What if your IEP team knew how to move forward—together?
What if your IEP team knew how to move forward—together?
Feeling overwhelmed, confused, or worn down by special education right now? This conference is here to help you make sense of the noise—and move forward with clarity and confidence.
Is it time that you did that thing?
scroll on if you're into it.
presented by
This conference is designed to help parents, advocates, and professionals navigate the legal framework, best practices, and negotiation strategies needed to create highly effective IEP teams. When IEP teams work together, everyone benefits.
Here’s What’s in Store Over the the Two Days:
- Deep dives into special education law
- Expert-led sessions on sensory processing, behavior, reading, and more
- Strategies for advocacy and negotiation
How It Works:
Each day—February 18th and 19th—a new set of sessions will go live for 24 hours. You can watch them completely free during that time. If you need extra time or want to revisit sessions, check out our extended access ticket options for on-demand viewing and bonus content.
Have Questions?
We’re here to help. Join the conversation in our Circle platform, send a DM on social media, or reach out via email.
What is the SAEC Conference?
Grab Your Free Pass
Each day's sessions for The Special Education & Advocacy Conference will be available for 24 hours only, beginning at 8:00 AM EST. Once the 24-hour period expires, access to these sessions will no longer be available. To extend your access, you can purchase the All-Access Pass (AAP), which grants you one year of access to all session recordings and exclusive digital goodies.
the agenda
8AM
Negotiating a Meaningful and Neurodiversity Affirming IEP
with Lisa Baskin Wright
Wednesday, February 18th, 8am, EST
8AM
Regulation Before Expectation
With Katie Zelinski
8AM
When DC Fails, Local Voices Rise Protecting Disability Rights Through State & Local Action
with Courtney Hansen
8AM
How Do We Know It's Working: Evaluating The Quality and Effectiveness of Dyslexia Intervention
with Megan Pinchback, MBA, LDT, CALT
8AM
Ensuring Accessibility in Communication: Stronger IEPs for Multi-Modal Learners
with Colleen Ashford M.S. SLP
8AM
Evaluating a School's FBA & BIP
with Annie McLaughlin
8AM
IEEs: A Powerful Tool in a Parent's Toolbox
with Melissa K. Waugh, J.D., M.P.H.
8AM
Future Planning-From Early Childhood to Life After High School
with Shemica S. Allen
8AM
Looking Beneath IEP Accommodations: What Everyday Supports Might Reveal About Executive Function
with Amy Zembriski
Thursday, February 19th, 8am, EST
8AM
School Avoidance Through a Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens
with Dr. Taylor Day
8AM
Being Emotional Without Being Reactive
with Kelly Rippin
8AM
Play-Based Self-Care: A Menu-Style System to Help Beat Burnout So You Can Keep Showing Up for What Matters Most
with Angelyn Franks
8AM
What’s Happening at the U.S. Department of Education & Why It Matters for Families and Educators
with Heather sachs & Jawanda Mast
8AM
Simple Strategies to Foster Belonging and Inclusion for Every Student
with ashley barlow
8AM
Protecting Special Education: State and Local Advocacy
with Jen Powers Alge
8AM
Getting Started with Assistive Technology
with Katie Larew
Meet the Experts
your special education bff's
I’ve hand-selected a field of over 15 experts that are teachers, doctoral-level behaviorists, school psychologists, literacy coaches and specialists, attorneys, advocates, and parents that have tried and true strategies to share with you. This line up of experts is a dream come true for me, because I’ve followed many of them on social media for years, and I’ve heard several of them speak at other conferences.
ashley barlow
Katie Zelinski
Occupational Therapist
special education attorney and owner of Ashley Barlow Co.
Courtney Hansen
State & Local Policy Coordinator COPAA
Megan Pinchback, MBA, LDT, CALT
Certified Academic Language Therapist, Founder of Dyslexia On Demand
Amy Zembriski
Angelyn Franks, SLPD, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Speech Language Pathologist
Lisa Baskin Wright
IEP Coach/Advocate
Dr. Taylor Day
Licensed Psychologist
Jawanda B. Mast
heather sachs
Policy & Advocacy Co-Director, National Down Syndrome Congress
NDSC Grassroots Advocacy Manager
Shemica S. Allen
Non-Attorney Special Education Advocate/Special Education Expert
Annie McLaughlin
Education Consultant & Behavior Analyst
Jen Powers Alge
Melissa K. Waugh, J.D., M.P.H.
Special Education Attorney
Director of Policy and Civil Rights at the Arc of Ohio
Kelly Rippin
Anchor/Reporter/Journalist
Katie Larew
Assistive Technology Coach
Grab Your Free Pass
Regulation before Expectation
Regulation Before Expectation is a practical, classroom-focused webinar that helps educators understand why dysregulated students cannot learn, engage, or communicate until their nervous systems feel safe and ready. You’ll learn how to spot the hidden signs of dysregulation, shift away from “behavior” assumptions, and implement simple, effective regulation supports that boost attention, participation, and success. We’ll also walk through how to meaningfully address regulation needs within the IEP.
Meet Katie
with Katie Zelinski
award-winning special education teacher
I'm Katie Zelinski, an ASI-trained pediatric occupational therapist and founder of The Well-Balanced OT. I support OTs in building confident, neurodiversity-affirming, strength-based practices through mentorship, education, and practical tools. My work is rooted in connection, curiosity, and balance over burnout, both in and out of sessions.
When D.C. Fails, Local Voices Rise: Protecting Disability Rights Through State & Local Action
Meet Courtney
with Courtney Hansen
award-winning special education teacher
As a State & Local Policy Coordinator for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), Courtney Hansen leads efforts to strengthen disability rights and educational equity through grassroots organizing and legislative advocacy. In this role, Courtney works directly with families, advocates, and policymakers to ensure that state and local laws uphold the protections guaranteed under federal special education statutes. By building coalitions, tracking emerging policy threats, and equipping communities with tools to influence decision-makers, Courtney empowers stakeholders to safeguard the rights of students with disabilities. With a commitment to amplifying parent and student voices, Courtney helps transform local action into systemic change, ensuring inclusive, equitable education remains a priority across the nation.
Specialized Intervention and Advocacy for Students with Dyslexia
This presentation helps parents and educational advocates understand how to tell whether dyslexia intervention is truly working—not just compliant on paper. It explains what high-quality, comprehensive dyslexia intervention should include, how to evaluate school programs and provider training, and what meaningful progress monitoring and growth actually look like for an individual student.
Meet Megan
with Megan E Pinchback, MBA, LDT, CALT
award-winning special education teacher
Megan Pinchback, MBA, LDT, CALT is a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist through the state of Texas. She completed her Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) training from the Scottish Rite Dyslexia Center of Austin in 2011. After a 10 year career as a special education teacher in the Texas public school system, in 2012 she transitioned into private practice as a dyslexia therapist and CALT servicing children out of her office in Dripping Springs, Texas. After 7 years of experience in private practice, she acted on her knowledge of the severe shortage of Certified Academic Language Therapists globally required to service the estimated 20% of the needed population and began Dyslexia On Demand, an exclusively web based, one on one platform connecting students with CALTs nationwide. Her understanding of the shortage of quality dyslexia servicing for children on a national level propels her daily to stretch her knowledge, voice, and reach.
Megan is a Vice President of the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA), co-host of the Don’t Call On Me Podcast, and a national speaker on dyslexia. Additionally, she holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Business Administration through Louisiana State University. She is passionate about dyslexia advocacy, legislation at the state and national level, and supporting students and parents through the social-emotional impact of dyslexia and the struggle to receive appropriate servicing.
Additionally, and most importantly, she is a wife and the mother to five wonderful children ranging in ages from 7 to 26 years old. She and her family enjoy spending as much time as they can together and outside in the beautiful Texas hill country an hour outside of Austin, Texas.
Looking Beneath IEP Accommodations: What Everyday Supports Might Reveal About Executive Function
Amy Zembriski, a certified speech-language pathologist, discusses how Individualized Education Program (IEP) accommodations and everyday supports can reveal underlying executive function needs, using a case study of an 11-year-old student with autism and ADHD to illustrate the point. The goal is to move beyond simply providing accommodations and instead teach students self-reflective questioning to strengthen their executive function system, which promotes internalization of skills and fosters independence into adulthood. By understanding the root cause of the accommodations—challenges in foundational executive function skills like perception, attention, working memory, and inhibition—educators can effectively support students in fading those external supports.
Meet Amy
with Amy Zembriski
award-winning special education teacher
Amy is a speech-language pathologist who specializes in supporting autistic children, AAC users, and gestalt language processors through an executive function lens. Her work focuses on helping clinicians and families understand how foundational executive functioning skills directly influence a child’s ability to notice, process, and use language.
Amy’s approach integrates executive function, AAC, GLP, and neurodiversity-affirming practices into practical, compassionate supports that reflect the complexity of real-life communication. Through her trainings, resources, and educational content, she provides thought-provoking insights and actionable tools that help professionals and families foster meaningful, authentic communication.
Play-Based Self-Care: A Menu-Style System to Help Beat Burnout So You Can Keep Showing Up for What Matters Most
Burnout and advocacy fatigue are common, and most self-care advice isn’t very helpful. This session introduces a play-based, menu-style approach to self-care. Supported by research from Dr. Stuart Brown of the National Institute for Play, we'll look at play as a practical way to personalize self-care. You’ll learn how to build a Play Menu with a range of options, from quick resets to deeper restorative experiences, that fit your time, energy, and day-to-day needs so that you can sustainably show up for what matters most.
Meet Angelyn
with Angelyn Franks, SLPD, CCC-SLP
award-winning special education teacher
Dr. Angelyn Franks is a speech-language pathologist & burnout coach who knows firsthand the challenge of loving the work you do, but also feeling drained by it. After a decade of searching for a role that wouldn’t lead to burnout, she discovered that burnout extends beyond just stress or workload—it often stems from values misalignment, disconnection, & attempting to make square pegs fit into unsustainable systems (She’s also a big fan of a well-placed mixed metaphor).
Today, Angelyn empowers SLPs, educators, & future healthcare professionals to build sustainable, meaningful careers and lives so they can continue to show up fully for their clients, families, and themselves. Leveraging her research in mindfulness and burnout, she offers practical, values-driven tools through her coaching, membership community, & speaking engagements. She is the creator of the Alignment Revolution membership, the Joy Lab community for burned-out clinicians, & the co-host of the Chill, SLP podcast with Amy Zembriski, where she brings humor, honesty, and practical tools to the burnout conversation.
Negotiating a Meaningful and Neurodiversity Affirming IEP
This presentation is an overview of what a Neurodiversity Affirming IEP is and how to establish collaborative working relationships with the team. There is also a discussion about how to negotiate when things go awry and Lisa walks you through a real life example from her coaching practice.
Meet Lisa
with Lisa Baskin Wright
award-winning special education teacher
Lisa Wright is a former teacher and parent to an autistic young adult who supports families through the IEP process helping parents and caregivers feel more confident at the IEP table. Lisa takes a collaborative approach that focuses on getting curious about the learner and what kind of an environment they need to thrive. She is neurodiversity affirming and centers the lived experience of the child.
In short, her approach is:
• Collaborative
• Neurodiversity-affirming
• Quality of life centered
• Learner-centered
• Accommodation (not compliance) focused
Lisa's primary focus is the learner and making sure their program honors their humanity while being implemented in a way that builds connection between them and the teams who are supporting them.
School Avoidance Through a Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens
In this presentation, Dr. Taylor Day discusses school avoidance through a neurodiversity-affirming lens, emphasizing the importance of understanding the underlying needs of students rather than simply addressing behaviors. The talk covers the significance of psychological safety, the role of relationships in supporting students, and practical strategies for educators and parents to create more inclusive and supportive environments for neurodivergent learners.
Meet Taylor
with Dr. Taylor Day
award-winning special education teacher
Dr. Taylor Day is a licensed psychologist specializing in neuroaffirming care for autistic children and their families, including very early diagnosis and early intervention. She has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is the CEO and founder of Dr. Tay Concierge Clinical Care. Her practice integrates The Whole Family Approach, a process she created utilizing evidence-informed principles after seeing a gap in autism care. Her passion for child psychology and her focus on autism is in many ways tied to her own personal experience growing up with a brother who was diagnosed at 23 months of age.
What’s Happening at the U.S. Department of Education & Why It Matters for Families and Educators
What’s Happening at the U.S. Department of Education and Why It Matters for Families and Educators
Recent conversations and proposals about changes to the U.S. Department of Education have raised serious questions and concern, especially for families of students with disabilities and the educators who support them.
In this timely workshop, Heather Sachs, NDSC Policy & Advocacy Co-Director, and Jawanda Mast, NDSC Grassroots Advocacy Manager, will break down what is happening, what it could mean for students with disabilities, and how parents and educators can take meaningful action.
This session is designed to be informative, empowering, and accessible, no policy background required. If you care about protecting students with disabilities and ensuring strong federal oversight in education, this workshop is for you.
Meet Jawanda
with Jawanda B. Mast
award-winning special education teacher
Jawanda Mast is the Grassroots Advocacy Manager for the National Down Syndrome Congress and a longtime disability rights advocate. Her advocacy journey began more than 26 years ago when her daughter, Rachel, was born with Down syndrome. Since then, Jawanda has worked at the local, state, and national levels to advance inclusive policies and strengthen grassroots advocacy efforts.
She played a key role in the passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act and has testified on numerous state and federal policy issues, including seclusion and restraint, organ transplant nondiscrimination, supported decision making, and IDD waiver modernization. She is a national speaker and consultant who has presented across the country on advocacy, meaningful inclusion, and empowering families and self-advocates.
Previously, Jawanda served as Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Memphis and the Mid-South, where she helped grow the organization and expand its impact. She has also held leadership roles with national disability organizations and continues to support advocacy training and coalition building through her work with NDSC.
A proud University of Arkansas alumna, Jawanda received the 2017 Alumni Community Service Award in recognition of her advocacy and leadership. She describes her work as a labor of love and conviction, grounded in her commitment to building inclusive communities alongside her daughter Rachel. Jawanda lives in Olathe, Kansas along with her husband Jonathan, Rachel, and their dog Rory. She says her work is a #laborofloveandconviction.
What’s Happening at the U.S. Department of Education & Why It Matters for Families and Educators
What’s Happening at the U.S. Department of Education and Why It Matters for Families and Educators
Recent conversations and proposals about changes to the U.S. Department of Education have raised serious questions and concern, especially for families of students with disabilities and the educators who support them.
In this timely workshop, Heather Sachs, NDSC Policy & Advocacy Co-Director, and Jawanda Mast, NDSC Grassroots Advocacy Manager, will break down what is happening, what it could mean for students with disabilities, and how parents and educators can take meaningful action.
This session is designed to be informative, empowering, and accessible, no policy background required. If you care about protecting students with disabilities and ensuring strong federal oversight in education, this workshop is for you.
Meet Heather
with heather sachs
award-winning special education teacher
Heather Sachs is NDSC’s Co-Director of Policy & Advocacy, where she works to ensure every person with Down syndrome has the dignity, opportunity, and support they deserve. An attorney and passionate advocate, she previously held senior policy roles at NDSS and the ABLE National Resource Center and has extensive federal, state, and local experience. Heather co-founded the Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition and served on Maryland’s ABLE Task Force. She lives in the DC area with her family, including a daughter with Down syndrome.
Future Planning-From Early Childhood to Life After High School
Meet Shemica
with Shemica S. Allen
award-winning special education teacher
Shemica S. Allen is the owner of Personalized Learning Solutions, LLC, and a former educator with over 15 years of teaching and administration experience working with students with disabilities and their parents/guardians. She has been in business for over 13 years helping parents in Texas and other states. Shemica received her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Science in Kinesiology with a specialization in Adapted Physical Activity from Texas Christian University. She was named to the Continuing Advisory Committee for Special Education (CAC) for Texas in December 2017 to help make decisions that will improve Special Education in the state. She served on the committee until 2022. Shemica is currently a Special Education Advocate Training (SEAT) 1.0, 2.0 & Business of Special Education Advocacy Instructor for COPAA where she helps to train others to advocate for students with disabilities. She also has completed Advanced Advocate Training: Representing Parents in Impartial Hearings through COPAA and Special Education Advocacy Institute through Wrightslaw. Her philosophy is to work collaboratively with schools as well as to help parents/guardians develop a mutually trusting and respectful relationship with the school so the child can be better served. Shemica has extensive experience working with parents & schools in IEP/ARD committee meetings & Section 504 Plan meetings which requires effective communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict resolution. She has also published an eBook titled Ridiculous & Red-Flag Statements Said At IEP Meetings that is available at Amazon.
Evaluating a School's FBA & BIP
Meet Annie
with Annie McLaughlin
award-winning special education teacher
Dr. Annie McLaughlin is a board-certified behavior analyst, former special educator, mom of three, and IEP advocate. She supports families navigating the special education system and trains behavior analysts to confidently engage in IEP advocacy through her program, Pivot into IEP Advocacy®.
IEEs: A Powerful Tool in a Parent's Toolbox
Meet Melissa
with Melissa K. Waugh, J.D., M.P.H.
award-winning special education teacher
Melissa K. Waugh (she/her) is a skilled attorney in practice for twenty-five years. She has practiced special education law for the last fifteen years. Melissa represents parents at IEP meetings, in mediation, with state and federal complaints, in due process hearings, and in federal and state litigation and appeals. Her representation includes matters arising under the IDEA, the ADA, and Section 504. Melissa graduated cum laude from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree with a focus in biology, chemistry, and physics. Melissa received her Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center in 2000. While attending law school, Melissa served on the Houston Journal of International Law as Articles Editor, the Student Bar Association as 1st Vice President & Section Representative, the Honor Court as a Justice, the Health Law Organization, and the Public Interest Law Organization. She also won first place in the Tom Newhouse Mediation Competition. Melissa holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Texas-Health Science Center. Melissa and her husband, Lt. Col. Bryan "Marty" Waugh (Ret.), are the parents of two amazing children who happen to have special needs. After adopting their children from foster care in 2010 and being exposed for the first time to special education and IEPs, Melissa quickly realized how complicated this area of the law is and the dire need for more attorneys representing the interests of parents of children with disabilities in our schools. Melissa started her own law firm to assist families of children with disabilities and served as a Guardian ad Litem for children in court. She joined Belkowitz Law, PLLC in 2018. Melissa regularly presents to parent and professional groups and has served as faculty for COPAA, the Institute for Special Education Advocacy at William & Mary Law School, VPLC Annual Statewide Legal Aid Conference, the University of Richmond School of Law Special Education Symposium, and the National Business Institute. She is a long-time member of COPAA, and Co-Chair of the Policy and Compliance Subcommittee of the Special Education Advisory Committee (“SEAC”) for Loudoun County Public Schools. Melissa is licensed to practice law in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Visual Supports Made Simple
Meet Jen
with Jen Powers Alge
award-winning special education teacher
Jen Powers Alge serves as the Director of Policy and Civil Rights at The Arc of Ohio, where she leads statewide advocacy to strengthen and protect the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Jen began her career as an attorney in Cincinnati, but her path shifted after her two children—Finley, who has autism, and Evie, who has Down syndrome—were diagnosed.
Their experiences launched her into disability advocacy, where she has spent years supporting families, serving on boards, managing a statehouse campaign, and completing leadership training through the LEND program.
In her role at The Arc of Ohio, Jen brings together her legal background, policy knowledge, and lived experience to influence legislation, guide systems change, and support inclusive communities across the state. She is known for her practical, collaborative approach and her strong commitment to ensuring every person with a disability has the opportunity to thrive.
Being Emotional Without Being Reactive
Processing things important to you, while being effective in communication.
Meet Kelly
with Kelly Rippin
award-winning special education teacher
Now 15 years into a journalism career, I've seen a little bit of everything from my time in West Virginia, Cincinnati, Nashville, Orlando and then back to Cincinnati again. I started as a multi-media journalist, doing very literally every part of the job. Coming up with stories, setting up interviews, shooting the interviews, editing the stories, being live on a story, then posting to station websites. Probably more interesting...watching the evolution of the news business.
How people take in information and the platforms where they get news has fully shifted from when I started. I think it helps me be well-rounded in understanding the different needs of different people to fully process news.
Despite the chaos it CAN cause, I do mostly enjoy social media and the way it can connect people.
I guess you could say things have come full circle from being a "multi-media journalist" because I do try to be on multiple forms of media, just in a very different way than 15 years ago!
Originally from outside of Pittsburgh, I am now thrilled to call the Cincinnati area home.
When not working, I am spending time with my dog, my two kids, and my husband.
(Listed in that order intentionally.)
We all love being outside and find it to be a great emotional regulator for our entire family, so if you're looking for us, look outside!
Ensuring Accessibility in Communication: Stronger IEPs for Multi-Modal Learners
This presentation focuses on enhancing communication for multimodal learners through stronger IEPs, emphasizing the importance of recognizing various communication modalities like AAC in every part of the IEP. This presentation goes over the two types of AAC and why modality neutrality is neurodiversity affirming. The presentation also highlights the need for comprehensive training for educators and families of AAC users, offering practical strategies and questions to improve IEPs.
Meet Colleen
with Colleen Ashford MS SLP
award-winning special education teacher
Colleen Ashford is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and non-attorney special-education advocate serving families in San Diego County through her mobile and virtual private practice. She began her career as a public school SLP in a bilingual elementary program, where her commitment to culturally responsive practice and improving her Spanish first took root. After relocating to California, she worked in multidisciplinary clinics, learning from OTs and PTs in ways that continue to shape her holistic, sensory-informed approach.
Now in her own private practice, Colleen focuses on AAC and Childhood Apraxia of Speech with a passion for supporting Spanish-speaking families in her community. As an IEP advocate, she equips parents with clear information about their educational rights and guides them through the IEP process. Through her Instagram page @theadvocate.slp she also brings accessible insights on IDEA, policy, and advocacy to school-based SLPs and teachers. Colleen loves to dig into a great conversation and does so on her podcast, Unfiltered IEPs, with parents and professionals who sit around the IEP table!
Getting Started with Assistive Technology
This video is an introductory “where to start” walkthrough on assistive technology (AT) for students—especially learners with dyslexia—covering what AT is under IDEA, examples from low-tech to high-tech tools, and why implementation (training + a simple plan) is the difference between having AT on paper and actually using it.
Meet Katie
with Katie Larew
award-winning special education teacher
Katie Larew, M.Ed, ATP, C-SLDI is a credentialed Special Education and General Education Teacher with a Master’s Degree in Special Education. She is the founder of Assistive Technology for Dyslexia, LLC, and has extensive experience as both a classroom Special Education Teacher and an Assistive Technology Specialist for a K-12 school district. Katie holds additional certifications, including IMSLEC-certified Orton-Gillingham Teacher, CERI-certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist, and RESNA-certified Assistive Technology Professional.
Katie provides Assistive Technology courses, private coaching and professional development to students, parents, and educators. Her mission focuses on integrating technology in a holistic way, empowering students with the tools they need to build confidence and independence!
You're in the right place!
So let's get started!
Stop feeling overwhelmed and start feeling grounded
Make sense of the IEP process without drowning in jargon
SAEC is right for you if:
Advocate with confidence—without being combative or burned out
Understand what really matters in special education right now
Grab Your Free Pass
Turn frustration into forward movement for your student
Let’s get started.