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Stone Soup Group Annual Parent Conference 2026
March 25 – March 27
Beyond Boundaries:
Parents and Partners Innovating Together
Registration for the conference has closed
March 25th, 2026 – Wednesday
Parenting and advocacy rarely travel in a straight line. Drawing from her work running an Early Childhood Development Center, her leadership at Sanpierre Assisted Living, and her lived experience as a wife and mother of nine in a blended family, Dr. Ruth Tassie offers a hope-filled and practical look at trauma-informed collaboration.
Through honest stories—from foster care to FASD, re-trauma, school challenges, and the realities of supporting children with complex needs—Ruth shows how consistency, communication, and compassion transform outcomes. She shares memorable tools and frameworks (CPR, GRIT, RISE, CALM, AIM) that help families and partners regulate themselves, build trust, and lead with steadiness even during unpredictable moments.
Her keynote aligns with “Beyond Boundaries” by encouraging parents, caregivers, professionals, and community partners to step into brave, collaborative work—together—even when the path feels overwhelming.
Evening Reception and Snapshot Presentations
Foster care licensing is the foundation of a safe and supportive system for children who can’t remain in their home. It ensures that foster families meet essential standards- like safety, stability, and training- so children can heal and thrive in nurturing environments. Children with special needs in foster care deserve more than just a safe place- they need caregivers who are trained, prepared, and supported to meet their unique challenges. Licensed foster homes provide that critical foundation. Through specialized training and oversight, these homes ensure children with medical, developmental, or behavioral needs receive the consistent care and stability they require to grow and thrive. Fostering comes with many challenges but it is essential to building a network of skilled compassionate families who can truly make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable youth.
Michelle Partridge, licensing supervisor, licensed foster parent, and caregiver of children with complex needs
Nikki Maidl, Social Services Program Officer, Office of Children’s Services
1. What self-advocacy is
2. What disclosure is
3. Saying no
4. Who can help you
5. Developing a plan that includes: My overall strengths, Possible sources of stress, Sensory processing differences and Social communication differences
Alaska Autism Resource Center (AARC)
The Anne Freitag Library is unique because it covers all disabilities and offers more than books! It has tools, resources, and assistive technologies and we ship anywhere in Alaska for free!
Special Education Service Agency (SESA): The Anne Freitag Library
Adventure for Ava is an Anchorage based nonprofit that facilitates safe and accessible outdoor adventures for families with disabilities and special needs. Each experience is carefully designed to remove barriers and allow families to focus on connection, confidence, and making memories. The adventures are professionally documented through short films and photography, which are shared with the families and the broader community to raise awareness, celebrate ability, and inspire inclusion.
Dan Redfield – Adventure for Ava
Assistive technology (AT) is any device, tool, software, or strategy that can help someone be more independent. Join ATLA, non-profit that helps Alaskans access and acquire AT, for hands-on exploration of AT examples.
Kate Yenik, MPA. Program Manager and AT Specialist, Assistive Technology of Alaska – ATLA
Friendships & Dating Program –
Interpersonal relationships and healthy sexual expression are human rights for all people, including those with disabilities. When people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) do not receive information and support in these areas, their risk of harm increases. These can be challenging topics to discuss. Join us in exploring individual’s rights, guardian responsibilities, and the importance of supporting interpersonal relationship development and sexual wellness. You will also hear about the Friendships & Dating Program (FDP), how FDP impacted one participant, and walk away with other educational resources specifically for folks with IDD.
Sibshops –
Siblings of individuals with disabilities’ unique experiences and support needs are often overlooked. This overview will briefly cover the dynamics of sibling relationships, challenges and opportunities they may encounter, and practical advice for parents and professionals on fostering understanding and resilience for the whole family. Learn what Sibshops are, their benefits for families, and the positive impacts they can have on sibling well-being now and into adulthood.
Caitie Jones, Health Projects Coordinator, UAA Center for Human Development
Bianca Pagel-Miller, Self-Advocate, Artist and Souper Gaming Night Lead
Alaskans share a Vision of a flexible system in which each person directs their own supports, based on their strengths and abilities, toward a meaningful life in their home, their job, and their community. Our Vision includes supported families, professional staff, and services available throughout the state now and into the future.
Mary Middleton, Stone Soup Group, Executive Director
Jena Crafton, Training and Development Specialist
March 26th, 2026 – Thursday
The “I Have Dreams” presentation brings together panelists with disabilities to share their hopes and dreams, and to talk about the dignity of risk in living a fulfilling and self-directed life. Guided by the Shared Vision, this uplifting session is based on the Living Well: I Have Rights guide, developed by the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education and Senior and Disabilities Services through a federal grant from the Administration for Community Living.
This panel moves the I Have Rights conversation from simply knowing one’s rights to seeing what those rights look like in everyday life—pursuing dreams, making choices, and taking steps to reach personal goals. It is for people with disabilities, their families, and service providers who want to better understand how individual rights connect to personal aspirations.
