2025 Endless Possibilities Conference: Bridging Success: Empowering Every Learner
Keynote Session: Bringing Everyone to the School Community with Mike Hipple
The AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) highway in Wisconsin. For the last 30 years Mike and his family have been on the AAC highway of Wisconsin, with a lot of wrong turns, train tracks of languages, one-way roads of the education system, and neighborhoods of networking opportunities. Join him as he talks about it, tells stories about his journey, shares his knowledge of how to provide support for AAC in school, and shares a few thoughts about how schools and families can work together so students can thrive in schools and kids can live their best life, whatever it may mean.
Breakout Sessions: (Access handouts, recordings and additional materials from all breakout sessions here.)
- Preparing Neurodivergent Learners to Overcome Barriers to Post-Secondary Education with Chelsea Budde and Laura Edwards
- Autistic Young People: Quality of Life and Shared Decision-Making Discussion with Hunter Markle and Clyde Fruits
- Centering the Child: WI ACT 20 and Science-Based Early Literacy Instruction with Barbara Novak
- Empowerment Through Collaboration: Leveraging Assistive Technology for Limitless Possibilities with Dawn Merth-Johnson and Michelle Silverman
- AT is a Right! with Mike Hipple
2024 Endless Possibilities: Engaging Every Family for Student Success
Keynote Session: The Influence and Effect of SMALL’s Engagements
Presenters: Troney Small and Dr. Ricardo Anderson will engage participants in a personal expressive talk about his family’s journey. The connections with families, parents, and children allow relationships to thrive in ways to create a pathway that is eased for children to reach their full potential. When there is an understanding and respect of each family’s dynamics, beliefs, values, and priorities, individuals show a genuine effort to work together to achieve the goals for the family. Troney will discuss the impact of “Adultification” and raise awareness about how our community can strengthen partnership with families for student success for all.
Breakout Sessions: (Access handouts, recordings and additional materials from all breakout sessions here.)
- Family Partnering and Community Engagement Action Planning
- Welcome to College: Accessible and Inclusive
- The Power of Partnerships: Collaborative IEPs and Parent-School Collaboration with WI FACETS
- Keeping Individuals with Disabilities in Charge of Their Lives: Supported Decision-Making and Early Choice-Making
- Lessons Learned Along the ReMARKLEable Journey
- Understanding “Sensory”
- The Power of Presence: A Mindful Approach for Community Self-Care and Well-Being
- Embrace Equity through Respecting, Honoring, and Valuing Families from All Walks of Life
- Empowering Students: Teaching Kids About Their Brain
2023 Endless Possibilities: Guiding Families Through Challenging Times
Keynote Session: The Impact of Toxic Stress and Trauma
Presenter: Dr. Amy Nelson Christensen will provide an overview of the current understanding of the elements of a trauma sensitive school, define what is meant by “trauma sensitive” practices, and provide an outline of how families and schools can partner together to create a positive learning environment for all. She will explore the difference between trauma and toxic stress as well as the intersectional issues of students of color who struggle with toxic stress or traumatization and how this relates to special education services.
Breakout Sessions: (Access handouts, recordings and additional materials from all breakout sessions here.)
- Building a Trauma-Sensitive IEP
- Life Hurts. Have you Considered Forgiveness?
- (Re)Settling in: Immigrant and Refugee Students and Families in Schools
- Addressing Vicarious Trauma in Educators and Families
- Making a Pathway that is Eased for Children with Hope and Support
- Boundaries: Tools to Create a Safer World for your Child
- Homelessness Among Youth
- Building a Trauma Sensitive School Through Family-School Partnerships
- English Learners with Disabilities: What Exactly are their Rights?
- How to be Trauma Informed in a Racialized World
2022 Endless Possibilities: Effective Family Engagement Honoring Diversity for Successful Partnerships
Keynote Session: Lifestyle Design: How I Built My Family’s Healthcare and Education Village
Presenter: Lola Dada-Olley, is is a mom, wife, attorney, TEDx speaker, writer, advocate, and podcast host. In 2020, Lola launched her podcast, titled “Not Your Mama’s Autism,” chronicling her family’s multi-generational autism journey from inception, her brother’s autism diagnosis in 1989, to the present-day health care and education related needs of both her children.
Breakout Sessions: (Access handouts, recordings and additional materials from all breakout sessions here)
- Rise of the Advocate/Self-Advocate: Advancing Your Why
- Addressing Conflicts Effectively: Collaboratively Navigating Challenging Conversations
- Dispute Resolution Options for Families and Schools
- Systems Approaches to Family and Community Engagement
- Overcoming Obstacles – Family Engagement Stories
- Engaging Families Using Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
- A Tenacious Population: Supporting Foster Youth
- Speaking from the Inside of Disability
- Culturally Responsive Practices for Engaging Native American Families
- It All Starts with Hopes and Dreams: Parent-Teacher Home Visits
- Models of Strong Family-School Partnership Practices
- Engaging Families through Equitable Virtual Education
2021 Endless Possibilities: Successful Transitions
Keynote Session: Creating a Roadmap for Inclusive IEPs and Transition
Presenter: Dan Habib, is an award-winning filmmaker and a project director at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability.
Breakout Sessions: (Access handouts, recordings and additional materials from all breakout sessions here)
- ACTION! Effective Practices in Transition
- DVR: Thinking and Rethinking Possibilities During Times of Change and Transition
- College and Career Ready IEPs and Transition Back to In-Person Learning
- Completing a Successful Postsecondary Transition Plan (PTP)
- We Don’t Have to Return to “School as Usual”: Culturally Responsive Practices to Improve Outcomes for Students with IEPs
- Helping Teens Get the Health Care They Need and Deserve
- COVID-compelled change: Post-traumatic Growth at the Intersection of Identity and Life Transitions
- Including Health Care Transition into the PTP and IEP
- Panel – Life Skills Program Options
- Panel – Post-Secondary Education Program Options
- Self-Care Sessions: How to Forgive in an Unforgiving World
- Fall Into Gratitude and Joy: It’s That Easy!
- Panel of Post-Secondary Education Program Options
