Celebrating 15 Years of Inspiration Into Action

OCALICONLINE Returns This November

Inspiration can come in many forms. A conversation, a connection, a bit of information that sparks a new perspective. Sometimes it happens gradually, and sometimes it happens in an instant. Inspiration opens the door to imagine new possibilities. And action breathes life into those possibilities that can bring about real change.

As the premier autism and disabilities conference, OCALICONLINE reaches across disciplines, age groups, and audiences to impact people’s lives for their entire lives. Along with our partners, we bring you world-class speakers and sessions with a variety of experiences and perspectives, so there’s something for everyone. 

Reflections Over the Past 15 Years

OCALICONLINE 2021 marks the second year of hosting the event exclusively online, but the 15^th year of providing participants with ample opportunities to transform inspiration into action. As we reflect on the last 15 years, we take stock of not only how far we have come within the field of disabilities and as a conference, but as a society. Much has changed. We look back on the last 15 years knowing we have come a long way, but we look ahead to the next 15 years knowing there is still much work to do.

Everett Bradley is one such person who has seen that change over the last 15 years, ultimately experiencing on a very personal level what it looks like to turn inspiration into action. Bradley joined the conference team for the inaugural conference in 2007, to oversee the numerous volunteers needed to stage the event. His business background enabled him to efficiently streamline and coordinate the volunteers, and his role was largely behind-the-scenes. It wasn’t until his youngest daughter was diagnosed with autism that his trajectory changed. He was no longer just the volunteer coordinator. He was now a beneficiary of the ideas, strategies, and expertise offered through OCALICON.

“The knowledge I learned from OCALICON gave me the courage and strength to start asking questions,” Bradley shares. “Personally, there is no doubt that the conference was the catalyst for my family into understanding my daughter.”

“Everett has been an essential team member from that very first conference in 2007,” says Simon Buehrer, one of the conference coordinators. “We’re thrilled and humbled to hear his personal story of how discoveries and connections he made through OCALICON had a direct impact on his family.”

“That’s exactly why we do this.”

“OCALICON focuses on supporting needs across the lifespan,” says Jill Hudson, another one of the conference coordinators. “So, we hope Everett and his family will continue to benefit from OCALICON as his daughter grows through the schooling years and into adulthood.”

“It’s been such an honor and privilege to be part of this community of professionals, parents, and self-advocates and see it grow and evolve over the last 15 years. It’s important to celebrate all their achievements and accomplishments in 2021 – and even more exciting to think about all the opportunities that are in progress and the possibilities on the horizon.”

New for 2021

The planning team is always looking for fresh new content, ideas, and presenters to keep attendees engaged and inspired. This year, the event will include several new features, including:

• Expanding the event from three days to four, allowing time for additional content and a modified structure with more breaks between sessions.
• Hosting an Artist Spotlight, showcasing the talents and skills of people on the spectrum or with a disability—from artists to musicians, filmmakers to poets.
• Inviting community members from around the state to serve as hosts and emcees.
• Offering one single closing keynote instead of a keynote every day.

Introducing Our Keynote

OCALICONLINE 2021 will feature Judy Heumann, a lifelong advocate for the rights of disabled people. She contracted polio in 1949 and began to use a wheelchair for mobility. She is an internationally recognized leader in the disability rights community, and featured in the Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary Crip Camp, released in 2020.

“Judy has been leading the charge for disability rights for decades, and it’s an honor to host her,” shared Courtney Yantes, event specialist. “She holds a perspective of not only someone who has been down in the trenches doing the hard work of advocacy and fighting for disability rights, but she’s also been flying up at the highest levels of the government, seeing a much larger picture than most of us will ever see.”  

Join Us November 16-19

For some of you, OCALICONLINE 2021 may be a starting point. Your young child is newly diagnosed, and you’re looking for answers and connections. For others, OCALICONLINE 2021 is a continuation of years spent investing in and raising up a new generation of students. Or you may be a self-advocate celebrating your yearly reunion with peers and colleagues. Whether it’s your first time at OCALICON, or you’ve been with us for all 15 years, each of us has an important role to play in this experience. The knowledge we share and connections we make when we come together as a community, empower each of us to move Inspiration into Action.

Don’t miss OCALICONLINE 2021 November 16-19. Join us online. We’re saving you a front-row seat.

Supporting Your Personal and Professional Learning This Summer

The 2020-2021 school year has been unlike anything we have ever experienced—transitioning from virtual to hybrid to in-person learning models, managing stints of quarantine, and in many cases, trying to figure out how to meet students and individuals where they were at any given time. It was a year that tested us and pushed us in new and different ways, and yet it was a year that also inspired us to be more flexible, innovative, and creative.

