May 2026 FYI: Grow Your Impact with AAIDD Membership

 

April AAIDD Highlights Benefits AAIDD members are enjoying this month

This May, take the next step in your professional journey with AAIDD membership Unlock exclusive access to professional webinars, leading IDD journals, networking opportunities and more. Discover all the membership benefits waiting for you this month.

Join AAIDD Today!

AAIDD 150th Annual Meeting  AAIDD Members receive discounted conference registration

Register today for the AAIDD 150th Annual Meeting! Don’t miss this historic sesquicentennial event bringing together leaders across the IDD field. Become an AAIDD member to take advantage of discounted registration rates. Register today!

AAIDD Webinars  Ongoing professional education  Why pay $10? Members receive registration at no cost for all AAIDD webinars

Identifying Suicide Risk in Youth with IDD AAIDD Webinar May 13, 2026 2:00-3:00 pm Eastern  Register Here

Building Key Skills for People with IDD Through Improvisation AAIDD Webinar May 27, 2026 2:00-3:00 pm Eastern  Register Here

Palliative Care Trajectories for Adults with Intellectual Disability AAIDD Webinar June 9, 2026 12:00-1:00 pm Eastern  Register Here

New NADSP Code of Ethics for Direct Support Professionals AAIDD Webinar July 23, 2026 2:00-3:00 pm Eastern  Register Here

AAIDD Journals Leading Peer-Reviewed Journals in the IDD Field Access articles at no cost for AAIDD Members

The May 2026 Issue of the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AJIDD) is Available Now!  Read AAIDD Journals

Ready to Take the Next Step? Join AAIDD and enjoy all these member benefits and more! AAIDD's mission is to promote progressive policies, sound research, effective practices, and universal human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Become a member today! Join AAIDD!

AAIDD 150th Annual Meeting - Pre-Conference Sessions

 

AAIDD 150th Annual Meeting: Pre-Conference Sessions The 150th AAIDD Annual Meeting offers engaging pre-conference sessions before the first poster reception designed to enrich your conference experience! These dynamic 90-minute sessions offer a unique opportunity to explore critical topics in IDD, several with CEs! Don’t miss this chance to gain valuable insights, engage with experts, and set the stage for a truly impactful conference. Monday, June 22, 2026 Sessions With CEs Learners who complete the requirements will receive a certificate listing 1 CE for the following disciplines: APA, ACE, CAMFT, IACET, and SLP. CEs are available through Catalight; they require a separate registration and fee of $30.   1:00 - 2:30 pm Prescribing Psychologists Derek Phillips, PsyD, MS, Executive Director, Fairleigh Dickinson University   From Margins to Meaning: The Evolution of Supporting People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Hospice and Palliative Care  Arlen Gaines, PhD, MSW, Director of Social Work, Palliative Care   When Seconds Matter: Using AI and Information Exchange to Improve Emergency Care for People with Developmental Disabilities Donnie Woodyard, Jr., MA, Executive Director, United States EMS Compact Doug Kerwin, Vice President of Engineering, Adworthy Sessions Without CEs 1:00 - 2:30 pm Writing for Publications Frank Symons, PhD, FAAIDD, University of Minnesota; Editor of AJIDD Amy S. Hewitt, PhD, FAAIDD, University of Minnesota; Editor of IDD Colleen Thoma, PhD, FAAIDD, Virginia Commonwealth University (emeritus); Co-Editor of Inclusion LaRon Scott, EdD, FAAIDD, University of Virginia; Co-Editor of Inclusion   SECP Research Colloquium This session is organized by the AAIDD Student and Early Career Professional (SECP) and Research Interest Networks    4:00 - 5:00 pm The Story Behind the Story Pivotal Moments in Special Education: Stories From our Foundational Leaders Susan Copeland, PhD, FAAIDD, University of New Mexico    Diane Ryndak, PhD University of North Carolina Greensboro    Jorden Morales    PhD, Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind    Dale Baker, PhD, St. Bonaventure University Shea Head, PhD    Somer Matthews, PhD, Southern Oregon University      Learn more about our pre-conference sessions here

Register

Webinar Friday May 22: The ABC's of AAC

 

Join us for part 2 of the ABC's of AAC

Register today to gain the tools and confidence to support your child’s communication journey:

The ABC's of AAC part 2-Friday May 22^nd 10 AM

Description:

After receiving an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device, many parents ask the same question: “We have the device—now what?” If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Learning how to effectively use and model AAC in everyday life is a key step in supporting your child’s communication success.

We invite you to join session 2 of this webinar series designed specifically for parents and caregivers navigating this next stage. This series focuses on practical, easy-to-implement strategies that you can begin using right away—at home, at school, and in your community.

In addition to hands-on guidance, you will be introduced to a valuable AAC training tool developed by Allie Taylor, a former South Carolina LEND trainee, with mentorship from Rachell Johnson through the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program. This resource was created to help families better understand and confidently use AAC in daily life.

Who Should Attend:
Parents and caregivers of AAC users, family members, speech-language pathologists, and other professionals supporting AAC users.

