Suzanne Hawks, Wake Forest University
Ellen Kaplan M.Ed., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Jessica Kench M.S., University of San Francisco
Chelsea Ross M.F.A., University of California, Davis
This poster will outline ways Disability Services Specialists and Learning Specialist offices can work in concert to better support students’ needs. Involving community partners are essential when discussing the unique educational needs of learners with a disability. This poster will address ways to focus on skills assessment, collaboration, and ways to deduce if a student needs skill building techniques or an accommodation. Expected learning outcomes include ways to improve:
- Collaboration to support student needs
- Development of individualized support plans (with example program)
- Assessment and monitoring of student progress
- Creating an inclusive learning environment
- Focus on student empowerment and success
- Rapport building
Transcription of 1600 – 1800s handwritten ledgers: AI software, vendor process, lessons learned.
Xanth King, UC Berkeley
Handwritten text is a challenge when creating accessible formats. Accuracy becomes a higher priority when the results shape the known history of a topic. We will detail our experience working to meet a student’s needs with a high volume of requests for handwritten ship ledgers from the 1600s-1800s, and our successful resolution and conclusion based upon our experience. We will focus on the use of technology, what is worthwhile to transcribe internally, what to ask for when using an outside vendor, the interactive process with our student, and our final process developed over a 2-year period.
Adjunct Instructors' Preparedness to Support Students With Disabilities
William Leonelli Ed.D., MS, CPA, St. Joseph's University, New York
Presentation of a phenomenological study completed for which a group of adjunct instructors were interviewed about their knowledge of supporting students with disabilities. The study examined their knowledge of the regulatory requirements higher education institutions must follow to support this growing population amongst students in higher education. Before meeting with any of the participants the following demographic information was collected about each person; their professional background, education level, years of experience as an adjunct, any K-12 experience, any formalized training in education, and whether they have any extensive personal experience dealing with a student who has a disability. Additionally, I examined their views about whether these accommodations created any advantage for these students or if they considered these rules or requirements a burden on their work in the classroom or their course(s) as a whole.
Improving Academic Outcomes in Higher Education Through Data-Informed Decisions: The Role of Predictive Analytics in Artificial Intelligence
Toyin Joseph, DTech, ADAT, M.S., Purdue University
Higher education institutions are embracing data-informed strategies to improve student outcomes. Predictive modeling, supported by artificial intelligence (AI), offers a powerful approach to identify trends, intervene early, and support at-risk students.
Neurodiversity and You: Creating Better Access Through Engaging Campus Partners
Eileen White M.S., Purdue University
As more students self-diagnose with some form of neurodivergence, instructors and campus partners are requesting more resources for working with this population of students. This poster will lay out the structure of a presentation that can be used with campus partners, student workers, and interested faculty, and will share feedback received from past participants. This poster will provide a model for how to create better engagement with all learners through thoughtful universal design.
How to Build a Safety Net: Making & Maintaining Campus Partnerships
Kelsey Bohlke LPC, CRC, Emory University
Matthew Segall Ph.D., Emory University
Come learn about how Oaks, a support program for autistic graduate and undergraduate students, has developed and maintained relationships with campus partners prior to and since its inception 3 years ago. Some of the partnerships that will be highlighted include Accessibility Services, Academic Advising, Identity Centers, and faculty engagement; we will share specific strategies we used to make and maintain these relationships. Our poster will also describe the Oaks Implementation Workgroup, a neurodiverse advisory board comprised of faculty and staff from key partnering offices, and how this group is utilized to support Oaks students. We plan to highlight some positive student outcomes due to these campus partner relationships.
Disability Resource Centers and Inclusive Postsecondary Education Programs: Guidance for Partnership
Julia Gorman M.Ed., Boise State University
Jeremy Ford Ph.D., NCSP, Boise State University
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) have long been used to provide a framework to address varying student needs. This poster will address how MTSS can be used to organize and address support needs for students with disabilities in postsecondary education (PSE). More specifically, how disability resource centers (DRC) and inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs can partner together to increase programming for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Cultivating Neuroinclusive Campuses through Mentorship
Andrew Buck Ph.D., The Ohio State University
Karen Krainz Edison MSW, LISW, The Ohio State University
Anirudh Subramaniam B.S. (Anticipated 2025), The Ohio State University
Mentorship is a promising practice that has been found through extensive research to increase essential knowledge and skills for participants. Positive effects include: (i) academic development; (ii) transition and employment skills; (iii) psychosocial health and quality of life; and (iv) life and social skills and other protective factors. The dynamic intervention can vary widely in purpose, scope, structure, and implementation, which lends to its application across diverse populations and settings. Common components may be leveraged to build structured or informal mentoring programs that meet the unique strengths and needs of targeted groups. In this poster, researchers, staff, and students from The Ohio State University will describe two distinct mentorship models in practice, share outcomes, discuss strategies and challenges, and engage the audience through interactive discussions to share strategies and plan implementation of their own campus model.
