Learning Disabilities
Strategy Summit
October 16, 2025, 11:00am-5:00pm ET
How It Works
| KEYNOTE SPEAKER | BLOCK 1 | BLOCK 2 | BLOCK 3 | KEYNOTE SPEAKER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00am-12:00pm | 12:15-1:15pm Choose (1) session to attend | 1:30-2:30pm Choose (1) session to attend | 2:45-3:45pm Choose (1) session to attend | 4:00pm-5:00pm |
Opening Keynote - 11:00 am - 12:00 pm ET
Session Description
This keynote session will kick off our learning together by providing critical background information for how students with specific learning disabilities can be supported through cognitive strategy instruction, a specific type of specially designed instruction, to build student self-regulation and independent problem solving. Educators will find this session connects to their classroom reality by directly addressing learning barriers and characteristics of students with SLD with tools to support content area learning without watering down instruction.
Meet the Presenter
MICHAEL N. FAGGELLA-LUBY, PhD, is professor of special education and core faculty of the ANSERS Institute at TCU. He researches learning strategies in subject-areas to improve outcomes for all learners. Dr. Faggella-Luby is an author of multiple books and articles. He is also a former high school administrator and teacher.
Time Block 1 - 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm ET
Session Description
This session will introduce participants to the world of defining, identifying, and planning interventions and supports for students with specific learning disabilities. Did you know that there are 8 sub-categories of Specific Learning Disabilities? Did you know that there are multiple methods to determine if a student has a Specific Learning Disability and if they are eligible for special education services? Did you know that these methods may vary based on your state or district? We will answer your questions and provide resources to learn more about supporting students with Specific Learning Disabilities.
Meet the Presenter
Breda O’Keeffe, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah. She has provided professional development and/or ongoing coaching to leaders, teachers, paraeducators, and other education professionals around literacy assessment and intervention, data-based decision making, positive behavior supports, and multi-tiered systems of support.
Session Description
As students move into the upper elementary grades, they face a greater amount of text with more complex words, yet many lack a systematic approach for decoding these words. These reading demands continue to increase dramatically as students transition from middle to high school and, at the same time, formal literacy instruction largely disappears. Students with reading disabilities, even those who have attained foundational reading skills, often experience substantial difficulty with multisyllabic words. This session will begin with an overview of processes involved in multisyllabic word reading and instructional routines to support students’ acquisition of word-level reading skills. Dr. Toste will describe the instructional practices that comprise Word Connections, an evidence-based targeted reading intervention program focused on multisyllabic word reading fluency.
Meet the Presenter
Jessica R. Toste is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education and Distinguished Teaching Professor at The University of Texas at Austin. She is principal investigator on research grants from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Reading League Journal and served as President of both CEC’s Division for Research (DR) and the Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD).
Session Description
This session will guide participants in developing meaningful, measurable, and observable math IEP goals that are aligned to grade-level standards. Using task analysis and curriculum alignment, we will write goals that support students performing below grade level in making ambitious progress. Participants will also explore how evidence-based practices can be directly linked to goal attainment.
Meet the Presenter
Dr. Jonte Myers is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Georgia State University. His research bridges evidence-based mathematics interventions and classroom practice for students with learning difficulties. He collaborates nationally with schools and agencies to translate research into practical strategies that improve academic outcomes.
Time Block 2 - 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm ET
Session Description
In this session, Dr. Lembke will provide a brief overview of CBM assessments in writing, including word dictation, picture word, and story prompt measures. Participants will learn more about administration and scoring of these measures. A diagnostic checklist in writing will also be introduced and application to a sample student discussed.
Meet the Presenter
Erica Lembke, Ph.D. is a Professor at the University of Missouri. Her research interests include data- based decision making, assessment and intervention for students at risk and with disabilities and their teachers, and her current federally funded grants are directed towards teacher and school professional learning.
Session Description
Coming Soon
Meet the Presenter
Coming Soon
Session Description
In this session, we will focus on how to support students as they set up and solve word problems. First, we will discuss the ineffective keywords strategy. Then, we will review two research-validated practices: using an attack strategy and focusing on word-problem schemas. By the end of this session, you will feel more comfortable supporting students with word-problem solving!
Meet the Presenter
Sarah R. Powell is a Professor in the College of Education at The University ofTexas at Austin and Associate Director of the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. Her research, teaching, and service focus on mathematics, particularly for students who experience mathematics differently.
Time Block 3 - 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm ET
Session Description
The purpose of this session is to define specially designed instruction (SDI) and to provide examples and nonexamples of SDI in practice. We will describe the steps to identify SDI for a student with a learning disability using our two-step test and work all the way through to day-to-day classroom instruction.
Meet the Presenter
Margaret Weiss is an associate professor of special education at George Mason University. Before completing her PhD at the University of Virginia, Weiss was a special education teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Her main areas of research are in co-teaching, eCoaching, and pre-service teacher preparation. She recently published the book, Specially designed instruction: The definitive guide with colleagues Michael Flagella-Luby, Lisa Goran, and David Bateman.
Session Description
Students with LD can struggle with multiple aspects of writing, including handwriting legible letters, constructing complete sentences, and writing high-quality paragraphs. This session covers evidence-based instructional practices to improve student handwriting, sentence writing, and essay/story writing.
Meet the Presenter
Shawn Datchuk is a Professor at the University of Iowa and Director of the Iowa Reading Research Center. Datchuk is a former K-12 teacher and director of special education. He researches literacy instruction and assessment, specifically ways to support the concurrent writing and reading development of students with or at risk for disabilities
Session Description
Students struggle learning math in the U.S. This is especially true for students with LD. In this session, Dr. Witzel will share how to access valuable resources aimed at improving students’ math outcomes, such as the Institute of Education Sciences, Kansas Math Project and the National Center on Intensive Intervention.
Meet the Presenter
Bradley S. Witzel, PhD, is the Adelaide Worth Daniels Distinguished Professor at Western Carolina University. He worked in multiple settings teaching math and science to high achieving students with learning disabilities. Dr. Witzel has authored 10 books, over 80 professional publications and over 50 specialized manuals and multimedia works.
Closing Keynote - 4:00pm - 5:00pm ET
Session Description
Join us for a practical closing keynote that brings together research, reflection, and real-world strategies for supporting students with learning disabilities. We will challenge educators to move beyond labels and compliance toward meaningful, individualized instruction. With a focus on collaboration, high expectations, and actionable tools, this session will explore how to build progress monitoring systems that work, use assistive technology effectively, and support students through cognitive strategies and executive functioning tools. Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned veteran, this keynote will re-energize your practice and remind you of the critical role you play. Most of all, it will answer the question: Where do we go from here?—with clarity, conviction, and a commitment to justice for all learners.
Meet the Presenter
David F. Bateman, Ph.D., is a Principal Researcher at AIR and expert in special education law. A former hearing officer and professor, he supports districts in litigation, compliance, and programming. He has authored key books and developed federal IEP guidance after Endrew F.