As many educators and parents prepare take a ‘pause’ from the school year—taking a mental health break, planning the long-awaited vacation, or just getting ready to enjoy a more relaxed schedule, we want to remind you that we are here to support your professional and personal learning and have a variety of resources available—many of which are free and several that offer the opportunity to earn graduate or continuing education credit. You can access these resources any time, in your own home, and at your own pace.

For people with disabilities and those supporting them—families, educators, caregivers, service providers, and others—it is essential to have the latest knowledge, skills, resources, and tools to ensure they can live their best lives for their whole lives. For more than 15 years, OCALI has been a trusted source of providing high quality research, resources, and training.

As you consider your professional learning plans—for yourself or your teams—OCALI has compiled some resources to get you started.

InspirED Virtual Learning Series

Last fall, OCALI, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children, launched the InspirED Virtual Learning Series. The free learning series consists of 30-minute recorded, facilitated sessions focused on increasing successful engagement of diverse learners in a remote/virtual instructional environment, linking the users with appropriate resources and tools. The InspirED Video Gallery has recently been reorganized by audience – for families and professionals – and by topic, including: accessibility, autism, early childhood, family and community, PBIS, remote learning, transition, universal design for learning, wellbeing and self-care, along with assessment and data for professionals. As always, all sessions include interactive transcripts, audio description, and supporting materials, and the opportunity to earn a professional development certificate by completing a survey at the end of each session. It’s a great way to get FREE professional development hours.

Ask Abbey: Developing Literacy Skills for Learners Who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing Gallery

This interactive learning series is designed to provide practical, easy-to-use strategies to increase auditory skills, visual language skills, and reading and writing print for learners who are deaf or hard of hearing. Each 30-minute session includes a 10-minute webinar with simple tips and strategies, followed by 20 minutes of Q&A with Abbey Weaver, an itinerant teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing in Ohio. Certificates of completion for the 30 minute sessions are available and provided on completion of the webinar and accompanying survey.

Addressing Challenging Behavior Webinar Series

Every person is unique and has different strengths, talents, and skills. When addressing challenging behaviors for people with complex needs, it is essential to individualize the process in order to develop effective intervention plans. This 14-part webinar series is based in positive behavior intervention supports (PBIS), functional behavior assessment (FBA), and behavior intervention planning. The series explores the belief system and a systematic process essential to understanding and addressing challenging behavior. It also includes team-based strategies that focus on matching evidence-based interventions to a target behavior, after in-depth exploration of the individual’s strengths and challenges. This series is ideal for anyone supporting school-age children, adolescents, and adults. Inclusive of the components of PBIS, this training can support educational teams working with students in need of Tier 3 support.

Assistive Technology Internet Modules (ATIM)

ATIM is designed to provide high-quality information and professional development on assistive technology (AT) for educators, professionals, families, persons with disabilities, and others. Each module guides you through case studies, instructional videos, pre- and post-assessments, a glossary, and much more. ATIM modules are available at no cost. Fee-based professional development certificates and graduate credit hours are available and continuing education credits are coming soon.

Suite of Resources for Early Childhood Professionals

If you’re an early childhood professional who needs hours toward your credential, or you want to build your knowledge about early childhood topics, the Center for the Young Child’s Suite of Resources is a great place to start. These modules have received the Ohio Approved (OA) designation and are also eligible for Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities continuing professional development (CPD) unit in the area of developmental specialist/supervisor, EI service coordinator/supervisor.  If you’re a developmental specialist who needs hours toward your credential or you are an early care or education professional who wants to build their knowledge around child growth and development, check out the Early Care and Education Seminars.

The Journey: Webinar Series Video Gallery

The transition from school to adult life is an ongoing journey. Youth with complex and unique needs often require teams to have access to a variety of tools, resources, and people to plan and prepare for the future. These webinars are designed for teams assisting youth with complex support needs and their families to better navigate the process of the own journey to adulthood. If you missed a session or want to go back and re-watch, check out the video gallery. This gallery is also a great resource to share with colleagues and others who may benefit from the information.

10 Minutes with Barb and Ron and #UDLChat

Join Barb and Ron for 10 minutes of light and fun chats infused with a perspective on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). These videos are geared toward parents, educators, college students, and administrators. Also check out the #UDLchat, which occurs every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 9 p.m. Eastern on Twitter.

From My Perspective

Created by OCALI’s Family and Community Outreach Center, From My Perspective is a podcast featuring people with disabilities, their families, friends, and others in their lives sharing about everyday life, their interests, opinions, and more. Check out the latest episodes on belonging or check out other past episodes.

OCALI’s Lending Library & Know More Do More Campaign Resources

During the month of April, OCALI shared information and resources from our Lending Library by launching the #KnowMoreDoMore campaign. These resources featured different topics, including social-emotional wellbeing, supporting family interactions, early childhood, supporting independence in adolescence and adulthood, and more. The OCALI Lending Library is a great resource to connect you with accessible materials, resources, and technology. We offer Ohioans an extensive collection of FREE books, videos, assistive technology devices, assessment tools, and other resources that are available to borrow and shipped directly at no charge.