Equity Though Postsecondary University Inclusion
Ashley Rodrigues Ed.D., Bridgewater State University
Of all students with disabilities individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) have the fewest post-school educational prospects. Students with ID often have the difficult experience of watching their peers and siblings go on to further their education while they are left behind. Typical opportunities have been restricted to isolated public-school classrooms (until they reach 22) or community-based day habilitation centers. This poster offers a synopsis of models used for successful post-secondary hybrid supports applied at Bridgewater State University resulting in the development of effective approaches now implemented for the integration of students with ID into all aspects of university life. When creating a successful models there is no one-size-fits-all procedure; therefore, it is critical for professionals to recognize the relevant supporting research recommendations provided in this presentation for program structure, staffing, training, and ongoing assessment.
Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners (NNL): Enhancing Student Interest in Pursuing STEM
Lyla Crawford M.S., DO-IT, University of Washington
This poster shares information about the NNL project which is designed to enhance student interest in and skills to successfully pursue STEM fields, as well as empower educators to serve these students more effectively. Strategies include hands-on and technology-rich activities, team-building, problem-solving, communities of engagement, and mentoring activities for neurodiverse students; professional development for educators; and resources for multiple stakeholders.
College and Me: Self-advocacy and Self-determination Skills for Students Who are Neurodivergent
Sara Stille, Hardin-Simmons University
Lauren Garrett, Hardin-Simmons University
Victoria Cyriac, Hardin-Simmons University
All levels of education should provide safe and comfortable spaces for their students regardless of individual needs. The population of students who are neurodivergent tend to feel they need extra guidance with social interaction with peers and in the classroom. College and me (CAM) was created to help bridge the social gap for these students. The Speech Language Pathology (SLP) Graduate Program in collaboration with the Office of Disability Services started the CAM group. Graduate SLP student clinicians meet weekly with the CAM group to provide relevant conversational activities to college students who are neurodivergent. This includes strategies to build new connections, promote self-advocacy, and utilize expressive language skills in the classroom.
Resources
Perceptions & Intent to Implement Accommodations for OT & PT Practitioners with Disabilities
Rebecca Kinnison OTD, OTR/L, BCPR, Creighton University
Lauren` Plum PT, DPT, ABPTS, Creighton University
Erin Young OTD, OTR/L, BCPR, Creighton University
Anne Heimann MS, Creighton University
Angie Lampe OTD, OTR/L, Creighton University
Despite growing awareness of disability rights and workplace accessibility, little is known about how well employers and managers in healthcare settings understand and implement accommodations for occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) practitioners with disabilities. Many practitioners who receive clinical accommodations during their education struggle to find similar support when transitioning to professional roles. This poster will outline a proposed study exploring employer knowledge, perceptions, and ability to implement workplace accommodations for OT and PT practitioners with disabilities. The study will focus on healthcare employers in a private university’s affiliated geographical areas: Nebraska, Arizona, Colorado, and Alaska. Planned data collection will include surveys and focus groups to assess employer awareness, perceived barriers, and willingness to provide reasonable accommodations. This poster will discuss the study’s design, anticipated challenges, and expected contributions to workplace inclusivity for healthcare professionals with disabilities.
Supporting Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Families in Higher Education
Kagendo Mutua Ph.D., University of Alabama
Lucy Barnard-Brak ,University of Alabama
Amy Williamson Ph.D., University of Alabama
The study highlights a significant disparity between the importance parents place on certain outcomes for their adult children with intellectual disabilities in higher education and the likelihood they perceive these outcomes to have. For individuals with intellectual disabilities, parents often remain highly involved as legal guardians for many of these students. The role of fear and anxiety in shaping these perceptions is crucial and suggests that emotional support for parents is an essential component of any intervention strategy. By addressing these emotional factors, it is possible to help parents develop more accurate and optimistic expectations for their children, ultimately contributing to better outcomes for the entire family.
Using Inner Speech During Academic Tasks: A Metacognitive Training Study in Neurodivergent Students
Marc Graff Ph.D., Touro University
We present results from an interventional study involving neurodivergent college students, who were taught a verbalization technique as a metacognitive strategy for enhancing reading comprehension and essay writing skills. While overall differences between the training and control groups were not observed, significant effects were seen at posttest between reported strategy use and gains in reading comprehension, and between essay writing gains and initial writing ability. Implications of our results, such as tailoring the intervention to match students’ academic profiles, will be included.
DSPs’ Attitudes and Experiences with Postsecondary Transition Skills Programming
Clarissa Harris Ed.D., Ringling College of Art and Design
This poster is the research and findings of a mixed methods dissertation research study gauging the attitudes and experiences that Disability Service Professionals (DSP) have regarding transition skills programming on their college campuses. This study utilized a professional development workshop component for providing DSPs' with simplistic and realistic evidence-based practices to implement transition skills into services and programming. The quantitative and qualitative data were gathered separately and then converged for a holistic and comprehensive understanding of DSPs' attitudes and experiences.
STEM for All: Inclusive Design in the Lab Environment
Amanda Rosenzweig, PhD; Delgado Community College
Joseph Williams, Jr. MSW; Delgado Community College
STEM labs often lack accessibility, contributing to lower enrollment of students with disabilities (Sukhai et al., 2014). This project explores applying Universal Design (UD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to create more inclusive face-to-face laboratory environments. The goal is to ensure that students with sensory (hearing and visual) and motor (mobility) impairments can fully engage in STEM learning. Emphasis is placed on reducing physical and content delivery barriers while preserving course integrity, shifting the focus from simply teaching to teaching inclusively and effectively (CAST Inc., 2020).