback and Opportunities to Respond
Empowering Transitions: A Statewide Model to Enhance post-School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities
Expo Showcase: Reimagining Intensive Literacy Intervention & Making It Work
From Chaos to Clarity: AI for Self-Contained Special Education Teachers
From Screen to Sentence: Boosting Expressive Writing with Video Modeling and STOP & LIST
Getting to the Core of Students’ Fraction Misconceptions
How to Create a Classroom to Provide Positive Reinforcement
Innovations in Supporting Children with Autism & Literacy-Related Disabilities
Leveraging Virtual Mentoring to Retain Rural Special-Education Teachers through a Residency Model
Mitigating the Impact of Bullying: The Protective Role of Family Strengths for Youth With Disabilities
Multilingualism & Dyslexia: Essential Literacy Practices for Emergent Multilingual Learners with Dyslexia
No More “Frankensteining” Literacy: Effective Reading Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities
Picking Up the Pace: Effective Approaches to Accelerate Fluency and Comprehension in Students with Disabilities
Poster Round E (Kaleidoscope Research Symposium Posters)
Strengthening the Special Education Workforce with the SPARC Center and LEAD IDEA
Student Well-Being Through Co-Regulation, Executive Function Coaching, and Trauma-Informed Practices
Supporting Young Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Communication through Evidence-Based Read Alouds: Project GROW
Teacher Exchange - Unlocking Language Success: Orthographic Mapping, Data-Driven Coaching, and Strategies for Every Learner
Teaching Computational Thinking to Special Education Students and Research Demonstrating its Efficacy
Townhall: Strengthening Family-Professional Partnerships “with” Families
Transition Planning for Students with Deafblindness: What Do Teachers, Parents, and IEPs Tell Us?
Unlocking Writing Success for Elementary Students with LD: Lessons Learned from Professional Development in SRSD
Using Data-Based Individualization to Support Students with Dyslexia
Makerspace
TA Meetings with grantees (Invite Only)
Deep Dive: Student Outcomes When Co-Teaching Is Used with Fidelity in Secondary Education: Learn how it works!
AI for Special Education: Using Artificial Intelligence to Develop and Implement High-Quality Educational Programming
Bridging the Gap: Improving IEP Implementation with the IEP Cycle Measurement Tool
Critical Conversations Toward Equity: Unmasking Bias in Education Research
DDEL Executive Board Meeting (Invite Only)
Exploring Shifts in Educational Leaders’ Learning Outcomes: Impact of the Enhanced Ci3T Professional Learning Series
Expo Showcase: AI for SPED - How to Leverage AI Responsibly, Safely, and Effectively?
Expo Showcase: Training as Turnover Mitigation: Building District Capacity That Outlasts Staffing Changes
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Cultivating a Healthy Special Education Workforce
From Margins to Momentum- Leading Systemic Change and Improving LRE
Future-Ready: Leveraging Assistive Technology for Successful Transitions
Getting Writing on the Radar for Students with Significant Physical, Communication and Intellectual Disabilities
Hot Topic | A New Pathway for School Leadership: Registered Apprenticeships and Disability-Inclusive Practice
Hot Topic | Let’s do From Insight to Action: Using AI to Enhance Teaching and Learning for All Students
Infusing Physical Activity into the School Day: Research-Based Strategies for the K-12 Classroom
Let’s Get Curious About Children with Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairments (CVI)
Level Up Learning: Where AI, XR, and Universal Design for All Align
Leveraging Behavior Intervention Plans and Crisis Response Plans to Foster Consistency Across Educational Settings
Making it Special: Practical Approaches for Adapting Instructional Content, Methodology, and Delivery
Meeting Children's Needs in a Holistic, Least Restrictive Environment: A Focus on Clinical Practice
Mind the Gaps: Auditing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for Meaningful Alignment
Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgments: Collaborative Frameworks for Inclusive, Culturally Responsive Global Professional Development
Post Awards Chat with Mackie Award Winner (Open to All)
Poster Round F
Safe Space Solutions: Using Behavioral Science Strategies to Promote Emotional Regulation in the Classroom
Stability Before Standards: Trauma-Informed, Data-Driven Approach to Supporting Students with Significant Emotional and Behavioral Needs
Supporting Gifted Multiple Language Learners Using Specially Designed Academic-Instruction in English (SDAIE) and Parenting Classes
Teacher Exchange: Beyond the Bell: Navigating the Middle School Maze through Financial Fluency and Life Skills
The State of the Special Education Profession 2025: Advancing Leadership Through General And Special Education Administrators' Perspectives
Use of Project ECHO® to Foster Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Neurodiversity Affirming Practices for Autistic Students
Word Problem Worries? Know What to Expect on State Tests and How to Support Students
Questions About Applying for or Serving on the Board of Directors?
