Espresso Shots & Legal Hot Takes: Section 504, ADA, and the New Litigation Landscape

Since Perez v. Sturgis, ADA and Section 504 claims have become a common companion to special education due process cases. In this fast-paced session, we’ll serve up the latest legal developments—highlighting key case law, including the anticipated June 2025 Supreme Court decision in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools —and break down what amounts to disability discrimination under federal law. Designed for special education leaders, this session offers practical insights and legal “shots” to help you stay sharp in an increasingly complex compliance environment.

Jessica Billingsley, Church Church Hittle &Antrim

Caroline Wood, Church Church Hittle &Antrim

The Power of Perspective: Leading Staff to Understand Behavior Differently

This session is intended to help school and district leaders learn strategies to help staff and faculty develop the mindset essential to helping them see all behavior through a different lens. This session will cover the root causes of challenging behavior and provide an understanding of what staff in various roles can do to help students return to and maintain a regulated state. Participants will obtain ideas on how to support the kind of environment that helps students feel safe and supported.

Emily Dykstra, Mitchell Community Schools

Ashlee Jamison

Changing Behavior Starts with Changing Systems: A Leadership Approach 

Behavioral challenges in schools are often addressed at the student level, but sustainable success requires systemic leadership. This session will explore how special education administrators can create, refine, and lead behavior support systems that proactively meet the needs of students and staff. Participants will examine how leadership decisions shape the effectiveness of behavioral supports, and how systems-level thinking can improve student outcomes, staff capacity, and compliance with IDEA.

Kris Baker, Shelbyville Central Schools

Christina Bradburn, Shelbyville Central Schools

Rethinking Behavior Programs 

Attendees will be provided information on successful models, flexibility, data collection, and behavior supports. Attendees will be given information on the research behind more inclusive practices and longterm outcomes. During this presentation you will hear about resources needed to successfully integrate students with behavioral and emotional needs in the general education environment as well as important steps in the planning process of moving towards a more inclusive behavioral support program.

Nikki Saulters, Duneland School Corporation

Jennifer Bognar, Duneland School Corporation

Latte Legal Talk: The Top 10 Calls that Keep Pouring In

Grab your coffee and join Andrew Manna and Chandler Lawson Flynn for a freshly brewed look at the top legal issues percolating in special education today. This session will explore the most frequent calls attorneys receive from school clients, offering practical tips, timely insights, and strategies to help administrators stay ahead of potential legal spills. Whether you're steeped in experience or just getting started, this session will energize your legal awareness and help you serve students with confidence--no espresso shot required.

Chandler Lawson Flynn, Church Church Hittle & Antrim 

Andrew Manna, Church Church Hittle & Antrim 

Everyone is a Miller: Transitioning to Combined Applied Program Focused on Inclusion

In this presentation, the high school Special Education team will share the success of combining the typical FAP and Life Skills programs into one, Applied Programming. The team will discuss how we aligned students’ schedules with the typical high school bell schedule, enabling them to transition between classes just like their peers. This session will outline the steps taken to create a more inclusive program, discuss the benefits for students with special needs, and provide practical strategies for supporting smooth transitions. Attendees will learn how this approach fosters student engagement, independence, and social integration, while also promoting a sense of belonging within the school community.

Amy Roberts, Noblesville Schools 

Barb Olszewski, Noblesville Schools

Beth Kizer, Noblesville Schools 

Amy Ruschak, Noblesville Schools 

Brewing Top 5 Evidence Based Practices a Director Should Observe in Classrooms to Support Students with ASD

In this session, directors and administrators will gain a practical checklist to help identify and evaluate the use of the top 5 evidence-based practices for supporting students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) including visual supports, prompting, reinforcement, sensory integration, and social skills instruction. Participants will learn how to recognize effective implementation in the classroom and understand the importance of each strategy in promoting student success, as recommended by the National Professional Development Center on ASD.

Melissa Dubie, Melissa Dubie Consulting LLC

The Dos and Don'ts of Dealing with Chronic Disruptive Behavior in Your Classroom

This is a simulation training which is highly interactive and engaging with attendees. It is not a sit and get. Attendees will actively participate in the training through simulation by role playing approaches, strategies, and techniques so they can experience first-hand how to implement the most effective teacher approach for disruptive behaviors, how to use the 4-D strategy to deal with behavioral tactics and traps, techniques that nudge and shape the behavior of students to be more cooperative and less defiant, how to use the technique of a limit ladder, and setting effective limits using a specific evidenced based approach called "Choice Language".

Kevin Dill, SNT Ed. Consulting, LLC

There's a Storm Brewing: Dealing with the Difficult Parents

Best ways to manage multiple forms of litigation or repetitive litigation by difficult parents.

Karen Glasser Sharp, Lewis & Kappes

Grace Lundy, Lewis & Kappes

Finding the Common Ground: How to Collaborate Effectively with Different Personalities

Presentation outlining successful collaboration strategies we've used as a team to find the common ground and keep students first.

Rachel Wietbrock, School City of Hammond

Erika Wills

You Survived “GO LIVE”, Now What? 

Attend this session for an overview of some of the features of the new IIEP system. Learn how to use the new system to work smarter, not harder to complete monitoring and to stay compliant with the requirements of the law.

