Our keynote for the 2009 Conference, was scheduled to be Dr. Ken Kavale. We are sad to report that Dr. Kavale recently passed away. Ken will be remembered for his tremendous contribution to the field of special education, his wonderful wit and good friendship. We were honored to have him as a supporter of NACSPED from the beginning. Our prayers are with his family and friends at this time of loss.

Please be watching this website for announcements of future conferences and training events sponsored by NACSPED

Past NACSPED conferences.

2009 NACSPED track at the Joni and Friends, "Through the roof summit". We were honored to partner with the Joni and Friends organization at the recent conference. NACSPED provided a conference track on special education practices which was very well received. We look forward to future involvement with JAF.

2008 NACSPED Conference ... "Building Bridges: Developing Community" The fourth annual conference was held at Azusa Pacific University. There were 35 presenters. Keynotes were providedby Dr. Eric Carter, a special education professor from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Dr. Kevin Reimer of Azusa Pacific university. Dr. Carter spoke about how faith groups can move toward being more inclusive andDr. Reimer spoke about lessons he learned from an extensive study of the L'Arche communities founded by Dr. Jean Vanier.

2007 NACSPED Conference... "Looking beyond disabilities "
The third annual conference was held at Azusa Pacific University. There were 30 presenters who delivered 35 presentations which were well received by the nearly 140 attendees. Dr. Rick Eigenbrood Professor of SpecialEducation and Department Chair at Seattle Pacific University, delivered the opening keynote presentation.... The afternoon keynote was provided by Rev. Steve Bundy, the Managing Director of the Christian Institute on Disability for the Joni and FriendsInternationalDisability Center.

2006 NACSPED Conference... "Its time for a new IDEA!"
The second annual conference was held at California Baptist University. There were 32 presenters who delivered 28 presentations which were well received by the nearly 100 attendees. Dr. Jeff McNair once again delivered the opening keynote presentation, calling for a "movement of lay professionals," specifically Christian special educators, to open the Christian church and its agents to persons experiencing disability. The closing keynote was provided by Barbara Newman, an expert on church integration of persons with autism.

2005 NACSPED Conference... "Its time for something new!"
The conference was the inaugural meeting of NACSPED and was held at California Baptist University. It was a great time of celebration of the new organization, training in state of the art special education practices and thinking about the future. There were 17 presentations delivered by 21 presenters. Founding president Dr. Jeff McNair laid out his vision for the organization. He described three major foci for the organization. The first is best practices in special education and being a Christian special educator. The second is integration of persons with disability into the local church including issues of Christian theology and disability. The third focuses on parents as full partners in education and church inclusion. A video of Dr. McNair’s inaugural presentation is available in the members’ area of this website. Julie Hutchinson (assisted by Connie Hutchinson, see the photo of Julie above by the 2006 conference information) delivered the motivating closing keynote presentation.