Activating the Value of Your CEC Membership
Advanced Standards in Gifted Educator Preparation: Update and Next Steps
Are We Writing Meaningful Goals? Lessons from an analysis of IEP Goals from 1,103 IEPs
Beyond Survival Mode: Empowering First-Year Special Education Teachers
Beyond Zero Tolerance: Centering Culturally Responsive Social Emotional Learning for Equitable Outcomes and Dismantling Disparity
Bridging the Gap: Identifying and Supporting Students with Disabilities Transitioning from Alternate to General Assessments
CEC Accreditation in a One-on-One Conversation: Requirements, Costs, and Benefits
CEC-DLL Showcase: How School Leadership Teams can Strengthen Meaningful Partnerships with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families
Cooking Up Confidence: A Cross-Curricular Approach to Life Skills and Vocational Readiness
Data Blitz -Inclusive Innovation: Advancing Autism Supports from Preschool to Adolescence
Effective Principal Leadership: Assessing, Reflecting, and Strengthening IDEA Implementation
Emotional, Creative & Regulation Skills for Improved Life Outcomes
Expanding Tele-TAPP: Using Technology to Deliver Evidence-Based Behavioral Interventions in Rural Schools
Expo Showcase: Storytelling to Help Students Cope with Everyday Challenges
Friends Matter!: The Relationship Between Peer Social Support and Peer Victimization for Students with EBD
Growing a Teacher Pipeline in ECSE: Preservice to Leadership
Hot Topic | Navigating Workload in Schools: Tips and Tools for Success
ISET Showcase: Utilizing AI Chatbot as a Math Tutor
Learning from German Schools: Study Aboard Course Design for Inclusive Education
Meet Me at the Intersection of Autism and Visual Impairment: An Exploration of Educational Needs
Planning for the Future: Estate Planning and Special Needs Trusts Made Simple
Program Chairs Spotlight Session: Transform, Adapt, Inspire: The Power of Professional Identity in Education
Project SUSTAIN: Developing and Implementing a Collaborative Intervention to Enhance Special Educators’ Working Conditions
Science Word Work: Morphology and Vocabulary Strategies That Stick
Supporting Functional Communication in the Classroom
Think Tank Thursday
Thriving with CEC’s New 3rd Edition of the Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers
Using the SESSS to Build Data-Informed Behavior Expectation Matrices
Write That Down! Supporting Emergent Writing for Students with Multiple Challenges
Kaleidoscope General Business Meeting
Snacks in the Expo Hall
COEDUCATE Meetup (Invite Only)
Thursday Keynote: The Science of Happiness
49th State Social Hour (Open to All)
CASE Social (Open to All)
CCC-DPHMD General Business Meeting (Open to All)
CEC-Ohio Social (Open to All)
Connections with the Commonwealth: An Evening of Innovation & Community with Virginia CEC (Open to All)
DADD Student Social
DCDT Members Reception
DDEL Business Meeting (Open to All)
DEBH General Business Meeting (Open to All)
DISES General Business Meeting and Reception (Open to All)
Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) Annual Business Meeting (Open to All)
Division for Research Annual Business Meeting (Open to All)
Division of Leaders and Legacy Annual Board and Business Meeting (Open to All)
Florida/Georgia Social (Open to All)
Friends of BYU Reception
ISET Business Meeting (Open to All)
New York State CEC Meet and Greet (Open to All)
Stronger Together, Arizona: A Special Education Educator Gathering
TAG Business Meeting (Open to All)
TED General Business Meeting (Open to All)
DCD Social Event (Open to All)
DEAL General Business Meeting (Open to All)
SCEC Social Event (All SCEC Members)
Joint Division Reception
LGBTQ Affinity Group Meet-Up (Open to All)
Behind the Curtain – Developing Pipelines for Non-Traditional Students to Address Teacher-Shortages and Increase Teacher-Retention
Beyond the Classroom: Family-School Partnerships that Multiply Math Opportunities
Bridging Digital Learning and Real-Life Socialization: Evaluating a Social Skills App for Students with Autism
Cancelled | Multisensory Instruction + AI: One District’s Success Story
Classwide Intervention to Increase Social Engagement with Socially Isolated Preschool Students
Co-Teaching with an AI Upgrade
Co-Teaching: Research-Based Recommendations for Implementation
Designing Accessible and Engaging Online Learning for Students with Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Developing IEPs for English Learners with Language and Reading Disabilities
