2026 Special Education Virtual Conference:
Navigating Special Education: Basics, Behavior, Parent Participation, and Resolving Disagreements

Saturday, April 4, 2026
8:45 am - 1:00 pm via Zoom

Whether you are new to special education or want to build on what you already know, this virtual conference is designed for you. Join us as we explore topics many families face, from learning the basics of special education to understanding behavior supports, taking part in the IEP process, and working through concerns or disagreements with schools.

Sessions include special education basics, functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans, and information about facilitated IEPs, mediation, abbreviated school days, and meaningful parent participation.


Choose the sessions that fit your needs and gain practical information and strategies from experienced advocates, mediators, and leaders from the Oregon Department of Education.

FREE | $25 for a certificate of attendance (family or professional)
* Most sessions are in English with simultaneous Spanish interpretation. Please request additional language supports or ASL at least 14 days prior to the conference.
* Questions? Email program@factoregon.org or call: 503-786-6082 or 541-695-5416.

Register
E-flyer (multilingual)

Conference Schedule and Opening Speaker

  • Ramonda Olaloye from Oregon Department of Education’s Office of Enhancing Student Outcomes will give welcoming remarks.

    1. (ENGLISH) Special Education Basics: What Families Need to Know - Britania Vazquez

    2. (SPANISH): Special Education Basics: What Families Need to Know - Maria Rangel

    3. Best Practices for Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans - Patrick Kelly

    4. Facilitated IEP and Mediation (title TBD) - Scott Bellows

    1. Meaningful Parent Participation in the IEP Process - Karen Trombley

    2. Abbreviated School Days (title TBD) - OSEO staff

  • Preparing Parents for Productive Conflict Engagement - Melanie Reese

A woman with dark hair coiled on her head wears a brightly colored top.

Ramonda Olaoye, Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities at the Oregon Department of Education, will help open up our Special Education Conference with opening remarks.

Ramonda has 20 years of experience serving at the district and state level in Texas’ public education system. For the last two years, she has served as the Assistant Superintendent of Research and Accountability in a large suburban school district in Houston, Texas directing all district activities related to collecting, reporting, and analyzing data associated with federal, state, and local accountability systems to increase positive outcomes for all students.

Trainings and Speakers

  • Britania and Maria are women with long brown hair and glasses. In this image, they smile in front of a stone wall

    Special Education Basics: What Families Need to Know | Educación Especial: Conceptos Básicos que las Familias Necesitan Saber

    Britania Vazquez (FACT Oregon)
    Maria Rangel (FACT Oregon)
    (Session 1)

    This session explains what special education is and how it works. Attendees will learn who qualifies, what rights families have, and what to expect, from referral through services. Common terms are explained in plain language.

    Esta sesión explica qué es la educación especial y cómo funciona. Los participantes aprenderán quién califica, qué derechos tienen las familias y qué pueden esperar desde la derivación hasta la prestación de servicios. También se explicarán términos comunes en un lenguaje sencillo.

    About Britania: Britania Vazquez is a Bilingual Program Specialist at FACT Oregon. She provides support, outreach, and training to families across Oregon, ensuring that families have access to information in the language and format that meets their needs. She is a DaSy Family Data Leader and trainer and serves on several statewide committees. A parent of a child who experiences autism, Britania is passionate about helping families navigate services with confidence and clarity.

    About Maria: Maria Rangel is a Bilingual Program Specialist at FACT Oregon. Maria offers support, outreach, and training to families, drawing from her lived experience as a parent and advocate. She is committed to ensuring that all families have the information in the language and format they need to make informed decisions. Maria is a parent of a young adult with disabilities, serves on several committees and councils, and has over a decade of experience in family support, making her a trusted voice within the community.

  • Image of a main with a receding hair line and a white trimed beard and mustache.

    Best Practices for Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans

    Patrick Kelly, Oregon Department of Education
    (Session 1)

    This session will provide a general overview of the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Planning (BIP) process, as well as implementation and legal requirements. Topics covered will include timelines and development of FBAs, function-based planning processes, the difference between BIPs and Behavior Support Plans (BSP), the required components of FBAs and BIPs, and the role of parents and guardians in the FBA and BIP process.

    About Patrick: Patrick Kelly is a District Support Specialist with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). Patrick’s role at ODE encompasses a variety of activities in support of school districts by providing special education guidance with an emphasis on proactive behavioral supports for students. Patrick works with school teams to help them develop effective behavior supports for students, and ensure schools meet requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Patrick has worked as a paraprofessional, special education teacher, behavior specialist, special education administrator, and principal in schools in Oregon and Washington over the past 23 years.

  • A man with grey hair wears a suit and stands in front of a stone wall backdrop

    Facilitated IEPs and Mediation (title TBD)

    Scott Bellows (Attorney and Mediator)
    (Session 1)

    Did you know that you can request a facilitated IEP meeting or mediation to help when you and your child’s school disagree? Learn about how these options help schools and families resolve disagreements.

    About Scott: After 14 years as a civil litigation lawyer, Scott Bellows changed his practice to focus solely on alternative dispute resolution. He is a member of the Oregon Mediation Association, the Alternative Dispute Resolution sections of the Oregon and Lane County bar associations, and the Oregon Court of Appeals select mediator panel. He has participated in the EAP process both professionally and, as a parent, personally.

  • A woman with long light brown hair smiles outdoors on a sunny day atop a hill with trees in the background.

    Meaningful Parent Participation in the IEP Process

    Karen Trombley (FACT Oregon)
    (Session 2)

    This session focuses on how attendees take part in the IEP process. Attendees will learn how to prepare for IEP meetings, share concerns, ask questions, and take part in decisions. The session includes tips for speaking up and staying involved.

    About Karen: Karen Trombley (she/her) is a Support Specialist at FACT Oregon. She grew up in Michigan and attended the University of Wyoming. She was a park ranger for Oregon State Parks for 13 years before staying home to care for her amazing children, one of which experiences autism with significant support needs. Karen has been navigating the disability world since her son, now a teenager, was diagnosed with autism at 24 months old. Karen's passion is the outdoors and encouraging people of all abilities to get outside, engage and play in the natural beauty of Oregon.

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    Abbreviated School Days (Title TBD)

    OSEO staff
    (Session 2)

    Learn about abbreviated school days, including their appropriate use, the planning that is required, and what questions families can ask to ensure educational access and support.

  • A woman with light hair and glasses wears a collared blouse.

    Preparing Parents for Productive Conflict Engagement

    Melanie Reese, Ph.D. (CADRE)
    (Session 3)

    Disagreements can feel overwhelming—especially when they involve a child’s education. But conflict, when handled productively, can open the door to stronger relationships, clearer communication, and better outcomes for students. This interactive presentation is designed to provide tools and strategies to coach families in how to approach conflict with confidence, clarity, and purpose. Discover how disagreements can surface important concerns, clarify needs, and create pathways for meaningful change. Learn strategies to coach others in critical listening skills to reduce defensiveness and build understanding. Finally, explore CADRE’s practical tools, guides, and conflict resolution supports designed specifically for special education families and those who support them.

    About Melanie: Dr. Melanie Reese is the Director of the Center on Dispute Resolution. Previously, she served as the Dispute Resolution Coordinator for the Idaho Department of Education, working closely with the state’s parent center and districts, overseeing the facilitation, mediation, state complaints and due process systems. Professor emerita (Boise State University), she was a founding member of their dispute resolution program. Melanie remains active in the academic community, writing on dispute resolution, including authoring textbooks on conflict and mediation. Melanie provides training on conflict management, alternative dispute resolution processes, and hot topics in special education. She’s been a professional mediator since 1990.