SPED Summit

🔥🎉 Get Ready for the SPED Summit – Summer Edition!🔥🎉

We’re back and bigger than ever! 🎉 Last year’s summit brought together over 25,000 special education professionals from around the world—and this summer, we’re turning up the heat with even more value, insight, and community.

Let’s give a warm welcome to our inspiring new speaker lineup — 9 incredible voices who are ready to share their expertise, insights, and passion with the SPED community:

✨ Heather Maydak
✨ Nikki Robertson
✨ Lauren Bedsole
✨ Laura Hackwell
✨ Dr. Brandi Tanner
✨ Heather Cacioppo
✨ Sophie Cole
✨ Cara Vega
✨ Caroline Koehler

With thousands of educators, therapists, and advocates coming together, SPED Summit has become a global celebration of inclusive education.

This year’s summit will explore powerful topics including transition planning, mental health in special education, classroom strategies, data collection, family collaboration, and so much more. 🙌

As always, we’ll be offering PD Certificates and exciting giveaways to support your professional journey.

If you’re passionate about making a difference in the lives of students with disabilities, this summit is for YOU.
Let’s come together to learn, grow, and empower one another!

Don’t miss out — register now at www.spedsummit.com
Share the news and help us spread the impact even further!
📅 Save the date: July 14 – August 13, 2025

All sessions are now live! Don't miss out—watch the sessions, complete the assessments, and get your PD certificates today!

🚨The Next Two sessions are now streaming on SPED Summit website! Dive In Now!

1️⃣Explore strategies for creating inclusive, sensory-friendly environments that support diverse learners and enhance student engagement.

2️⃣Discover practical coping strategies, self-care techniques, and resilience-building tools to help educators stay motivated, balanced, and fulfilled.

Join the Discussion! Share your insights and experiences below.
Let’s build a vibrant learning community!

🚨The Next Two sessions are now streaming on SPED Summit website! Dive In Now!

1️⃣Explore strategies for building safe, supportive learning environments that meet the unique needs of students affected by trauma.

2️⃣Discover innovative strategies for optimizing resources, managing caseloads, and implementing creative solutions to maintain quality student support despite staffing challenges in speech-language pathology.

Join the Discussion! Share your insights and experiences below.
Let’s build a vibrant learning community!

🚨The Next Two sessions are now streaming on SPED Summit website! Dive In Now!

1️⃣A powerful session on handling tough conversations, resolving disagreements, and fostering true collaboration. Gain key strategies and phrases to navigate IEP conflicts with confidence—turning challenges into solutions that prioritize your students, stress-free!

2️⃣Explore how everyday classroom technology can empower students with learning disabilities. Through research, case studies, and practical tools, discover effective strategies to enhance learning and support student success.
Join the Discussion! Share your insights and experiences below.

Let’s build a vibrant learning community!

🚨Two incredible sessions are now streaming on SPED Summit website! Dive In Now!

1️⃣Unpacking Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for reading instruction across all levels. Discover effective strategies to assess, intervene, and monitor student progress, ensuring every learner receives the support they need to succeed. Empower your teaching with evidence-based practices that drive reading achievement for all.

2️⃣Discovering the #1 framework that has transformed reading instruction for hundreds of teachers and helped thousands of students overcome the reading, writing, and spelling gap. In this presentation, you'll learn exactly what this proven framework is, how to seamlessly integrate it into your busy lesson plans, and gain actionable strategies to make a real impact on your students' progress.

Join the Discussion! Share your insights and experiences below.
Let’s build a vibrant learning community!

Discover effective strategies to manage and overcome feelings of burnout in the demanding field of special education at . Join Dr. Byron Scott as he shares practical coping techniques, self-care practices, and tools to foster resilience, helping educators stay motivated, balanced, and fulfilled while supporting their students. Empower yourself to thrive professionally and personally in challenging times.

📆13 Feb 2025
🕘 9 AM PST

About Byron:
Dr. Byron Swartz is a passionate advocate for special education and educator well-being. With over seven years of experience as both a paraprofessional and special education teacher, he understands the demands of the profession and the impact of teacher burnout. He holds an Ed.D. in Special Education Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University, along with degrees from the University of Toledo, Wright State University, and Owens Community College. Dr. Swartz is committed to helping educators thrive by providing practical strategies to sustain their passion and effectiveness in the field.

Discover practical strategies to address the sensory needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in the classroom with Smita Prakash at . She shares insights on creating inclusive, sensory-friendly environments that enhance learning and engagement. Gain actionable tips to support diverse sensory profiles and promote positive educational outcomes for all students.

📆13 Feb 2025
🕘 9 AM PST

About Smita:
Smita Prakash is a Certified Autism Specialist based in New York City. She specializes in supporting children ages 4 and up in school settings and providing early intervention for children from birth to age 3. She serves on the Special Education Advisory Council for the City of New York and is the founder of ThinkingZebras .org, a platform offering therapeutic resources to help parents support children with developmental challenges.

With experience leading therapy teams at an international school in Singapore and working in hospital settings with children facing complex medical diagnoses, Smita brings a wealth of expertise and a culturally sensitive perspective. Her strength-based approach focuses on empowering children by nurturing their unique abilities, helping them grow into confident and happy individuals.

Join Courtney Gebhart as she addresses the critical challenge of managing speech services during a nationwide shortage at . Learn innovative strategies to optimize resources, prioritize caseloads, and implement creative solutions. This session offers practical insights to ensure students continue receiving quality support, even amidst staffing challenges in the field of speech-language pathology.

📆12 Feb 2025
🕘 9 AM PST

About Courtney:
Courtney Gebhart, M.A. CCC-SLP, brings transformative solutions to special education programs as the Founder of Metamorphosis Therapy Group, Inc. With over 16 years as an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist, she specializes in developing and implementing innovative solutions for diverse student populations when staffing is challenging.
Drawing from her extensive experience in both direct school employment and district-wide consulting, Courtney helps special education programs optimize their resources through strategic staffing solutions and service delivery models. Her unique perspective bridges administrators' operational challenges with the clinical excellence students deserve. Under her leadership, Metamorphosis has supported thousands of students across the full spectrum of special education settings, from autism-specific programs to Special Day Classes spanning preschool through high school.
As a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fresno's Communication Sciences and Deaf Studies department, Courtney shapes the next generation of special education professionals through courses on exceptional children and language development. Her combination of clinical expertise, administrative acumen, and academic involvement makes her a valuable voice in advancing special education services.