Expanding the IRIS Behavior Series: New Resources on Functional Assessment and Intervention
Exploring Measures for the Quantity and Quality of High-Leverage Practices in Tiered Reading Instruction
From Paras to Pros: Training and Retaining High-Impact Paraprofessionals
Person-Centered Planning for Justice-Involved Youth with Disabilities
Publishing Journal Articles, Books, and Other Materials with CEC
Relating in the Classroom: Engaging Educators in Intervention Development and Coaching for Collaboration
Strategies to Facilitate Student Engagement and Voice in the Development and Implementation of IEPs
Student Chapter Advisor Breakfast
Ten Conditions for Learning: Supporting Comprehensive Literacy
The Power of Partnership: What PLCs and Instructional Coaching Teach Us About Transformational Practice
Turning Data into Growth: Engaging Students Towards Independence
Turning the Page on Dyslexia: Equitable Strategies for Diverse Learners
Use of Generative AI to Improve Geometric Reasoning for High School Students with Learning Disabilities
Using Data-Based Individualization to Support the Identification of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities
Utilizing a High-Leverage Practices Continuum to Prepare Educators to Teach and Reach All Students
Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Employment Outcomes of Foster Youth with Disabilities in the United States
What Can Your School SLP Do for You?
Why Smart Strategies Can Fall Short: The Overlooked Barriers Driving Student Behavior and Academic Struggle
Student Chapter Leader Breakfast
"On the Road to Equity: Transportation Solutions for Students with IEPs"
A Cultural Approach to Inducting and Mentoring Beginning Special Education Teachers
AI in Education: From Research on Safeguards to Practical Classroom Implementation and Progress Monitoring
Aligning Reading Comprehension Instruction in Core and Intervention Settings
Breaking New Ground: Transformative Lessons from the CEC Accreditation Process
Bridging Academics and Transition: Inclusive, Standards-based Strategies for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Coaching Co-Teachers with PASS: Practical, Actionable Strategies for Success (Back by Demand!)
Collaborative AAC Implementation for Students with Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairment
DARTS Showcase: Accessible Arts through AT
Expanding Communication: Narrative Language and Social Media Participation for Individuals with IDD and CCN
Expo Showcase: Building Inclusive Classrooms for Students with Autism: Integrating Behavior Supports and Evidence-Based Practices
Expo Showcase: How NextUp Transition Curriculum Can Enhance Your School’s Transition Program and Services
Give Me a Break! A Proactive, SEL-Based Intervention for Supporting Behavior Change
Having Trouble Teaching Mathematics Intervention? Here Are 6 Instructional Strategies.
Igniting Outcomes: Empower Secondary Transition Specialists and Administrators to Revolutionize Adult Outcomes for All Learners
Keeping the “In” in Inclusion Means Belonging
Leaders Unlocking Potential: Strengthening Services for Students with Disabilities
Left out of the Narrative: Including Gifted and 2e Readers in the Literacy Reform Conversation
Leveraging Student Voice Within Transition-focused FBA-BIP Development
Making Teacher Licensure Possible: Paraeducator to Intervention Specialist Preparation Program
Orton-Gillingham Training for Pre-Service Special Education Teachers: A Collaborative Model
Poster Round G
Practical Pathways to Inclusion: Communication, Independence, and Family Engagement
Special Education Case Management is Hard: Preparing Pre-Service Special Education Teachers for this Complex Responsibility
Strengthening IEP Compliance and Quality: Validated Rubrics and Practical Tools for Educators
Supporting Black Families Raising Autistic Children through an Online Psychoeducational Training
Teacher Exchange - Collaborate to Elevate: AI, ABA, DIR, and Social Skills Support for Diverse Learners
What Every Aspiring Special Education Administrator Needs to Know
Word-Problem Warriors: 5 Evidence-Based Math Practices within Word-Problem Intervention for Helping Students Solve Word Problems
SLP Meet-Up at Food Pavilion Tables
Analyzing and Refining Your Co-Teaching: An Observation Tool to Ensure Fidelity of Practice
Beyond Band-Aids: The School Nurse’s Role in the Special Education Process
Build A Game Changing Special Education Teacher Pipeline: The Aspiring Special Educator Pathway Project!
