Worcester, MA, November 6th, 2025, with the Massachusetts’ Down Syndrome Congress. The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress 2025 Educators Forum, The Power of Belonging: Building Stronger Schools Together, will hosts general and special educators, administrators, paraprofessionals, support professionals, and parents from around the state for a full-day of presentations led by experts in the field of educating students with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
* The workshop program for this conference will highlight the goals, challenges and solutions to ongoing issues facing education professionals each day as they work to provide meaningful inclusive educational opportunities for students in all educational settings.
Keynote Speaker: Paula Kluth, Ph.D, Principal Consultant, Inclusion Rules LLC Don’t We Already Do Inclusion?”: Creating Schools & Classrooms for All. Supporting educators and highlighting the importance of meaningful inclusion for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in classrooms and across school communities is critical. The examples and illustrations in this presentation are designed to help participants understand that the pursuit of inclusion is not a destination, but an ongoing journey—even for those schools and districts that already identify as inclusive.
* Dr. Kluth will discuss characteristics of high-quality inclusive schools. She will explore ideas (e.g., focus on the process, presume complexity) that will help any stakeholder create more welcoming and supportive classrooms for students with and without disabilities.
* This session features research, stories, and practical suggestions (e.g., teacher-created supports) as well as a game show metaphor, a “20 ways to include” brainstorming strategy, and an invitation to ask “a different question.”
* 2025 Conference Breakout Session topics SEE BELOW.
To register or for more information visit https://mdsc.donordrive.com/events/605 or call 781-221-0024 or contact education@mdsc.org .
Speakers & Topics:
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Across All Environments: Empowering Communicators Everywhere. Presented by Abbie King MS CCC-SLP/ATP Speech Language Pathologist / Assistive Technology Professional, Boston Children’s Hospital.
- Creating Schools and Classrooms Where Everyone Belongs– Presented by Patricia McDaid, EdD, Inclusive Education Consultant
- From Text Maps to Memory Caps: Creating On-The-Spot Supports in Inclusive Classrooms – Presented by Paula Kluth, PhD, Principal Consultant, Inclusion Rules LLC.
-
Understanding Behavior to Promote Positive Outcomes – Presented by Jarrod Scalzo, MSEd, BCBA, LABA, Founder and CEO of First Steps Developmental Services and Adjunct Professor, Simmons University
-
We’re On the Same Team: Building Collaboration and Family Engagement to Support Students with Disabilities
Presented by Julie McKinney, MS, Director of Training and Health Literacy Specialist, Exceptional Lives; Marisa Howard-Karp, MS, Chief Operating Officer, Exceptional Lives. Appropriate for those working with students age: 3-22 -
Bridging the Gaps: Navigating the Transitions from Early Intervention, to Preschool, and Kindergarten– Presented by Karen Lopez, BS, Early Childhood Information Specialist, Federation for Children with Special Needs; Pat Cameron, Project Director, Family TIES and MA Family Voices, Federation for Children with Special Needs
-
Designing Successful Transitions into General Education Classrooms for Students with Intellectual and other Developmental Challenges – Presented by Presented by Patricia McDaid, EdD, Inclusive Education Consultant
-
Leveraging AI to Develop Instructional Activities for Students with Down Syndrome – Presented by Sara Valli, MA, CCC-SLP Director Assistive Technology in New Hampshire (ATinNH)
-
Specially Designed Instruction and IEP Modifications: Practical Strategies for Supporting Students – Presented by Allan S Blume, EdS, Founder The Blume Method
