Each year, the TASH Conference brings together our constituents to share resources and success stories, learn about field-driven best practices, and network within a community engaged in shared values. The Conference is attended by passionate leaders, experts, and advocates from every corner of the disability community. Conference attendees are influential in their fields and communities, and play an important role in the provision of services and supports for the millions of individuals and organizations around the world; and include professors and researchers from leading institutions; those involved in local, state, and federal governments and public policy; special and general educators, and school administrators; self-advocates, adult service providers; students, family members, and many others. This year’s conference theme, Building Diverse and Inclusive Communities, reminds us that equity, opportunity, and inclusion relies on the input of broad perspectives and experiences.
The stories that teachers carry into schools shape their work with students. In my dissertation study, I propose to listen to the stories of teachers of students with complex support needs by asking the following questions: What are the literacy narratives of teachers of students with complex support needs? What do teachers' literacy narrative reveal about their thinking about instructional practices? Participants will be teachers of students with complex support needs and their stories will be heard through a preliminary interview, two shared storytelling (focus group) meetings, and a follow-up interview. This presentation will include theoretical and methodological underpinnings and prelimary analyses/findings.