Bullying, Family Support, and Suicide Risk among Students With Disabilities: Evidence and Strategies for Schools
Creating Access for All: Embedding Inclusive Practices Across the School Day
Digital Media Literacy for Youth: A Scoping Review of Programs
Empowering Communities, Elevating Awareness: The Role of Grassroots Organizations in Special Education
FLIP Recess: Promoting Social Skills and Belonging for Students with Extensive Support Needs at Recess
From Compliance to Connection: Elevating Student Voice for Equity, Access, and Engagement
From Compliance to Connection: How Principals can Champion Family Engagement in Special Education
From Word Problems to Real Life: Meaningful Finance Instruction for Students with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
Getting “Unstuck”: Strategies for Responding When an Intervention Isn't Working
Goal Chasers in Action: Applying the SDLMI-R to Intensify Reading Intervention
Graduate Student Research Colloquium: Exploring the Hallmarks of Excellent Special Education Research
GTCrit: Identifying & Empowering Marginalized Gifted Learners in Trying Times of Raids & Fear
Hot Topic | Let’s Talk About Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS): A Panel Presentation by Members of the MTSS Leadership Collaborative
Learning Braille Through Play
Level Up: An In-District, Evidence-Based Alternative to Outside Placement
Linking Data and Practice: Assessment and MTSS for Diverse Learners
Math Fluency Matters: Essentials for Math Intervention
Moving Beyond Borders and a Savior Mentality: African and Diasporic Families’ Experiences with Inclusive Education
Poster Round H
Promoting Inclusion of Students with Challenging Behavior: A Framework for Classroom Management
Question: Where Is Your IEP Progress Data? Answer: Let Me Show You.
Teaching Self-Determination Skills to Young Children: Integrating Disability, Culture, and Diversity
TED Para Educator SIG Meeting
Unlocking Potential: Engagement Strategies for Diverse Learners
Using AI in Writing Feedback: Improving Student Writing Outcomes with Automatic Scoring
Leadership CEC Meeting (Invite Only)
DARTS Awards Ceremony
Adapting Check-in/Check-out (CICO) for High School Contexts: Research Findings and Implications for Practice
Beyond Compliance: Using Educational Benefit Reviews to Strengthen FAPE and Drive Meaningful Student Outcomes
Bridging the Silos: Improving Educator and Student Outcomes Through SLP-Teacher Collaboration
Building Bridges, Not Barriers: Strengthening Partnerships Through Trust, & Collaboration
Cancelled | All Sped Up: Collaborative Approach to Parental Engagement in Special Education
Creating Trauma Informed Environments for Students on the Spectrum
Empowerment in Action: Centering Student Voice and Elevating Learning Experiences
Evidence-Based Instructional Practices that Promote Access and Progress in General Education
Evidence-Based Strategies for Teaching Fractions
Hot Topic | Get the Tea from Teachers!
