As demand for skilled engineers continues to rise, engineering programs must evolve to engage neurodiverse and underrepresented students through intentional, inclusive design. Our initiative, Internships Designed with Engineering Autistic Students in Mind (IDEAS in Mind), broadens participation and supports belonging among neurodivergent engineering students. Developed in partnership with the University of Arizona Sonoran Center, the College of Engineering, and local employers, the program connects autistic engineering students with industry internships while fostering engineering identity through experiential learning. This presentation will share practical frameworks for building inclusive engineering programs that support neurodiverse students through industry partnerships and intentional program design. Attendees will gain insights applicable to STEM education, career readiness, and disability inclusion initiatives at their own institutions.
Learning Outcomes
- Practical frameworks for building inclusive college programs
- Developing industry partnerships
- The impact of cross-unit collaboration
Join us to explore how Arizona Employment First is turning principles into action to improve competitive integrated employment outcomes for people with disabilities. While Employment First has long been embraced as a philosophy, meaningful change requires coordinated systems alignment, consistent messaging, evidence-based practices, and intentional community engagement. This session will highlight Arizona’s cross-agency strategies to strengthen collaboration, expand work-based learning, align policy, and elevate expectations statewide. Participants will gain insight into how systems change, stakeholder collaboration, and a commitment to evidence-based practices can transform employment outcomes. Whether you are a policymaker, provider, educator, or advocate, you will leave with practical strategies to advance Employment First in your own community.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe core Employment First principles and explain their role in advancing competitive integrated employment.
- Identify evidence-based practices that improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.
- Apply actionable strategies to strengthen Employment First implementation within their own systems or organizations.
Tribal and state Vocational Rehabilitation programs serve Indigenous communities with distinct approaches, but share a common purpose: supporting individuals with disabilities in achieving meaningful, competitive employment. In this session, presenters from the Navajo Nation TVR and Arizona’s Employment First team share real-world examples of collaboration that honors sovereignty, builds trust, and strengthens outcomes. Participants will explore how professionals can engage across systems through shared planning, team alignment, and culturally responsive communication. This session highlights what’s working, where challenges remain, and how respectful partnerships can lead to more inclusive and coordinated employment services for Tribal members with disabilities.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the roles and responsibilities of both Tribal and state Vocational Rehabilitation programs in supporting Indigenous job seekers with disabilities.
- Identify effective strategies for building respectful, coordinated partnerships between Tribal and state VR professionals.
- Apply culturally responsive practices to strengthen collaboration and shared planning across systems.
Have you ever found yourself in an IEP meeting where communication breaks down or the discussion seems to be going in circles? This session introduces practical tools and strategies to foster clearer communication, strengthen collaboration, and move conversations forward. Learning will be brought to life with hands on role‑plays, lively group discussions, and collaborative activities that let you try out your new skills in a warm, supportive atmosphere.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify sources of conflict
- Demonstrate active listening techniques
- Use practical communication strategies
- Recognize opportunities to prevent and engage in conflicts during meetings
Community-Based Instruction (CBI) provides powerful opportunities for students with diverse learning needs to apply academic and functional skills in real-world contexts. This will guide educators through practical strategies for integrating CBI into middle school special education classrooms. Participants will explore the benefits of CBI and how it supports transition; identify common barriers and practical solutions; and develop a lesson plan that aligns a CBI activity with ELA and Math standards and transition goals. Through hands-on examples and collaborative discussion, attendees will learn how to design meaningful CBI experiences that foster student engagement, independence, and success beyond the classroom.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will be able to discuss the benefits of CBI and how it supports transition.
- Participants will be able to identify common barriers to implementing CBI and practical solutions to overcome them.
- Participants will understand how to align CBI activities with English Language Arts (ELA) and math standards, as well as transition goals.
- Using information from the session, each participant will develop a CBI lesson plan addressing math, ELA, and/or transition goals to implement in their classroom
This session explores how evidence-based predictors of post-school success can be used to design transition practices that center youth voice, family engagement, and pathways to competitive integrated employment. Grounded in national research and real-world implementation, the presentation highlights key predictors such as student-focused planning, work-based learning, family involvement, and interagency collaboration across education, vocational rehabilitation, and community systems. Participants will examine how strong partnerships move research into practice and how intentional alignment of services leads to improved employment and community outcomes. Designed for educators, VR professionals, administrators, and state and local partners, this session offers practical strategies for turning evidence into action and strengthening transition services that lead to meaningful life after high school.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify key evidence-based predictors of post-school success and explain how these predictors support improved employment and community outcomes for youth with disabilities.
- Apply practical strategies for centering youth voice, family engagement, and interagency collaboration within transition planning across education, vocational rehabilitation, and community systems.
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) have built an innovative, statewide partnership to strengthen the school‑to‑work transition for students with disabilities. Through coordinated Pre‑Employment Transition Services (Pre‑ETS), formal interagency agreements, and aligned technical assistance for educators, these systems create seamless and equitable pathways to employment. This session will highlight practical strategies that empower schools, enhance transition planning, and elevate post-school outcomes across Arizona.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify evidence‑based components of quality transition services that improve post‑school outcomes.
- Analyze how VR Pre‑ETS and school-based transition planning jointly support access to competitive integrated employment (CIE).
- Apply strategies that increase student participation in work-based learning and employment pathways.
Not all job seekers (or jobs) are the same. This session explores the evolution from traditional employment services to Supported and Customized Employment, with a focus on individuals with high support needs. Participants will learn key differences between these approaches, how Customized Employment works in Arizona, and why person-centered strategies lead to better outcomes. Through real-world stories, practical tools, and strengths-based insights, we’ll reframe employment as a creative, collaborative process. Whether you’re a provider, educator, or family member, this session will help you take the next right step toward competitive integrated employment.
Learning Outcomes
- Differentiate between traditional employment services, Supported Employment, and Customized Employment, including how each approach supports individuals with disabilities.
- Explain how Supported and Customized Employment align with Arizona’s Employment First principles and the goal of competitive, integrated employment for all.
- Recognize the importance of person-centered, strengths-based strategies in supporting individuals with high support needs to achieve meaningful employment.