Shifting from Autism Awareness to Autism Acceptance

Since 2008, April has been recognized as Autism Awareness Month in Ohio. The intent was designed to bring awareness to autism and to encourage and empower individuals with autism in Ohio and their families.

Earlier this month, Governor DeWine signed a proclamation to recognize April as Autism Acceptance Month, which states, “the purpose of Autism Acceptance Month in Ohio is to spread awareness, foster acceptance, and identify the public policy improvements needed for people with autism to live fully across all areas of life.”

The transition from the word awareness to acceptance may not seem like a big deal. But, words matter and the shift to acceptance accounts for accommodating the feelings of others and accepting and celebrating our differences. Acceptance requires taking conscious action and shifting from not only seeing and recognizing that autism exists, but seeking to listen and learn, and then adapting our perspectives and behaviors. Just being aware of autism facts and information will not necessarily lead to acceptance or create inclusive and supportive environments in our schools, communities, and relationships. However, by intentionally moving toward acceptance, we can inspire confidence and a vision for possibilities that motivate us to continue to ensure that people with disabilities can live their best lives for their whole lives.

Acceptance is also the first step toward inclusion. Inclusion then leads to belonging, which is essential to truly connecting and relating to others. Unfortunately, acceptance and belonging are often the biggest barriers to inclusion that people with autism and their families encounter. At OCALI, our mission is to inspire change and promote access to opportunities for people with disabilities. Over the years, we have been working hard to break down traditional barriers for people with autism and other disabilities and explore things that others may not have yet seen as possible. While we have made significant progress, we have more work to do and we continue to explore and learn new ways of listening, understanding, and modeling. Our words and work must then translate into action.

The good news is that we don’t have to do this alone. As leaders and practitioners, autistic and disabled people, parents, family members, neighbors, and community members, we ALL play a role in inspiring the change we wish to see. 

Throughout the month of April, we encourage you to seek out opportunities that promote acceptance—for yourself and within your own communities. Following are a few simple ideas to get started:

Learn more. Explore information and resources about autism. A few websites to check out:

The Autism Center at OCALI
The Autism Society of Ohio
Interagency Work Group on Autism

Show support. Many organizations are hosting Autism Acceptance Month social media campaigns. You can easily show your support by reviewing and sharing the information and using designated social media tags. This month, OCALI is using the hashtag #KnowMoreDoMore, as part of a month-long email and social media campaign featuring information and resources from our Lending Library. Each week, we are featuring information and resources suggested by the Autism Center, Family and Community Outreach Center, Center for the Young Child, and Lifespan Transitions Center on various topics, including social-emotional wellbeing, early-childhood, supporting family interactions, and independence

Connect with others. Acceptance is an ‘everyone’ conversation and we all have the power and ability to support acceptance. Simply showing that you’re genuinely open and interested in learning more about autism, particularly from autistic people or their family members goes a long way.

Now, more than ever, it is important to recognize the unique strengths, challenges, and experiences of each person with autism and their families. Rather than attempting to paint with a broad brush based on a shared label or diagnosis, instead we encourage everyone to thoughtfully engage and inspire. Have meaningful conversations about what is most supportive for each person, in each setting in that moment, and then do those things! It’s much easier to write it down than to actually do the work—especially when someone’s experiences don’t match your own. But, by working together to create truly accessible spaces and ensuring that everyone is supported, accepted, and included, that’s what inspiring change is about. 

The Smell of the Room is a Fire in My Nose:
A Conversation on Autism and Trauma

Trauma by its very nature is an incredibly personal and individual experience. There are many different forms of trauma and many different ways it can impact, shape, and define who we are and who we become. But, what about people on the autism spectrum—autistic people. What’s different about how they experience, deal with, and live with trauma?

These are the questions that Kim Clary and Kelly Mahler explore in Rewind, a new series within the Inspiring Change podcast that features conversations and connections from OCALICON—OCALI’s premier autism and disabilities conference. Rewind is the audio showcase of some of OCALICON’s best moments, the speakers’ sessions, and the stories that make it all happen.

Kim Clary is an occupational therapist in Bellaire, Florida and Kelly Mahler is an occupational therapist in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Kelly and Kim push us to expand our thinking beyond what we might consider to be traditional causes of trauma in a conversation about how people with autism experience different types of trauma in different ways, and in ways that ask us to think differently about what trauma is and the impact it can have. Kim further illustrates the effects of trauma by sharing some of her poems and journal entries.