Abi West, Director, Adams Wells Special Services Cooperative 

Drew Markley, Assistive Technology Coordinator, Adams Wells Special Services Cooperative

ALL means ALL: 6 Foundational Principles that Support All Children to be Successful

Make Introductions, Share learning objectives, Provide research on why this topic is relevant, Share 6 foundational principles, Unpack each principle using best adult-learning strategies, Answer questions, Call to action activity, Evaluation, Closing

Lynne Hall, Early Childhood Center at IU IIDC

Katie Herron, Early Childhood Center, IIDC

Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Special Education Teacher Preparation through Collaborative Insights

Join us for an engaging session where we will collaborate with participants to identify key areas for strengthening teacher preparation. Through dynamic large and small group sessions, participants will help us pinpoint the top 5 needs for new teachers, ensuring they are well-equipped to support diverse learners effectively. This interactive session promises valuable insights and actionable strategies for enhancing special education teacher training.

Susan Klinker, Indiana University Bloomington

Richard Carter Jr. PhD, Indiana University Bloomington

Greater Together: Leveraging Family Engagement Practices to Support Student Well-Being

The Indiana Governor’s Council on People with Disabilities awarded four competitive Strengthening Families grants last May to communities with well-designed proposals to support whole family well-being and advocacy. One of these grants was awarded to the Greater Gary area in a collaboration between IN*SOURCE and Office of Constituent Services at the Mayor’s Office. Additionally, IN*SOURCE is completing its second year as the Statewide Family Engagement Center for Indiana, working closely with 5 school corporations representing all regions and demographics across the state. Come learn about successful models of family engagement and gain access to innovative tools to support your collaboration with families in support of improved student outcomes.

Natalie Hicks, IN*SOURCE

Tiara Williams, IN*SOURCE

Building Local Capacity: Developing Internal Coaches to Strengthen System and Team Needs in Behavioral Health & Education

This session will explore the Internal Coaching Provider Model, sharing insights on its successful implementation in provider training and introducing the upcoming pilot for educators and school teams. Participants will walk through each phase of the coaching process, gaining tools for applying structured training models, providing feedback, and ensuring implementation fidelity. Through interactive discussion and real-world exemplars, attendees will also learn how micro-credentialing and badging support measurable improvements in training quality, skill development, and professional recognition, reinforcing elevated standards of care across behavioral health and education systems.

Tiffany Neal, HANDS in Autism

Kristan Sievers Coffer, HANDS in Autism

Mounika Gottipati, HANDS in Autism

Sips of Success: Starting Strong as a New Director

We will focus on new directors and giving some initial building blocks to get their year going, and strategies.

Jessica Vogel, Local Directors 

Jill Lambert, IEDA

MTSS and Student Support: Building Systems That Are Accessible, Inclusive, and Impactful

This presentation explores how schools can build a culture of shared responsibility to support student mental health and academic success. Using a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, participants will learn practical strategies to help school staff identify students in need of additional support, implement effective interventions, and actively engage families as key partners. The session emphasizes a collaborative, system-wide approach that empowers educators, strengthens school-family connections, and creates a more responsive and supportive environment for all students.

Jillian Kelton, Cartwheel Care

Playful Leadership: Sustaining Change through Authenticity and Engagement

Facilitative leadership is one of the pillars of implementation science -- a collection of research-based strategies for sustaining initiatives. Play-based facilitation methods offer proven ways to sustain participant engagement in complex tasks. Join me for an interactive and experiential workshop focused on group facilitation techniques drawn from the field of applied improvisation. Participants will gain access to an online starter curriculum of group facilitation exercises.

Jim Ansaldo, Center on Education and Lifelong Learning, Indiana Institue on Disability and Community, Indiana University

I've Looked at Sped From Both Sides Now: What Schools Can Learn From Parents & What Parents Can Learn From Schools
After years of representing school districts in Indiana and Illinois, and representing children with disabilities in Minnesota, education attorney and certified DEIJ practitioner Jessica Heiser is "spilling the tea" about lessons both sides could learn from each other. Join Jessica for case studies and tips learned in hundreds of due process hearings and complaints as we explore tangible methods to decrease litigation in your school district and build a more collaborative parent-school relationship.
Jessica Heiser, Imprint Legal Group

Inclusion in PreK: Best Practices for Reaching All Learners

In this presentation we will outline curricular best practices in inclusive early childhood settings for educators to use as a guidepost when working with our youngest learners. We will focus on the importance of play based learning, social and emotional development, communication and language development, and emerging academic skills. We will also discuss the importance of collecting and analyzing data within early childhood settings. We will tie this together by briefly introducing our new comprehensive, inclusive early childhood special education curriculum, Launch for PreK.

Nancy Farr, Teach Town Inc. 

Scott Wyzgoski

Allison Pollock 

Phonics Instruction that Aligns with Standards, IEP Goals, and Science of Reading

Join this session to discuss and role-play strategies to implement IEP goals, standards, and research-based practices into the classroom. This session will involve exploring ways to teach the pronunciation of different consonants and vowel sounds using a sound wall and vowel valley, then explore different practices for teaching syllable types.

Dr. Jessica Redcay-Shoff, RoboKind

Cari Neal, HCCSC

New FINDER AI-assisted Features & Supports

Discover how FINDER simplifies the search for local services, programs, training, and equipment to support students with disabilities and their families. Now featuring AI-assisted searches and auto link sharing, FINDER makes locating accurate, vetted information faster and easier. FINDER ensures dependable listings—many of which are free or covered by Medicaid or waivers. Learn how this accessible, web-based tool supports family engagement, IEP needs, and professional training statewide.

Vicki Lee Johnson, AWS Foundation 

Using a Proactive Sensory Approach to Improve Behavior in the Classroom

In this workshop, educators will gain insights into the strategic use of sensory items to enhance learning experiences and foster inclusive environments. We will explore the importance of sensory materials in catering to diverse learning needs and discuss when and how to integrate them seamlessly into lesson plans

Micheal Soria, Playlearn