Join us August 18–20, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort. Check out this highlight of national speakers and exciting topics for this year's conference.
Keynote Speakers
Brandon K. Wright—IDEA Legal Keynote Speaker
Brandon K. Wright is an attorney in Illinois who focuses his practice on K-12 special education law, serving as legal counsel to school districts and special education cooperatives throughout Illinois. Brandon spends a significant amount of time providing professional development and continuing education opportunities across the country. He has trained administrators and teachers about managing legal issues involving students with disabilities and other school law concerns, having presented to educational professionals in 26 states (and counting). Brandon serves on the Executive Committee of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys and is a past Chair. He has previously taught as an adjunct faculty member at Southern Illinois University and Eastern Illinois University.
Malcolm Mitchell—Early Childhood Special Education Keynote Speaker
Malcolm Mitchell is a former NFL wide receiver best known for his time with the New England Patriots, where he was part of the team that won Super Bowl LI. After his football career was cut short by injury, Mitchell became a nationally recognized literacy advocate, inspired by his own struggles learning to read as a child. He founded the Share the Magic Foundation, which promotes youth literacy and access to books through reading events and programs. Mitchell is also a celebrated children’s book author, with titles including The Magician’s Hat and My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World, both encouraging a love of reading among young audiences.
Winston Clements—Youth and Family Keynote Speaker
Winston Clements is a global speaker and accessibility consultant with lived experience of Osteogenesis Imperfecta. He helps organizations create inclusive cultures where people with disabilities can thrive, drawing from his background working at major tech corporations. He is now a trusted advisor for global brands including Google, Disney, Accenture, and Ernst & Young. His work is rooted in lived experience, professional insight, and a deep belief that inclusion of people with disabilities must be intentional to be effective. Winston’s keynotes are renowned for their heart, humor, and lasting impact.
More keynote announcements coming soon—we’re finalizing exciting additions to the lineup.
Premier Speakers
Dr. Brianna Soares
Brianna Rose Soares, Ph.D. is an Assistant Research Professor at the Center for Transition and Career Innovation (CTCI) at the University of Maryland. Her research and professional practice focus on secondary transition, self-determination, and interagency collaboration for students with disabilities. Dr. Soares earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she was a U.S. Department of Education Doctoral Scholar and actively contributed to the CIRCLES project and the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C).
Prior to her current role, Dr. Soares served as a special education teacher, transition specialist, and registered behavior technician in both public and private education settings. Her work emphasized inclusive instructional practices, vocational preparation, and person-centered planning for students with extensive support needs. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in special education, presented nationally on transition-focused interventions, and contributed to peer-reviewed publications and technical reports on evidence-based practices.
Dr. Soares is passionate about promoting student voice, family engagement, and system-level change. Her work bridges research and practice by designing and implementing innovative tools and professional development to improve post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities.
Dr. Brenda Smith
Dr. Brenda Smith is an Associate Director for the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE) at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice (IDRPP) at Utah State University. In her role, she provides technical assistance and facilitation services for contracts with State Education Agencies and Local Education Agencies. She has experience leading several contracts and projects, including Indicator 8 parent surveys, Indicator 14 postsecondary outcomes surveys, and program evaluations. Brenda has stakeholder group facilitation experience at the local, state, and national levels. She has a Ph.D. in Disability Disciplines with a specialization in Disability Studies. Her research includes activism among college students with disabilities and representation of students with disabilities in charter schools compared to traditional public schools. Brenda is also the Principal Investigator for the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction (NCADEMI) and provides technical assistance on the provision of accessible digital educational materials and instruction.
Dr. Emily Malouf
Emily is a Research Scholar at Transition Tennessee at Vanderbilt University. In her current role, Emily delivers technical assistance to providers of Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and engages in research to improve the quality of Pre-ETS for students across the state. Prior to her work in Tennessee, Emily received her Ph.D. in Special Education from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2023 and has over 15 years of experience working with youth, teens, and adults with extensive support needs. Emily has worked in public and non-public schools in Ohio, Illinois, Texas, New York, and California as a teacher and administrator and her published work broadly focuses on the transition from school to work for individuals with disabilities, with particular interests in self-employment, community-based work experiences, and Pre-ETS delivery.