Panelists will discuss topics such as dignity of risk, personal choice, home and community life, relationships, employment, hobbies, health and wellness, and education. Attendees will leave encouraged to follow their own dreams and to support others in achieving theirs.
Michelle Davidson, Self-Advocate
Kenzie Garfield, Self-Advocate
Jena Crafton, Self-Advocate
Jamie Kokoszka, Program Coordinator 2, Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education
When challenges come up, it can be hard to know how to move forward—especially when stress is high and everyone cares deeply. In this workshop, we’ll walk through supportive ways to understand the “why” behind behaviors, communicate needs clearly, and work together as a team. You’ll leave with practical tools you can use at home, school, or in the community to create smoother routines, reduce conflict, and support your child’s success.
Ali Pike, M.Ed., BCBA, Complex Behavior Consultant with the University of Alaska Anchorage
Parents are essential partners in their child’s education and your voice matters! This interactive session will help you build confidence and develop practical strategies for participating in IEP, IFSP, and other team meetings. Learn how to prepare, ask meaningful questions, and communicate effectively so your input leads to positive change. Join us for real-world examples, discussion, and tools to help you feel empowered and heard at the table.
Kadie Towns, LINKS Community Parent Center
Mary Beck, LINKS Community Parent Center
Exposure to medical trauma can develop into PTSD, depression, and anxiety, especially when one receives a terminal or untreatable diagnosis. Parents of children who are exposed to a long diagnostic process can also develop mental health problems. Like other experiences of trauma, mental health treatment can reduce the risk of developing these conditions. In addition to mental health treatment, resilience can be fostered by focusing on protective factors. Through the telling of my personal story, including my mother’s perspective, we will describe my experiences with medical trauma, the development of PTSD, substance dependence, suicidality, and depression. And, we will describe the interventions and practices that helped me move beyond survival to a life I love to live.
Participants will better understand:
-How patients could be impacted by the diagnostic process, a terminal diagnosis, chronic illness, disability, and medical trauma.
-Strategies for treating patients with chronic illness and medical trauma, including challenges related to access to mental health treatment, social isolation, risk of addiction, suicidality, grief, and loss.
-Strategies for promoting resilience in patients with medical trauma, including the development of protective factors such as social connection, finding purpose, self-care, reciprocity, self-advocacy, gratitude, and joy.
Kathryn Arvidson and Carol Kunkel
March 27th, 2026 – Friday
This presentation will focus on how parents will shape their child’s future through advocacy work and become a model to their child in which they will advocate for themselves/others in the future. Your child exists and they do not need to ask for permission to belong in this world, they are already here! We will work together to navigate through the system that exists for non-disabled people in this short presentation.
Clara Baldwin, Assistant Director of Special Education for the Anchorage School District
Deaf leaders from the Deaf Navigator Program within Hope Community Resources offer a dynamic presentation to encourage you to learn more about how we can support young individuals experiencing deafness or hearing loss. We have helpful information and resources to share about strategies improving access, equity and communication through effective communication methods, qualified interpreters, assistive technology and implementing best practices.
Sharon Miranda, Coordinator of Deaf Supports, Hope Community Resources
Michael Merritt, Deaf Navigator, Hope Community Resources
Talking and Learning Circles
Client Assistance Program (CAP): Learn how to connect with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Understand your rights and responsibilities, Develop and amend your Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE), Explore work and education opportunities and how to Access free resources for life after high school.
Dave Berube, Legal Rights Advocate II, Disability Law Center of Alaska
When you’re working with schools, providers, and care teams, communication can feel overwhelming. This workshop will introduce easy-to-use digital tools that help you stay organized, share information, and speak up for your child or family member. We’ll explore apps and strategies that support teamwork, increase clarity, and make sure everyone is on the same page. You’ll leave with simple, practical ideas you can use right away.
Ali Pike, M.Ed., BCBA, Complex Behavior Consultant with the University of Alaska Anchorage
This session explores the importance of using SMART goals to support youth with disabilities as they transition into adulthood. We will discuss how clear, measurable goals empower young people to build confidence, develop self-advocacy skills, and take meaningful ownership of their future. The presentation will highlight the vital role parents play in allowing their youth to lead the goal-setting process while providing guidance, encouragement, and support.
Amanda Coelho, Statewide Independent Living Center (SILC)
You are your child’s best advocate and know your child better than anyone else. So how do you share this knowledge and understanding with others, especially when time is short or the situation urgent?
This table talk offers the opportunity to share successes you have had sharing information about your child with medical providers, schools, and others involved in the daily care of your child. Tools to help improve communication between you and providers will be shared, including forms to share with providers who can use them in an emergent situation.
There will also be an opportunity to talk about the Alaska 5-Year State Plan for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) 2022-2026. The Plan was created by the CYSHCN Advisory Committee, which includes parents and caregivers. Strategy 3 focuses specifically on network building and partnerships and ways for organizations and individuals who support CYSHCN to work effectively together and share information.
Joanne Singleton, LCSW, MPH, Public Health Specialist II
Thank you to our 2026 Parent Conference Sponsors!
