Montana Center for Inclusive Education

This Memorial Day, we pause to honor and remember the brave individuals who gave their lives in service to our country. We recognize the sacrifices made not only by those who served, but also by the families, loved ones, and communities who carry their memories forward. ❤️🤍💙

As we reflect today, we also want to acknowledge that many veterans return home carrying invisible experiences and challenges, including PTSD. PTSD can impact the way individuals process emotions, experiences, sensory information, and the world around them, and is often recognized as a form of neurodiversity shaped through lived experience and trauma.

At MCIE, we believe every mind deserves understanding, support, dignity, and compassion.

Today, we honor those we have lost, support those still carrying the weight of service, and continue working toward communities where every individual feels seen, valued, and supported. 🧠❤️🤍💙

🌲💙 More Than a Conference 💙🌲

The 2026 Mountain West Neurodiversity Conference is more than presentations and breakout sessions.

It is a space where:
✨ educators discover new strategies
✨ families find support and connection
✨ providers and advocates collaborate
✨ students and self-advocates are celebrated
✨ conversations lead to real impact

We believe every individual deserves to be seen for their strengths, abilities, perspectives, and potential! 🧠💛💙

Whether you are joining us to learn, connect, grow professionally, or build community. We cannot wait to welcome you to MSU Billings this August!

🗓️ August 19–20, 2026
📍 Montana State University Billings

💡 Meeting Every Mind. Making Connections.

Registration is now OPEN:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/cuWawyQq00

🌟 Mentor Opportunity at MSU Billings! 🌟

Want to spend your summer doing something meaningful, fun, and impactful?

Join our Movin’ On Summer Camp team as a mentor and help support high school students through activities, connection, encouragement, and community. 💙💛

✔️ Paid opportunity
✔️ Leadership experience
✔️ Overnight camp experience
✔️ Make lasting connections

We’re looking for mentors ages 18+ who are ready to make a difference this summer!

Be part of a summer experience that students will remember long after camp ends! 🏕️🐝💙💛

Apply today:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/a7wZybZvGW

🦸‍♀️💥 CALLING ALL SUPERHEROES! 💥🦸‍♂️

Join us for Family Day following the 2026 Mountain West Neurodiversity Conference! A fun, inclusive, and community-centered event designed for children, teens, families, and caregivers of all ages and abilities! 💙💛

📅 August 21, 2026
📍 Montana State University Billings

Get ready for:
✨ Interactive activities
🎨 Themed stations & hands-on fun
🧩 Inclusive experiences for all abilities
🤝 Community connections & family resources
🦸 A welcoming space where every individual’s strengths are celebrated!

Whether you joined us last year or this is your first time attending, we cannot wait to welcome you for a day full of connection, fun, learning, and community! 🧠💥

🌟 BIG NEWS! 🌟

Registration is OPEN for the 2026 Mountain West Neurodiversity Conference at MSU Billings! 🧠💙💛

Get ready for inspiring speakers, meaningful conversations, practical strategies, powerful connections, and a community that believes every mind matters. 🌲✨

Whether you are an educator, advocate, provider, student, or community partner, this conference is designed to bring people together, share ideas, and create lasting impact!

🗓️ August 19–20, 2026
📍 Montana State University Billings

💡 Meeting Every Mind. Making Connections.

🎟️ Registration is limited to 200 attendees!

Register here:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/cuWawyQq00

🌐 Learn more:
https://www.msubillings.edu/montanacenter/mwnc2026.htm

🌟 NEXT STEP: Movin’ On Transition Program Summer Camp 🌟

Looking for an unforgettable summer experience for your teen? ☀️

Join us June 29 – July 2, 2026 at MSU Billings for 4 days of fun, learning, career exploration, and life/transition skill-building for youth ages 14–21 currently enrolled in high school! 💙💛

✨ Activities include:
🧪 Science Labs
🦁 Zoo Trip
🕶️ VR Technology
🎨 Tie Dye & More!

