2026 Inclusion Alberta Family Conference

Some students with intellectual disabilities may have elevated behavioural support needs that necessitate individualized behaviour support plans. In this session, information about building and implementing individualized, communication-based supports to address these behavioural support needs will be shared with a particular focus on function-based thinking. 

This session is an opportunity to hear and learn from the experiences of a families who took some time to deeply reflect on the capacity of their loves one with an intellectual disability, including those with significant disabilities, to participate in the decision-making that guides their lives. In somewhat surprising but deeply practical ways, this group of families came to see for themselves the importance of expecting, noticing, recognizing and following the voice of their family members with a disability in being at the forefront of the decisions in their lives.  

In this session, you will: 

• Hear family stories about their journey and the impact of thinking differently about support in decision making.  

• Understand the importance of relationships in decision making and in life’s directions 

• Learn a powerful process to ensure the person you love is actively and increasingly engaged in the decisions in their lives. 

•  Look frankly at the natural struggles of families to continually hear and support the voices of their loved ones 

• Explore how to share what you’ve learned with family, friends and allies as life moves forward