Imagine that you are in the midst of a hurricane outside without protection. That you cannot seek shelter. Imagine that you are in a burning building and cannot leave. Or that your body is covered in angry fire ants. Imagine that you are suddenly attacked, suddenly blinded by sharp daggers in your eyes. Imagine this – is your life. You can imagine it, but I don’t have to. These things are my life.

“What we know about trauma is that it is a response to an event or a series of events that make someone feel unsafe, threatened, or severely distressed and trauma impacts your neurology—both your brain and your body,” explains Kelly. “Trauma also impacts your physiology. It’s important to point out that trauma is dependent on how a person experiences an event.”

“I think that it just goes to show that we really need to be good detectives and always think through a trauma-informed and an autism-informed lens and really figure out what’s going on with each individual person,” continues Kelly. “I think our main goal – besides offering hope and strategies of how to support – is to challenge the way that we’re viewing trauma in the autism field.”

What’s New at OCALI

Register for the last session on April 28! This interactive, three-part learning series is designed to provide practical, easy-to-use strategies on how to include learners who are deaf or hard of hearing in gym, art, and music classes. Each session will incorporate considerations to ensure each learner is safe, engaged, and challenged. Each 30-minute session will include a 10-minute webinar with simple tips and strategies, followed by 20 minutes of live Q&A with Abbey Weaver, an itinerant teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing in Ohio. The sessions are free, but registration is required. Certificates of completion are available for the series. Join us for the last session.

Nationally, prioritizing language and literacy development for all learners has been a focus for many educators. This focus requires that we build educators’ capacity to support evidence-based language and literacy instruction, particularly for educators supporting learners who are deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH) or blind/visually impaired (B/VI), who access English and print in different ways.

To help those who are assessing and teaching literacy to these learners, the Outreach Center for Deafness and Blindness at OCALI is pleased to offer this interactive, virtual professional learning event designed to explore and connect the areas of phonological awareness, phonics, writing, fluency, vocabulary, communication, language, and comprehension specifically for learners who are D/HH or B/VI. 

Inspiration can come in many forms. A conversation, a connection, a bit of information that sparks a new perspective. Sometimes it happens gradually, and sometimes it happens in an instant. Inspiration opens the door to imagine new possibilities. And action breathes life into those possibilities that can bring about real change.

OCALICONLINE 2021 marks the second year of hosting the event exclusively online, but the 15^th year of providing participants with ample opportunities to transform inspiration into action. As we reflect on the last 15 years, we take stock of not only how far we have come within the field of disabilities and as a conference, but as a society. Much has changed. Some for the better, some not for the better. We look back on the last 15 years knowing we have come a long way, but we look ahead to the next 15 years knowing there is still much work to do.

No matter where you are personally or professionally, OCALICONLINE 2021 is the place where you can gather, connect, rest, or regroup.

There’s a place for you here. And we’ve saved you a front-row seat. 

The transition to remote learning left instructional leaders and educators little to no time to prepare and transition how they deliver instruction. Meeting and assessing the needs of all learners in this online environment has been challenging, particularly for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually impaired.

To help school psychologists and district and building leaders build comfort and confidence in virtually assessing all learners, particularly those who are deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH) or blind/visually impaired (B/VI), OCALI launched a free webinar series, Building Capacity to Serve All Learners: Effectively Assessing Learners via Telepsychology.

Part III: Administering Telepsychological Assessments
Parts I and II of the series explored preparing for and completing telepsychological assessments with learners who are D/HH or B/VI. Expanding off of Parts I and II, Part III is designed to focus on the practical demonstration of specific aspects of telepsychological assessments, including how to administer a standard test battery to learners who are D/HH or B/VI.

Did you miss an InspirED learning session or want to go back re-watch or check out other sessions? Explore the InspirED Video Gallery. Here, learners can access all previously aired sessions, which include interactive transcripts, audio description, and session materials. This gallery is also a great resource to share with colleagues and others who may benefit from the information.

Don’t forget learners have the opportunity to earn a professional development certificate by completing a survey at the end of each session. Did we mention that this is a FREE way to get professional development hours?

To support County Boards of Developmental Disabilities in helping youth with complex needs and their families navigate the journey to from school to adult life, the Lifespan Transitions Center at OCALI has created a free webinar series, called The Journey, designed to explore important topics and feature resources and tools for transition assessment and planning, as well as student instruction and family engagement. Register for the upcoming May webinar:

What I Wish I Knew Then: Parents’ Perspectives Following High School
Monday, May 17, 2:30–3:00 PM
Parents of young adults with complex support needs offer insights and considerations after experiencing life after high school. This panel discussion is an authentic dialogue that provides educators, SSAs, OOD counselors, families, and others awareness about what was most helpful during the school years and what else might have been helpful in order to prepare for the future. 

Visit the archive of previously aired webinars and register for upcoming sessions.