4th Annual Cognitive Disabilities Conference, August 11-12, 2010

Creating the Good Life: Improving Outcomes for Students with Cognitive Disabilities

The 4th Annual Cognitive Disabilities Conference, Creating the Good Life: Improving Outcomes for Students with Cognitive Disabilities, was held in Madison on August 11-12, 2010. Attendees included K-12 teachers of students with moderate or severe cognitive disabilities, paraprofessionals, directors of special education, parents and other interested educators. Presentations included Natural Supports, Assistive Technology, Common Core Standards, Family Care, Family Involvement, Working with Paraprofessionals, Professional Training Needs, Special Olympics, Literacy and Transition.

The CD Conference also featured a keynote presentation and breakout sessions by Michael McSheehan. Mr. McSheehan is the coordinator of the newly funded National Inclusive Education Initiative for Students with Autism and Related Disabilities. He has worked on a variety of state and federally funded initiatives to advance research, policy and practice in inclusive education, alternate assessment, augmentatives and alternative communication (AAC), autism spectrum disorders, collaborative teaming, and Response to Intervention (RtI). Currently, he is working with several states to replicate components of the Beyond Access Model to improve student and team outcomes in general education settings by assisting districts, schools and teams to build their capacity to educate children with significant disabilities in general education classrooms.

Mr. McSheehan’s handouts:
Keynote Presentation: Beyond Access and AAC: Membership, Participation and Learning for Students with Complex Communication Needs August 11, 2010	Augmentative and Alternative Communication Decisions from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Barriers Quiz – Addressing Common Barriers to the Use of AAC August 11, 2010	Communication Services and Supports for Individuals with Severe Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Article: Developing Augmentative Communication to Support Participation in General Education Classrooms by McSheehan and Sonnenmeier	National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities AAC Bill of Rights from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, June 2, 2009
RtI for ALL: Including Students with Cognitive Disabilities (breakout session) August 11, 2010	For more information about Michael McSheehan, go to http://www.iod.unh.edu/staff.html#mcsheehan You can also follow Michael on and

Other presentations and materials:
Lunchtime Keynote: The Future is Now: Family Care SDS and IRIS By Shannon Munn, In Control Wisconsin, Inc. August 11, 2010	Extended Grade Band Standards Round Table Handout Eva Kubinski, DPI, August 11, 2010
Orthopedic Impairment Round Table Handouts Sandra Corbett, DPI, August 11, 2010 * DRAFT OI Eligibility Checklist: [FINAL Version 12/29/10 - Word Fillable] * Comment on OI Eligibility Checklist/OI Resources * Draft OI Resources: [Final Version 12-29-2010]	Update on the 1% Grant: Consequential Validity Study of the WAA-SwD Eva Kubinski and Grant Sim, DPI Dr. Diane Halpin and Becky Lim, NCRRC August 11, 2010
Cognitive Disabilities Criteria - Overview Sandra Berndt and Eva Kubinski, DPI, August 10, 2010 * CD Criteria PowerPoint - Sandra Berndt * Draft CD Assessment Chart - Eva Kubinski * Draft CD EC Assessment Chart - Eva Kubinski	Wisconsin Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities (WAA-SwD) Round Table Kristen Kehoe and Erin Faasuamalie, DPI, August 10, 2010 * Office of Educational Accountability Online Resources * Accommodations Webpage: http://dpi.wi.gov/oea/accommtrx.html
Transition Session Steve Gilles, DPI, August 11, 2010 * Transition Webpage: http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/transition.html * WSTI Website: http://wsti.org/	Autism Round Table Brian Johnson, DPI, August 10, 2010 * Autism Webpage: http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/autism.html

For questions about this information, contact Eva M. Kubinski (608) 266-2899

Last updated on 12/29/2010 2:39:41 PM

4th Annual Cognitive Disabilities Conference August 11-12, 2010

Creating the Good Life: Improving Outcomes for Students with Cognitive Disabilities

4th Annual Cognitive Disabilities Conference
August 11-12, 2010