Faculty and 2022-2024 Advisory Board | Free Online Book and Resources | Empowerment in Special Education Conference and Resource Day | Video Series: Perspectives from Families and Family-Facing Professionals | Community Organization Interviews
Empowerment in Special Education Conference and Resource Day: Information, Advocacy, Action
Saturday, April 18, 2026
8:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.
Boys Town Headquarters
14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010
Who should attend?
Families, caregivers, teachers, service providers, UNO students, and community members are all invited to join us for a day of learning, connection, and inspiration!
Enjoy engaging sessions on topics like advocacy, teaming up with school staff, supporting children with anxiety, and fun recreational activities—all designed to help families and professionals grow together.
Visit with community organizations and researchers that support children with disabilities and their families.
Space is Limited-Register to Attend Today: Conference Registration Form
We encourage people to join in-person. However, some conference activities will also be available online this year. Snacks provided during the day!
Schedule of Events
| Time | Event |
| 8:30-9:00 | Registration and Community Resource Fair |
| 9:00-9:10 | Welcoming session Dr. Kristin Duppong Hurley, Dr. Sara Kupzyk |
| 9:10-9:40 | Better Together: Partnering for Meaningful Progress in Special Education Terry Houlton, Ed.D. University of Nebraska Omaha This keynote will focus on how families and schools can work collaboratively to ensure meaningful progress for students receiving special education services. Rather than centering conversations on compliance alone, the session will highlight five practical questions families can use to strengthen partnership, clarify expectations, and support responsive instructional decision-making within IFSP and IEP teams. The goal is to foster trust, shared responsibility, and a clear focus on student growth. |
| 9:45-10:30 | Inclusive Practices Academy: Working Together for Student Success Emily Hughes, Allison Kelberlau, Adrienne Kennedy, Amber Scott, Educational Service Unit3 (ESU3) The Inclusive Practices Academy (IPA) was created to help school teams learn how to better support students with disabilities. IPA focuses on mindsets, systems, and instructional practices to strengthen inclusive education. A key component is promoting effective collaboration among educators, students, and families. |
| 10:30-11:30 | Posters about current research and practices in special education Community Resource Fair |
| 11:30-12:00 | The “What If” Factory: How to help the Busy Brain Julie Almquist, LMHP, Boys Town Center for Behavioral Health This presentation will offer easy, real-life insights for helping anxious kids by understanding the circumstances that generate anxiety, encouraging brave and capable behavior, and increasing overall flexibility and resilience. |
| 12:05-12:45 | Education Panel: Growing Together: Supporting Learning from Early Years to Adulthood This panel brings together parents, professionals, and community supports to explore how share practical tips on navigating special education, understanding IEPs, partnering with schools, and planning for key transitions—offering families encouragement, real-life perspectives, and helpful resources along the way. |
| 12:50-1:30 | Recreation Panel: Let’s Connect: Recreation and Belonging for All Ages and Abilities This panel brings together parents, professionals, and community supports to share inclusive recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities—from early childhood activities to sports like swimming and Special Olympics. Learn how recreation can build connection, confidence, and a sense of belonging at every age and ability level. |
Community Organizations
The following community organizations will share information at the Resource Fair. Inclusion in the Resource Fair does not indicate endorsement.
| Family Support | Healthcare/Behavioral Health |
Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands  |
Boys Town National Research Hospital  |
PTI Nebraska  |
Munroe-Meyer Institute  |
Answers4Families  |
|
Brain Injury Association of Nebraska  |
|
Boys Town Common Sense Parenting  |
|
| Recreational | Respite |
All Inclusive Aquatics |
All Inclusive Aquatics |
Nebraska Miss Amazing |
Ameriserve International |
Children's Health & Inclusive Physical Therapy Research Group |
| Therapy | Legal |
Empower Autism Omaha |
Education Rights Counsel |
| Boys Town Outpatient Behavioral Health |
|
Lighthouse Autism Center |
|
| Other | Education |
NE Statewide Family Engagement Center |
Lift with Boys Town |
University of Nebraska at Omaha |
Stand for Schools |
Nebraska Transition College |
|
Poster Presentations
| No. | Title | Abstract |
| #1 | A Comprehensive Checklist for Inclusive and Effective IEP Meetings Anna Stednitz, Adam Weaver, PhD, BCBA University of Nebraska - Omaha |
Meetings, especially those involving Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), are a prominent feature of a school psychologist’s job. When parents, teachers, and administrators meet, all participants’ voices should be valued, and the meeting should be run as efficiently as possible. The family of the student should especially be included so they can feel supported and uplifted. A meeting checklist for school psychologists can help promote best practices to increase effectiveness and participant satisfaction. |
| #2 | Parent Empowerment and Efficacy Differences by Child's Disability Status Kaela Di Giulio, Kamisha Duncan, Dr. Danae Dinkel, Dr. Kailey Snyder, Alyssa Breese, Dr. Qi Wei, Dr. Beth Leader Janssen, Dr. Michaela Schenkelberg University of Nebraska - Omaha |
Parents and caregivers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face unique demands that can impact their confidence in parenting. There is a need to further understand the differences in parent efficacy and empowerment among those with a child with and without IDD. This study examines differences in parent efficacy and empowerment between parents of children with and without IDD. Parents (n = 136) completed a demographic survey to report child and parent characteristics. Additionally, parents reported their perceived self-efficacy for parenting using the Parent Efficacy and Empowerment Measure (PEEM), a 20-item strengths-based tool to evaluate parents’ perceived sense of control or capacity to manage parenting and provide a supportive home environment for their children. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sample characteristics, and an independent t-test was used to examine differences in parent efficacy and empowerment between parents with and without a child with IDD. Differences emerged in Efficacy to Parent (p <0.001) and Efficacy to Connect (p = 0.001) subsections as parents with a child with IDD (n = 52) reported significantly lower levels of overall efficacy compared to those with a child without IDD (n = 84; p < 0.001). Efficacy to Parent items included questions regarding parents’ perceptions of their role as caregivers. Efficacy to Connect items pertain to feeling part of a community and accessing services. By understanding efficacy and empowerment, we can help parents and professionals collaborate to strengthen and support caregivers’ confidence in parenting through community, clinical support, and access to resources. |
| #3 | Neuromyths in the Classroom: Elementary Educators’ Knowledge and Misconceptions About the Brain Johannah Bashford-Largo, Nathaniel Largo University of Nebraska-Lincoln Boys Town National Research Hospital |
Many ideas about how the brain works in learning are widely shared with parents and teachers, but not all of them are supported by scientific evidence. Some of these misunderstandings, often called neuromyths, include beliefs such as students learning best through a specific “learning style,” people using only 10% of their brains, or special exercises that can dramatically boost brain power. These ideas can influence how families support children’s learning at home and how educators approach instruction in the classroom. This study explored elementary educators’ knowledge of the brain and their beliefs about common neuromyths. Fifty-one teachers completed a survey assessing basic neuroscience knowledge and beliefs about widely circulated brain-based learning claims. While participants generally demonstrated strong understanding of basic brain science, many still endorsed several common neuromyths. The poster will highlight the most common misconceptions identified in the study and provide practical, research-based insights families can use to support children’s learning. Attendees will also receive resources explaining what neuroscience actually tells us about learning, memory, and development. By helping families distinguish brain facts from brain myths, this work aims to promote more effective and evidence-based approaches to supporting children’s education. |
| #4 | Using Artificial Intelligence to Write Individualized Education Programs Charlotte Parker University of Nebraska - Omaha |
This research poster examines the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a supportive tool for special education professionals, specifically in the development and implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The US is experiencing a national crisis due to significant special educator shortages, with significant correlations to teacher burnout. AI offers a potential solution to mitigate burnout and administrative tasks. Data shows a growing adoption of these technologies, with the percentage of special education educators using AI for IEPs or 504 Plans rising from 39% in the 2023-2024 school year to 57% in 2025. Teachers are adopting various generative models—including Magic School, Khanmigo, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot—to identify student progress trends, summarize plan content, select accommodations, and draft narrative portions of IEPs. While AI provides a means to automation, its use must be governed by ethical and effective practices, such as privacy, misinformation, and addressing biases. Ultimately, while AI can relieve non-teaching burdens, it cannot replace the human elements of special education, such as professional judgment, relationship building, and individualized care. |
| #5 | Turning Pages Into Possibility: Children’s Book Recommendations to Support Family Engagement Marren Brooks, Krystal Werfel Boys Town National Research Hospital |
Access to developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive children’s literature plays an important role in supporting family engagement, early literacy, and meaningful conversations between adults and children. This poster presents a curated collection of children’s reading lists developed to support families, educators, and community partners in selecting books that reflect diverse identities, traditions, and life experiences. The reading lists were created around thematic occasions (e.g., cultural heritage months, holidays, community spaces such as libraries) and were designed with accessibility, inclusivity, and family engagement in mind. Using an applied, community engaged framework, the poster highlights the process for selecting and organizing titles, with attention to age appropriateness, representation, narrative quality, and opportunities for discussion. Examples of how these reading lists have been shared on social media and community facing platforms will be presented, along with reflections on how book recommendations can serve as low cost, scalable tools to support literacy and family connection outside formal educational settings. This project demonstrates how thoughtfully designed reading resources can empower families, promote early language experiences, and strengthen community connections, aligning with Empower Day’s emphasis on practical strategies that support well being and engagement across diverse family contexts. |
| #6 | Audiovisual Multisensory Integration in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth Jacob Feldman, Grace Pulliam, Margaret Cassidy, Julie G. Conrad, Wayne Kuang, Yupeng Liu, David M. Simon, Emma Tschaikowsky, Alexander Tu, Mark T. Wallace, & Tiffany G. Woynaroski Boys Town National Research Hospital |
Sensory-first theories of autism hypothesize that differences in sensory processing are among the first time emerge in development. Processing of audiovisual information, particularly audiovisual speech, may be particularly important for the development of social communication, language, and broader behavior of youth affected by autism. I have conducted prior work examining the extent to which audiovisual integration abilities are associated with social communication and autistic features (a) in the literature (i.e., as part of a systematic review and meta-analysis) and (b) in autistic youth using one task of audiovisual speech processing. This study compares performance on various tasks of audiovisual integration (specifically including two metrics of audiovisual integration of speech information and two metrics of audiovisual integration of non-speech information) in 120 youth with and without autism (62 autistic, 58 non-autistic) well-matched on sex, gender, and age. Only one metric of audiovisual integration differed between autistic and non-autistic youth: perception of the McGurk effect, which measures the ability to integrate visual and auditory speech cues. Furthermore, this metric was the only one associated with (a) expressive and receptive language, (b) social communication, and (c) the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. These results indicate that the integration of audiovisual speech cues may be particularly important for language and the core features of autism, but much more research is needed to fully support these “sensory-first” theories of autism. |
| #7 | Invisible Injuries, Visible Impacts: How Brain Injury Shapes Youth Behavior and How Caregivers Can Help Kathy S. Chiou, Kara L. Stevens, Aliyah Webb, Erika Franta, Abril Rangel-Pacheco, Kyle Bizal, Anna Cole, & Peggy Reisher University of Nebraska – Lincoln |
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that results in changes in neurological functioning. TBI affects about 2.3 million youth every year, and risk for injury is heightened for particular groups such as youth who are involved with the justice-system, have a psychiatric disorder, and/or are exposed to adverse environments. TBI may sometimes result in physical, emotional, and/or cognitive symptoms that interfere with activities of daily living. Problematically, these symptoms often overlap or mimic mental and behavioral health issues, leaving the injury undetected or misdiagnosed. Without adequate detection of an injury, symptoms continue to persist as injury-related problems remain unaddressed. Thus, screening to identify possible history and symptoms of TBI is integral to the provision of care for youth. This poster aims to increase understanding and capacity in brain injury screening by: 1) introducing publicly available brain injury screening tools, 2) providing strategies to manage brain injury symptoms, and 3) demonstrating the importance and feasibility of implementing TBI screeners through highlighted findings from a recent community project aimed at the provision of brain injury screening among justice-involved youth. |
| #8 | Mobile Hearing Research: Improving Access to Hearing Assessment Raya Ishak, Raya Ishak, Haylee Hudson, B.S., M.A., Leah Gibbs, Au.D., Sarah Al-Salim, Au.D., Gabrielle R. Merchant, Au.D., Ph.D. Boys Town National Research Hospital |
Access to hearing research opportunities can be limited for some families due to barriers such as time, transportation, or availability of services. Hearing plays an important role in how children learn to speak, communicate, and succeed in school, but hearing difficulties are not always easy to notice. This project highlights how we use several quick, safe tests to better understand how a child’s ears are working. These tests include tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), and wideband acoustic immittance testing. Tympanometry checks how well the eardrum moves and can help identify issues like fluid in the middle ear. OAEs measure how the inner ear responds to sound, giving us information about how well the cochlea or organ of hearing is functioning. Wideband acoustic immittance testing uses a range of sounds to provide a detailed picture of how sound travels through the ear. Each test gives us different information, and using them together allows us to get a more complete understanding of a child’s hearing and ear health. These assessments are conducted in a mobile research van, where testing is designed to be efficient, comfortable, and engaging for children. By bringing research directly into the community, we aim to make participation more accessible for families. Our goal is to improve early identification of hearing concerns and contribute to better outcomes for children’s language, communication, and learning abilities. |
| #9 | Texting to Empower: Automatic Texts to Support Family Engagement in Special Education Micah Jarusek, Ashlee K. Mitchell, B.A., Colton F. Chupp, B.S., Sara Kupzyk, PhD, Apryl Poch, PhD, and Kristin Duppong Hurley, PhD Boys Town National Research Hospital University of Nebraska – Omaha |
Families of students receiving special education services often face major barriers to engaging with schools. Because special education processes are complex, parents may feel overwhelmed, reluctant to question professional recommendations, and uncertain about how to advocate for their child. Accessible, standardized guidance is limited, so families commonly rely on informal conversations, school handouts, or web searches. To address this need, we developed a family engagement intervention consisting of 21 brief lessons delivered to parents via text message. The curriculum targets the “4C’s” of engagement: building Capabilities (core knowledge of the special education system), strengthening Connections (communication with school professionals and community providers), shifting Cognition (beliefs about parents’ roles in education), and increasing Confidence (agency in advocacy). We piloted the program with families of students in grades Pre-K–11 receiving special education services. Of 49 parents who consented, 48 completed a baseline survey; 48 accessed the texted curriculum links; and 26 completed a post-intervention survey including quantitative scales, satisfaction items, and open-ended questions. Preliminary results suggest high satisfaction with the texting format and significant improvements across family engagement domains from baseline to post-intervention. Qualitative feedback highlighted the ease and convenience of the brief, asynchronous approach. Next steps will focus on more rigorous testing and scaling to broaden reach and impact. |
| #10 | Inner Compass: Navigating Youth Leadership and Positive Development Patricia Cardellini de Almeida, Kristin Duppong Hurley, Josh Day Boys Town National Research Hospital |
Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by significant physical, emotional, and cognitive changes that shape identity, autonomy, and essential life skills. Supportive and enriching environments enable adolescents to develop their full potential, positively influencing academic and professional success, interpersonal relationships, and broader contributions to society. The Inner Compass Leadership Program was piloted in Brazil with adolescents (13–16 years old), many of whom experience emotional and behavioral challenges as well as learning difficulties. The aim was to promote academic engagement and skill development, strengthening adolescents’ self-awareness, empathy, communication skills, sense of belonging, and agency. A core feature of the intervention is the implementation of youth-led projects designed to help participants apply these competencies in ways that reflect their interests and address community needs Findings from a pilot study with 44 adolescents in Brazil indicated meaningful improvements in self-awareness, communication, teamwork, collaborative behaviors, empathy, and respect. These gains contributed to stronger classroom relationships, an enhanced sense of belonging, and increased community engagement. By fostering agency, leadership, and reflective thinking, the Inner Compass Leadership Program provides an innovative, strength- based approach to supporting adolescent wellbeing and cultivating the personal and social competencies essential for positive youth development. |
| #11 | Preparing Seniors for Transition to Adulthood Josh Day, Jasney Cogua Boys Town National Research Hospital |
The transition into young adulthood is filled with challenges for all youth but particularly for those who are system involved. This work explores the role of transition planning within the Boys Town Successful Futures program and its effectiveness in preparing high school seniors in residential care for life after they leave care. The Boys Town Successful Futures program supports youth by fostering three pillars: life skills, motivation, and supports. The study found significant improvement in Boys Town High School students’ independent living skills and motivation during their senior year. Additionally, analysis suggested this program was effective for both students with and without special education needs. Overall, the findings offer encouraging initial evidence of the Successful Future program’s positive impact on youth leaving residential care. This research highlights the innovative and comprehensive approach of the Successful Futures program in supporting youth as they transition from residential care into adulthood. |
| #12 | Preparing Parents for Success When Their Child Comes Home Josh Day, Kristin Duppong Hurley, Lori Scharff, Hannah Birkland, Alison Howard Boys Town National Research Hospital |
Families of youth in In-patient Treatment programs face a variety of challenges, one of which is even understanding how they can be involved and help in their child’s treatment. The Boys Town Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) has partnered with Boys Town In-Home Family Services (IHFS) to bridge the gap in services families may experience after their child returns home after treatment. Through this partnership, IHFS plays a pivotal role in supporting parents by preparing them for their child’s return, providing a comprehensive curriculum of parenting skills that align with the behavioral interventions used throughout PRTF stay, and support youth to generalize skills learned in PRTF and apply them to the complexities of home life. At its core, the program aims to offer uninterrupted, consistent family support to ensure youth can flourish after leaving inpatient psychiatric care. By maintaining uniformity in language and skill-building strategies across various service settings, this approach fosters a stable, predictable atmosphere that empowers youth to thrive in their own homes. This continuity not only benefits the youth but also strengthens the family unit, making the transition from treatment to home smoother and more successful. |
If you have questions, please reach out to one of the following people:
Dr. Sara Kupzyk at skupzyk@unomaha.edu
Dr. Kristin Duppong Hurley kristin.dupponghurley@boystown.org
Previous conference information
This event is sponsored through a collaboration between the UNO Special Education and Communication Disorders and Psychology Departments and Boys Town National Research Hospital.
