FYI, the Institute on Community Integration Staff Newsletter

June 2015

Coast to Coast with ICI: Institute Staff Speak at 8 Major Conferences in 60 Days

Since early April, Institute on Community Integration (ICI) staff have traveled across the U.S. presenting their work at eight major conferences in the education, human services, and disability fields. Showcasing ICI research findings, and providing leadership in their fields, the following individuals took ICI’s mission on the road in a big way:

  • Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 2015 Annual Convention and Expo, San Diego, April 8-11. Eileen Klemm and Jean Echternacht of ICI’s Check & Connect project and Transition program area co-presented, “Making a Map, Finding My Way Back: Model Demonstration Project.”

  • 2015 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Chicago, April 16-20. Sheryl Lazarus and Martha Thurlow of the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) were among the presenters for, “How States Include Students with Disabilities in Test Security Policies.”

  • 2015 American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) Conference, Arlington, Virginia, May 3-5. Lori Sedlezky of ICI’s Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC) presented “Tools of the Trade: The DSP Workforce Development Toolkit.”

  • ARRM Spring Conference on Competency-Based Training, 245D, and DirectCourse, Bloomington, Minnesota, May 14. RTC staff members Mark Olson and Nancy McCulloh delivered, “What You Need to Know About Competency-Based Online Training,” and Barb Kleist and Mark spoke on, “Tune Up Your Person-Centered Thinking Skills.”

  • Pac Rim Conference, Honolulu, May 18-19. Sherri Larson (RTC) presented, “Using Data on Long-Term Supports and Services for People with IDD to Influence Social Change.”

  • International Society for Autism Research, Salt Lake City, May 13-16. Xueqin “Shirley” Qian (RTC) presented, “The Impact of Child Language and Cognitive Abilities on the Amount of Teacher Verbal Input on Children with Autism.”

  • National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) Annual Meeting and Conference, Louisville, May 30-31. NADSP honored RTC Director Amy Hewitt with its first John F. Kennedy Jr. Award for Direct Support Professional Advocacy & Leadership, given in recognition of “her tireless advocacy and support for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).” She also presented, “NADSP: Past, Present and Future.”
  • American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Annual Meeting, Louisville, June 1-4. Amy Hewitt was a panelist for “Where Do We Go with Research, Practice, and Policy?” She and Derek Nord (RTC) were among the presenters of, “Direct Support Professionals: Workforce Stability and Quality Outcomes for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,” and Derek also co-presented, “Putting Faith to Work: Exploring New Possibilities Within Old Traditions.” Lori Sedlezky co-presented the pre-conference session, “New CMS Waiver Regulations: Implementation Strategies for Providers and States,” and Angela Amado (RTC) co-presented, “A Systematic, State-Wide Initiative to Expand Community Relationships, Belonging and Membership.”

The momentum continues as ICI staff head to Duluth, Philadelphia, and beyond in the next two weeks to speak at other gatherings. Check next month’s FYI for more about ICI coast-to-coast this summer.