Impacts of Integrated Handwriting Instruction on Literacy Skills of a Middle Schooler with Complex Difficulties
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that Elevate Student Success with the General Education Curriculum
Maximize Behavioral Outcomes Using Trauma-Informed, Neuroscience-Aligned, Neurodivergence-Affirming Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Support Plans COPY
Maximizing Reading Intervention Effectiveness for Students with Disabilities Using High-Leverage Practices
Octopus Coaching: A Deep Dive into Guiding Teachers Through Effective Observations in Private Day Schools
Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Exposing and Addressing Informal Removals in Special Education
Poster Round I
President Theme: Innovative Ways to Engage, Empower, and Excite Students with Disabilities and their Peers
Representative Assembly (RA) Meeting
Responsive Roots: Where Culture Meets Collaboration in SPED Preparation
Science of Reading in Practice: Building Educator Knowledge and Instructional Practices to Support Struggling Readers
Student Vocabulary Gains from AI-Generated vs. Researcher-Created Modules: A Randomized Control Trial
The Assessment Escape Room: Unlocking the Power of Data Without the Stress
Understanding and Supporting Multilingual Learners in the Classroom: Teacher Perspectives
Understanding Teacher Wellness Strategies: A Focus Group Investigation into Current Practices and Needs
Unlocking Potential, Honoring Differences: Empowering Autistic Students Through UDL
Voices That Matter: Empowering Students to Engage in Disability Policy
Workload Management for Itinerant Special Education Professionals
A Deep Dive into AI Prompt Engineering: Hands-on Activities to Bring Back to Your Classroom
A Modular Approach to Support Teachers Implementing Evidence-Based Practices for Students on the Autism Spectrum
Beyond Behavior Charts: Reframing and Rethinking Behavior Through a Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens
Caring Under Pressure
Data Blitz - Shared Vision, Shared Success: Collaborative Inclusion for All Students
Data in Action: Decision-Making for Intensive Reading Intervention
Designing with Dragons: Co-Teaching Reimagined
Does Student Voice Matter? Findings from a Meta-Analysis on Student Voice in Behavioral Self-Regulation Interventions
Exceptional Lives, Exceptional Stories
Expo Showcase: The Impact of Raising Children on Technology
From Barriers to Bridges: Community Collaboration for Youth with Disabilities in Arkansas
Hot Topic | Informed Parents, Empowered Choices: Understanding School Choice Options
Kaleidoscope Roundtables: Mentor/Mentee and Topic Discussions
Math Words: Five Ways to Practice Math Vocabulary!
More Than Words: What Effective Pre-teaching Really Looks Like
Moving the Needle: Changing Postsecondary Readiness for Students with Extensive Support Needs
Navigating Teacher Preparation in a Shifting Policy Landscape: Implementing the SAFE Framework
Providing Culturally Relevant Inclusive Education and Co-Teaching Professional Development for International Teachers in the U.S.
Resilience in Education: Advancing Literacy, Behavior, and Professional Well-Being
Roles of Educators in Supporting Students with Using Image Descriptions to Access Curriculum Content
Small Steps, Big Future: The Power of Early Transition Planning
Teacher Exchange - Bridging Bias to Belonging: Equity in Behavior Support
Teaching UDL Differently: An Inquiry-Based UDL Unit for Beginning Educators
The Road to Inclusion: A District Journey in Innovating Special Education Itinerant Services
The THRIVE Framework: Building Systems Where All Students Succeed
Thriving with AI: Responsive Literacy Practices for Twice-Exceptional Learners
Transform Writing Outcomes with Strategic, Adaptive, and Technology-Based Instruction
Educators with Disabilities Business Meeting
“I’m Interested in Starting an Inclusive Postsecondary Education Program. Where do I start?”
