From IEP Decisions to Daily Participation...
Because Inclusion is More Than Placement
Monday, July 27, 2026 - Friday, July 31, 2026
A Free 5-Day Virtual Event for Parents, Educators, Advocates, and Disability Professionals
Watch the video below to learn how this FREE event will help you confidently navigate schools, IEPs, and inclusion.
Creating meaningful inclusion takes more than good intentions..
You’re getting a lot of things right:
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You're attending IEP meetings.
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You're advocating for your learner.
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You're asking thoughtful questions and searching for solutions.
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And you're working hard to create educational experiences where every child feels valued and supported.
But too often, families and educators are left trying to navigate complex systems without clear guidance. Conversations about inclusion can feel overwhelming, conflicting, or disconnected from the realities of daily school life..
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Maybe right now you're wondering…
What does meaningful participation actually look like?
How do we support students without lowering expectations?
How do we move beyond compliance and toward belonging?
What should I be asking for in an IEP?
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How can schools and families work together more effectively?
There has got to be a better way!
And there is.
The Inclusive Schools & IEPs Summit was created to help answer those questions.
You dream of finding practical strategies to create more inclusive experiences for learners without sorting through conflicting advice.
Imagine feeling more confident about:
âś“ Advocating for supports that lead to meaningful participation, not just physical presence
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âś“ Navigating IEP conversations with clearer language, stronger questions, and greater confidence
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âś“ Bringing families and educators together to create educational opportunities where learners are known, supported, and able to thrive
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This is exactly what you’ll experience at Inclusive Schools & IEPs Summit
During the Inclusive Schools and IEPs Summit you'll learn how to confidently advocate for the support, opportunities, and inclusion your child deserves.
Join us for the Inclusive Schools and IEPs Summit to learn from more than 26 experts in inclusion, communication, advocacy, and education as they share practical strategies to help your child access learning, participate meaningfully, and experience belonging at school.
MEET YOUR HOST, Dr. Diana Fannon
As a former teacher, school psychologist, and Director of Special Education, I've spent more than 24 years working alongside children, families, educators, and school teams to create more inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities.
Today, through DisabilityEdPros and The IEP Studio, I work directly with families across the country, helping parents navigate special education, understand their rights, and advocate for the support and opportunities their children need to thrive.
My perspective is also personal. As a person with a disability and the parent of an autistic child, I understand that this parenting journey requires balancing expert recommendations with the realities of everyday life.
I created the Inclusive Schools & IEPs Summit because I believe families deserve access to practical, evidence-informed guidance from experts who understand both the challenges and possibilities of inclusive education.
My goal is simple: to help families feel more informed, more confident, and more supported as they navigate schools, IEPs, disability, and advocacy.
What to expect during the
Inclusive Schools & IEPs Summit
When and Where
The Inclusive Schools & IEPs Summit runs July 27th-31st.
This event is fully virtual, which means you can attend from anywhere with internet access.
New sessions will be released each day of the summit at 7am PT/10am ET.
Expert Sessions
Attend presentations from more than 25 speakers covering topics related to:
- Inclusion, access, participation, and belonging
- Communication, regulation, and understanding learners
- Advocacy, IEPs, and family-school collaboration
- Agency, autonomy, and neurodiversity-affirming practices
Your free ticket includes access to each presentation for 24 hours during the summit.
Private Summit Community
When you register, you’ll gain access to the Inclusive Schools and IEPs Private Facebook community where attendees can connect, share ideas, and continue conversations throughout the event.
Chances to Win
We'll be giving away books, gift cards, and other prizes throughout the summit week.
Join the conversation, share what you're learning, and participate in the community for opportunities to win.
Upgrade to the All-Access Pass!
If you’d prefer more time to watch the sessions and revisit them later, you’ll have the option to upgrade to the All Access Pass.
The all-access pass includes: lifetime access to all presentations, summit workbook, a private podcast, and additional resources from speakers.
What makes this event unique
Most conversations about inclusion focus on where a learner sits. This summit focuses on what happens after they get there.
The Inclusive Schools & IEPs Summit brings together parents, educators, advocates, and disability professionals to explore what meaningful participation, belonging, communication access, and learning look like in real classrooms and real IEPs.
We'll certainly discuss IEPs, accommodations, and educational supports. But this summit asks a deeper question:
What does it take for learners to be truly known, supported, and able to participate in meaningful ways?
You'll hear from a diverse group of speakers, including parents, self-advocates, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists, educators, disability advocates, and educational leaders.
Together, they share practical strategies and fresh perspectives grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience.
This summit bridges the gap between family experience and educational practice. Parents will gain language, tools, and confidence for advocacy, while educators and disability professionals will gain valuable insights into the lived experiences of learners and families.
When we better understand one another, we create schools where belonging, access, and meaningful participation become the expectation, not the exception.
Because inclusion is not just placement.
It's belonging, access, and meaningful participation.
Meet the Speakers
At the heart of the Inclusive Schools & IEPs Summit is the opportunity to learn from experts, advocates, educators, clinicians, and parents who are working every day to create more inclusive opportunities for children with disabilities.
Throughout the week, you'll hear from more than 25 speakers sharing practical insights, lived experiences, and evidence-informed strategies related to inclusion, communication, regulation, advocacy, meaningful participation, and belonging.
These aren't just theories or best practices. They're real-world perspectives from people who are actively supporting children, families, schools, and communities.
Through a mix of presentations and conversations, you'll gain new ideas, practical tools, and a deeper understanding of what meaningful inclusion can look like for your learner.
Meet the speakers below and discover the conversations that will help you think differently about inclusion, advocacy, and meaningful participation.
Day 1
Inclusion Starts With a Mindset Shift
Meaningful inclusion begins with the way we think about disability, learning, and belonging. Today's presentations explore the beliefs and assumptions that shape educational decisions and how shifting our perspective can create more inclusive opportunities for every learner.
Dr. Sara Leggett
Through Their Lens: What Educational Leaders Teach Us About Inclusion
Justin H. Dove, EdS, NCSP, LEP
From Rhetoric to Reality: Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices in Today's Schools
Breea Rosas
Elevating Support: Navigating Your Child's IEP With a Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens
Kelsie Reed, Ph.D.
The Deficit Trap: Shifting to Strength-Based IEP Supports
Dr. Diana Fannon
Inside The IEP Studio: How Assumptions Shape IEP Decisions
Day 2
Understanding Learners
Before we can create meaningful supports, we need to understand the learner. Today's presentations explore communication, regulation, sensory needs, and behavior, helping us better understand what children are experiencing and how we can respond with greater empathy and effectiveness.
Martha NĂ Fhlatharta
Understanding Behaviour Through a Nervous System Lens
Laura Petix
From Behavior to Belonging: Supporting Kids Through Connection and Understanding
Lisa Baskin Wright
Supporting Nervous System Needs in the Educational Setting
Simon Airey
Neurodivergent Refusal: Shifting to Real Engagement
Dr. Destiny Huff, LPC
When Behavior Is Actually Overwhelm: Advocating for Regulation Without Exclusion
Gráinne Carney
A Scenic Route to the Same Destination: Understanding Gestalt Language Processing
Diana Fannon
Inside The IEP Studio: What Makes Meaningful Participation Possible
Day 3
Access to Learning & Participation
Inclusion is about more than being present. It's about meaningful participation in learning. Today's sessions focus on adapting instruction, removing barriers, supporting communication, and creating access so every learner can participate in grade-level learning and school life.
Dr. Vaish Sarathy
Why Complex Academics Needs to Be on Your Agenda (and IEP) This Year
Lisa Mihalich Quinn
What Access Really Looks Like: Adapting Grade Level Learning Without Lowering the Bar for Your Child
Jessie Meshaw
Access Through Understanding: Helping Kids Learn the Language of Accommodations
Leroy Smith
Revealing Curricular Barriers That Harm Neurodivergent Students of Color
Courtney Burnett
Assistive Technology and the IEP
Amber Moore
Beyond the Scores: Understanding Educational Impact, Meaningful Participation, and Connecting Assessments to Real Life
Diana Fannon
Inside the IEP Studio: Looking for Barriers Before Deficits
Day 4
 Advocacy, Agency & Systems
Strong advocacy is built on collaboration, knowledge, and meaningful participation. Today's presentations explore how families and school teams can work together to strengthen IEPs, support self-advocacy, and navigate educational systems with greater confidence and purpose.
ShaVanety Jones
Seeing the Student: Access, Belonging, and Student Strengths
Brianna Drimmer
Student Centered Special Education: From Evaluation to IEP & Beyond
Colleen Ashford
Making Referrals within the IEP Process
Daphne Zacky, EdS, LEP
Finding Your Voice: Meaningful Parent Participation in the IEP Process
Courtney Aseltine
The Language of Low Expectations: Turning School Language Into Advocacy
 Lindsay Crain
How Inclusion Gets Lost in Translation: What Parents Ask For and What Districts Prioritize
Diana Fannon
Inside The IEP Studio: What Question Could Change the Conversation?
Day 5
Relationships, Belonging & Family Experience
Lasting inclusion is built through relationships, trust, and a genuine sense of belonging. Today's presentations highlight the perspectives of families, educators, and advocates while exploring what it means for learners to be known, valued, and fully included in school communities.
Maria Davis-Pierre
Inclusion Through a Cultural Lens: Supporting Black Autistic Students in School Communities
Leila Toigo
Beyond Inclusion: Why Belonging Matters Most
Erin Forward
Beyond Compliance: How Connection and Play Support Communication, Learning, and Belonging
Laura Westbrook
Stronger Together: Relationship as the Catalyst for Unfolding Regulatory Capacity
Katie Plunkett
Building Belonging Every Day: Inside an Inclusive Classroom
Diana Fannon
Inside The IEP Studio: Rethinking How We Measure Success
Every child deserves to learn in a school where they belong, have access, and can meaningfully participate.
I hope you'll join us as we work together to remove barriers, strengthen advocacy, and create more inclusive schools for every student.Â
Click below to grab your free ticket and join us for the Inclusive Schools & IEPs Summit!
You're ready to experience navigating schools and IEPs with greater confidence and clarity.
It's time to stop trying to figure it all out alone and finally get the knowledge, strategies, and support you need to help your child thrive.