Presenter:
Rachell Johnson, MCD, CCC-SLP, ATP
Program Manager, South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) and South Carolina LEND Faculty Member

AAIDD 150th Annual Meeting - Registration & Hotel Reminders

 

Registration Reminder Registration rates for the AAIDD 150th Annual Meeting increase on May 18, 2026. Register today to secure early-bird pricing for this historic event! Register Hotel Reminder The deadline to reserve your room at a discounted rate is May 27, 2026. Book your stay at the Hilton Chicago today and enjoy exclusive savings while staying just steps away from all the conference action. Book a Room

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Learn more about becoming a sponsor

  

United Spinal Association: Meet Our New CEO

 

Meet Matt Castelluccio: United Spinal Association's New CEO

"We exist because of our chapters and members, and I don’t ever want to lose sight of that,” says says United Spinal CEO Matt Castelluccio. United Spinal Association has named Matt Castelluccio as its CEO. Castelluccio has been a staff member of United Spinal since 2022 and has been serving as the interim CEO since September 2025, succeeding Vincenzo Piscopo. Castelluccio previously served as vice president of community support. For Castelluccio, the opportunity to lead United Spinal is a full-circle moment. He is a manual wheelchair user with a cervical-level spinal cord injury, the result of a motorcycle accident in 2003. When he got out of rehab, he found himself struggling to adapt to his new reality.

“It’s difficult to navigate by yourself,” he says. “I was surrounded by friends and family, and as great as they were, they just weren’t able to understand what I was going through. When I got into outpatient rehab, someone told me he had connected with an organization called United Spinal and that I should look into it for support. That was really the starting point of my recovery.   “A couple of wheelchair users who visited me helped connect me with different resources and encouraged me to try adaptive sports. That is when my real healing began and  I was able to start moving forward with my life. They showed me the potential to live a full life and the importance of having a community of peers.’

He decided to redirect his career toward disability support services and advocacy, taking a position at Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital near his home in New York’s Hudson Valley. There, he managed the adaptive sports and peer mentoring program. During his time at Helen Hayes, he met his future wife, Elaine. Recognizing a gap between rehabilitation centers and community-based support, they founded a Hudson Valley chapter of United Spinal in 2014. “We wanted to offer events and support groups, different ways for creating community in our area.  We’re not a metropolitan area, so people are spread out. We wanted to give people a reason to get out of the house and be around other people who get it. I left a lot of those meetings with more information and knowledge than I brought to that group. That was the whole point, just having that opportunity for us all to grow.”  Castelluccio visiting the pumpkin patch with his wife Elaine and their two sons, RJ and Dom.

“We wanted to offer events and support groups, different ways for creating community in our area.  We’re not a metropolitan area, so people are spread out. We wanted to give people a reason to get out of the house and be around other people who get it. I left a lot of those meetings with more information and knowledge than I brought to that group. That was the whole point, just having that opportunity for us all to grow.”  After working at Helen Hayes Hospital in a variety of roles, Castelluccio wanted to better understand community-based support systems, so he accepted a position with BRIDGES – Rockland Independent Living Center as Director of Independent Living Services, overseeing all independent living programs. When a position opened for Director of Independent Living Services at United Spinal Association, he says, “I jumped at the opportunity to work for an organization with a national impact.”  Since joining United Spinal, Castelluccio has risen through the community support department, leading the resource center, peer support program, disaster relief, VetsFirst, chapter network and hospital membership program.  As Castelluccio takes on the CEO role, he remembers what it was like as someone struggling to adjust to a new injury. “There was a huge disconnect when I left rehab and a feeling of loss. I want to take all I’ve learned in my career and take it back to that young person sitting in that bed, so they can know they’re not alone,” he says. “You may feel disconnected, but you’re not. You have access to great resources like United Spinal Association and Centers for Independent Living. You have a community. You have peer support. You have New Mobility magazine. These are tools to make that transition smoother, and they are underutilized. I want to make sure everyone knows about the support they have available.”

Castelluccio says adaptive sports served as an important tool to help him adapt to life as a wheelchair user.

Castelluccio used his blend of personal experience and organizational leadership to steer United Spinal through the transition after Piscopo departed. His interim tenure showed the Board of Directors why he was the right choice to assume the role permanently.  "Before taking the reins as interim CEO, Matt was already integral to how United Spinal Association operated. Once in that role, he grew our membership, expanded our chapter network, increased revenue, reduced costs and reinforced the sense of community that defines United Spinal," says board chairman Tom Aiello. "The board's decision to make his appointment permanent reflects both what he has already built and our confidence in what he can lead this organization to accomplish in the years to come."  As he rolls into the permanent CEO role, Castelluccio says the strength of United Spinal has always been its community of members and chapters and that community is where the organization will focus.  “I don’t care what’s at the end of my signature line — my role is to bring everybody to the table to be able to voice their opinions about our organization and to make sure those voices inform the growth and development of United Spinal. We exist because of our chapters and members, and I don’t ever want to lose sight of that.”