📍 Only 30 spots available!
📅 Registration closes June 19, 2026

Register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/SNEL24aD7B

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post! 🐝💙💛

Have you heard the term Neurodiverse, but you aren't really sure what it means? Keep reading to learn more!

Neurodivergent minds bring unique creativity, innovation, and fresh ways of seeing the world.

Neurodivergent people include (but are not limited to) autistic people, people with ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette, OCD, giftedness, acquired neurodivergence, and many other neurological profiles - with or without diagnosis, and across all ages and cultures

Neurodivergent: Describing a person whose neurological development and state are atypical. The inclusive opt-in term was coined by Kassiane in the neurodiversity movement as an opposite for “neurotypical.”

Neurodiversity: The infinite variation in the human brain regarding sociability, learning, attention, mood, and other mental functions; where each person has a unique combination of abilities, needs and experiences.

Neurotypical: Describing a person whose neurological development and state conform to what most people would perceive as normal, particularly with respect to sociability, learning, attention, mood, and behavior.

Neurodivergent life: The daily experience of navigating the world with a neurotype that differs from the neuromajority, including both challenges and unique strengths.

Neurodivergent life often requires you to be more adaptable, strategic and resilient. It means constantly translating between your natural way of processing and the expectations of others – even simple interactions can require complex internal negotiations. It can mean masking your authentic self, experiencing rejection, and facing discrimination and exclusion. It can make it harder to envision a future where you’re accepted for who you are. It can make it harder to reflect about your neurodivergent self, in a positive way.

We love collaboratinging with our campus partners. We can't wait to provide options for education who will be able to offer dual enrollment courses at high schools to assist with disabilities and behavioral health fields! City College at MSU Billings

Great things are coming to the Hive! 🐝

📣We are proud to announce that MSU Billings Workforce and Montana Center for Inclusive Education received a $100,000 grant from the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to address behavioral health and developmental disabilities needs in the workforce.

This funding will help create micro-credentials for workers who provide care in clinics and facilities to address the shortage of behavioral health professionals.

Thanks to Pete Buchanan, Director of Workforce Development and Community Education, and Amanda Stonerock, Director of Montana Center for Inclusive Education, who recognized the need in our region and collaborated to secure the grant.

We are excited to see the difference this will make in our community!💛💙

Welcome to the Montana Center for Inclusive Education's new Meta page. We are excited you are here to connect, collaborate, and join us as we provide service, resources, and professional development for learners of ALL abilities and ages.

To start, we wanted to share just a few of our programs:

1- CSPD (Comprehensive System of Personnel Development- This is our teacher professional development program where we bring educators, faculty, parents, students and experts together to help students K-12 have access to education regardless of abilities.

2- Next Step: Movin' On Transitions Program- This is our Pre-ETS (pre-employment transition services) where we bring real life education, job readiness, lifeskills and fun together for those with disabilities aged 14-21 enrolled in an educational program (school). In this program, we also have students on campus for 4 days in the summer to experience campus life and engage in learning and career opportunities.

3-Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA)- This is a WIOA government funded program that provides services to Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota. for individuals who work with Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWIC) to undersand how working and social security disability benefits work hand in hand. We also provide healthcare planning and counceling.

4- Montana Voc Rehab Benefits Counseling- This is Montana's Benefits Counseling program for those enrolled in Voc Rehab. This is similar to WIPA where we work closely with Voc Rehab Counselors to direct services to their clients.

5- Mountain West Neurodiversity Conference- This is a yearly 2-day conference that brings national speakers and presenters together with over 200 professional educators to learn about Autism and other neurodiversities to better serve students in the classroom. More information is found at our website here: https://www.msubillings.edu/montanacenter/mwnc2026.htm

These are just a few of our programs and we are actively expanding. Since this will be our first social media presence, we ask that you share our page and follow for additional information, resources, and opportunities to support your families, your students, and even yourself!