Dr. Magen Rooney-Kron
Dr. Magen Rooney-Kron is an Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education at the University of Missouri- St. Louis (UMSL). As a former high school teacher, Dr. Rooney-Kron is dedicated to preparing educators to support students with disabilities in achieving their post-school goals. Her work focuses on equipping teachers with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively include students with IDD in high-quality work-based learning experiences. She also works closely with the Office of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (OIPE) at UMSL to expand and enhance college programming for students with intellectual disabilities.
Dr. Hannah Brenner Nieto
Hannah B. Nieto received her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is now an assistant professor of special education and special education program director at North Central College in Naperville, IL (a suburb of Chicago). Previously, Hannah was a high school special education teacher in Chicago Public Schools focused on providing high-quality transition experiences for students with extensive support needs. Hannah’s research is centered on promoting effective and inclusive community-based work experiences for students with extensive support needs that contribute to positive employment outcomes. She is particularly interested in paraprofessionals’ growing role in job coaching and how school districts can train and supervise paraprofessionals to effectively prepare students for competitive, integrated employment.
Dr. Jocelyn Washburn
Jocelyn Washburn, Ph.D., is a Co-Director of the KU Center for Research on Learning, Assistant Research Professor, and Director of Professional Development. She provides leadership to the international network of Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Professional Developers. Her research focuses on adolescent literacy, evidence-based practices, professional learning models, and educator collaboration. Dr. Washburn has been a special education teacher, instructional coach, district literacy coordinator, and regional technical assistance coordinator. Her career has been dedicated to the use of evidence-based, inclusive practices to support students with and without disabilities with an emphasis on adolescent literacy.
Kristen Perez-Rickels
Kristen Perez-Rickels is a Technical Assistance Specialist at the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE) and supports the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction (NCADEMI). Kristen holds a master’s degree in special education, a master’s degree in School Psychometry, and graduate certificates in Secondary Transition and Applied Behavior Analysis. Kristen’s work includes the implementation of behavioral and academic interventions, identification of students with disabilities, and systems integration. Before joining TAESE, Kristen worked at the Oklahoma State Department of Education as the State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) Project Director and Behavior Specialist.
Dr. Makenzie Allison
Dr. Makenzie Allison is an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Transition and Career Innovation, where her work focuses on strengthening alignment across education, vocational rehabilitation, and community systems to improve employment and independent living outcomes for youth with disabilities. With over 15 years of experience spanning direct service, independent living, and vocational rehabilitation, she brings both field-based expertise and a systems-level perspective to her work. She contributes to national initiatives through the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) and supports the implementation of systems change grants across states. Dr. Allison's research examines how leadership is experienced within public-sector organizations, particularly in relation to employee engagement and innovation. She is known for translating research and policy into practical, actionable strategies that support meaningful and sustainable change.
Sean Roy
Sean Roy is the Chief Innovation and Training Officer for TransCen Inc. In this position he works to provide training and technical assistance to states, employment professionals, and schools, leading to improved success for individuals with disabilities who are transitioning from school into the workforce and life in the community. Roy is an experienced curriculum developer, writer, trainer, and presenter, often being asked to speak to professionals and families about issues of employment, accessing postsecondary education, and promoting family involvement in employment and transition planning. Sean draws from previous experience as Co-Director of PACER’s National Parent Center on Transition and Employment, as well as being a sibling of an adult with autism.
Dr. Terrance Scott
Terrance M. Scott is a Professor and Distinguished University Scholar in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Louisville where he directs both the Center for Instructional and Behavioral Research in Schools and the Kentucky Reading Research Center. Having received his Ph.D. in Special Education at the University of Oregon in 1994 (with an emphasis on emotional and behavioral disorders), Dr. Scott has over 100 publications, including five books, on a variety of issues in the areas of behavioral disorders and behavioral support systems. He is a frequent speaker, having conducted well over 1000 presentations and training activities and has been an invited speaker throughout the U.S. and in numerous countries around the world. He is the recipient of national awards for research and leadership in the area of behavioral disorders and has career grant funding of over $45 million. His research interests focus on school-wide prevention systems, the impact of effective instructional practices, managing student behavior, and scientific research in education.
More premier speakers announcements coming soon—we’re finalizing exciting additions to the lineup.
Stay up-to-date on the IDEA Conference website for announcements about additional national speakers and exciting events. Please send questions to the IDEA Conference inbox.
