Special Education Summer Institute 2025

Join us for a hands-on, research-informed session designed for educators supporting students with intellectual disabilities in math. Explore the developmental foundations of Very Special Maths, learn to apply the Numeracy Stages, and adapt Heartland AEA lesson plans for real-life, functional math learning. Participants will walk away with practical strategies to enhance engagement through sensory, emotional, and experiential approaches.

Non-speaking does not mean non-reading. This dynamic, hands-on session empowers educators with practical strategies to deliver phonics and literacy instruction to students with complex communication needs. Participants will rotate through engaging stations that model accessible tools like AAC, eye-gaze boards, and alternate pencils. You’ll learn how to build phonological awareness, support independent reading, and assess literacy without relying on oral responses. Walk away with materials, ideas, and confidence to help every learner find their voice through literacy.

Echolalia is often seen as a barrier—but for Gestalt Language Processors (GLPs), it’s a meaningful and essential part of communication. This session explores the stages of Natural Language Acquisition and provides educators and support staff with practical tools to recognize, respond to, and build on gestalt language. Participants will learn how to identify a student’s stage of language development, design affirming instruction, and support spontaneous communication through collaborative, neurodiversity-aligned practices. Discover how shifting our lens on echolalia can lead to deeper connections and greater communication success.

This session will provide time to review IEPs and complete the student planning grid for students with the support of facilitators. Time to create materials to match student needs will also be provided. 
 *Participants must have attended at least one of the sessions listed:  
Physical Structures and Visual Supports, Schedules and Routines, Independent Work Systems, or Delivering Instruction and Answering the 4 Questions