Building Pathways to Postsecondary Success for Rural Students With Disabilities
Changing Mindsets, Changing Classrooms: Building SDI Confidence in General Educators
Cultivating Inclusive Instruction, Content Area, and Positive School Climate for Emergent Bilingual Students with Disabilities
Doing More by Doing Less: Promoting Effective and Sustainable Job Coaching in Secondary Transition Settings
Elevating Co-Teaching: Action-Driven Professional Learning for Sustained Inclusive Excellence
Empowering Student Writers: Perspectives on Self-Regulated Strategy Development Writing Instruction from High Schoolers
Enhance System-wide Professional Development with Dynamic Online Tools that Support Educators, Coaches, and Student Learning
Evaluating the Effects of a Social Studies Curriculum for Elementary Students with ESN
Feelings Shouldn’t Be Political: Making the Case for Social Emotional Development
Morphology in Action: Teaching Secondary and Adult Learners to Tackle Complex Words
Our Stories, Our Choices: Centering Student Voice through Self-Determination
Preparing Future Education Teachers: A Reflection of Three Years of Developing Future Special Educators Grant
Program Chairs Spotlight Session: An Unexpected Journey, The Story of Teaching in Classrooms Across the Career Span
Reducing Teacher Turnover in Inclusive, Rural Preschools: A Collaborative, Non-Evaluative Coaching Approach
Safety First Then Comes Culture: Shifting Mindsets Around Restraint and Seclusion
Teacher Exchange - Purposeful Learning: Empowering SEL, Dual-Identified Students, Community-Based Instruction, and Collaboration in Special Education
Unlocking Communication: A Beginner’s Guide to Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the Classroom
Using IRIS Resources for Flexible Professional Development on High-Need Topics
WEA Apprenticeship Residency in Teaching: Transitioning to Competency Based Special Education Teacher Preparation
What Matters Most: A School-wide Framework for Teachers of Students with/at Risk for Learning Disabilities
Who Gets to Be Gifted? Teacher Race, District Demographics, and Student Representation in Florida
Yes I Can Awards
Educators with Disabilities Social (Open to All)
CEC Celebration
Culturally Responsive Induction and Mentoring for Beginning Special Education Teachers
Design Today, Graduate Tomorrow: Inclusive Blueprint for Enhanced Access & Graduation for Students with Disabilities
Para Today, Teacher Tomorrow: Building the Educator Pipeline
Post-Convention Workshop 17: Someone is Always Watching: Seven Keys to Crafting and Implementing Educationally Meaningful and Legally Sound IEPs.
Post-Convention Workshop 18: The Essentials of Classroom Management
Post-Convention Workshop 19: Accessibility Matters: The Future of Inclusive Design with AI
Adapting PBIS and ABA for Complex Learners: A Data-Driven Framework for Private Day School Success
Confidence in Action: Using Differentiated Instruction to Break the Cycle of Learned Helplessness
Putting the I in IEP: Tips for Ensuring Schools Can Implement, Individualized and Impactful Services
Roles, Responsibilities, and Perceptions of Behavior Specialists in Public Schools
Bridging Research and Practice: Effective Strategies for Supporting Students with Developmental Disabilities
Harnessing the Power of Data: Effective Data-Based Decision-Making to Facilitate Tier 3 Behavior Supports
Increasing Attendance of Students with Emotionally-Based School Avoidance: Development of a New Stepped Care Intervention
Research-Based Approaches to Supporting General and Special Education Teachers’ Effective Classroom and Behavior Management
LIVE | Welcome Session with CEC President Ben Tillotson!
LIVE | What’s Happening in Washington Update
LIVE | From Insight to Action: Using AI to Enhance Teaching and Learning for All Students
LIVE | A Decade of High-Leverage Practices: Key Lessons Learned and Top Resources for Implementation
Keynote: Opportunity in the Shift: Honoring IDEA’s Legacy and the Future You’re Leading and Learning in the Age of AI
Keynote: The Science of Happiness
Administrators: Helping New Special Education Teachers Thrive in the Classroom
AI and the Future: What's Next for Technology and Society
An Equity-Focused PBIS Approach for Increasing Racial Equity in School Discipline
Artificial Intelligence 101: A Foundational Understanding of AI and It's Implications for Special Education
Building Strong Foundations and Empowering Paraprofessionals: BST and Antecedent Interventions for Reducing Challenging Behavior
Counter Geniuses: See the Able, Not the Label
DISES Showcase: Reimagining Inclusion: Global Perspectives on Expanding Access and Participation in Education
DVIDB Showcase: The Impact of Dual Math Braille Codes: UEB and Nemeth in the United States
Enhance System-wide Professional Development with Dynamic Online Tools that Support Educators, Coaches, and Student Learning
From Good to Great: Strengthening Writing Instruction with Research-Based Strategies
Hand-On with AI: Tools You'll Actually Use
Help! How Can I Use Assessment to Drive Classroom Instruction?
IEP Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make: A Guide for Special Education Administrators and Teachers
Instruction to Support Advanced Word Reading Skills for Students in the Intermediate Grades
No More “Frankensteining” Literacy: Effective Reading Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities
Practical AI Literacy That Can Be Applied Tomorrow
Strategic Planning with AI: Turning Data into Direction
What Educators and Leaders Need to Know about Leveraging MTSS for SDI
Word Problem Worries? Know What to Expect on State Tests and How to Support Students
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm