We are excited to announce our first annual Virtual Transition Conference!
Join colleagues from across the country for this one-day Conference, as we address key questions and chart a path towards re-thinking what quality transition services can look like. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage, learn, and lead the future of transition services!
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*Please note the same information will be shared on both dates. Please choose only one of the dates
Every young person deserves the chance to build a future filled with purpose, opportunity, and independence. For youth with disabilities, that future is within reach – with the right supports in place. The Transition Conference is a catalyst for change, bringing together students, families, educators, and professionals to transform the transition to adulthood into a launchpad for success.
This isn’t just a conference – it’s a commitment to a stronger, more inclusive future.
Keynote Speaker – LaTonya J. Harris, Ed. D., LBSI, Transition Specialist
Are you thinking about what happens when the school bus stops coming for students with disabilities? Dr. Harris and her family found themselves in this space when helping their daughter in identifying what life could look like once the school bus stopped. As a special educator, researcher, and mommy, Dr. Harris learned the critical role postsecondary transition played in ensuring her daughter would have a full life, and started planning before the law required it. Learn about how Dr. Harris partnered with her daughter and an entourage of supporters in preparing for life after high school using a strategic “social capital” approach, along with technology integration to create an authentic post-secondary life her daughter.
Speakers: Laura Owens Ph.D., CESP, Kathy Young
Transition planning isn’t just a box to check—it’s a powerful opportunity to shape a young person’s future. This energizing session will challenge traditional thinking and introduce a person-centered approach that goes far beyond compliance. Participants will explore the essential elements of effective transition planning and discover strategies to truly prepare students with disabilities for meaningful lives after high school. Through realworld examples and practical tools, you’ll leave inspired and equipped to build collaborative, outcome-driven plans that support students in achieving their goals and dreams.
Speakers: Ann Deschamps Ed.D., Alanna Raffel
Assistive technology (AT) is more than a tool — it’s a pathway to independence and selfadvocacy. This session will explore how AT can empower students with disabilities to build essential self-advocacy skills as they navigate academic, workplace, and daily living environments. Learn practical strategies for integrating AT into transition planning, helping students understand their rights, identify the tools that work for them, and effectively communicate their needs. We’ll also discuss how to ensure continued access to AT beyond high school, so students can confidently pursue their postsecondary goals.
Speakers: Sean Roy, Christopher Tiffany
Families and caregivers play a key role in supporting the transition success for students with disabilities. This session will help promote a greater understanding of the experience families have during the transition years and offer useful tools and strategies that educators, VR counselors, and community-based programs can use to create real partnerships. Engagement at various key touch points will be examined and a family partnerships action plan will be shared that can assist professionals to take an intentional approach working with families and caregivers.
Speakers: Sara Murphy, Enrique Rodriguez Jr
WORK is the foundation of a meaningful, adult life and is a goal of transition services. This employment session will discuss strategies and tools for building critical work skills, using “real-world” settings and discovery to profile students and target “the right job”. Learn how to use a student-centered, strength-based approach and how to partner with others to create a pathway to post-school success; one that includes a strong network of support and meaningful work for all students.
Closing Speaker: Faith Harris
Join Faith as she tells her story about engaging transition planning and implementation throughout her life. She will share her story of tenacity, grit, and overcoming while building a national entourage of supporters along the way. She truly lives her life spreading love and hope that anything is possible by asking the question, “what could it look like?”
This conference will include information useful to a wide range of transition stakeholders, including:
Registration fee: $65 per person
Attendees can request a Certificate of Attendance for continuing education self-submissions; instructional credit hours are based on the specific sessions attended.
