2026 International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute: Full Schedule

1:00pm EDT

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT

Opening and welcome: Dr. Brian Boyd, Director of FPG Child Development Institute, Chih-Ing Lim and Sherri Britt Williams, Co-Chairs of the Early Childhood Inclusion Institute will provide the opening remarks for this year's institute.

Keynote Address by Mychal Threets: Through stories, laughter, and reflections on mental health, Mychal ,shares his personal story about belonging and how challenges and barriers were addressed to make that happen.

Speakers

Mychal Threets

Mychal Threets is a librarian, mental health advocate, and, by his own admission, the library’s number-one fan. A lifelong lover of libraries, Mychal was homeschooled and raised among the stacks, receiving his first library card at the age of five. He began his career as a library... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Grumman, Virtual on Zoom

Keynote, All

Age Group 0-3, 3-5, Pre-K-3rd Grade
Audience All
Information Level Appropriate for all levels
Format Virtual, In-Person

2:45pm EDT

(Hybrid) Inclusion 101: From Access to Belonging in Early Childhood Environments

Tuesday May 19, 2026 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT

Dogwood, Virtual on Zoom

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When we say all children, do we really mean all? What does it take to ensure children with disabilities experience true belonging in early care and education settings? In this interactive session, we’ll explore what rightful presence looks like in practice and how to move inclusion from an add-on to an everyday commitment. Participants will engage in reflective mindset work and leave with practical foundations for creating environments and experiences where every child belongs. If you are new to early childhood inclusion or would like to have a space to prepare yourself for the conference experience, this session is for you.

Speakers

Megan Vinh

Faculty, Frank Porter Graham

Megan Vinh, PhD, is a senior technical assistance specialist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, she leads projects aimed at improving access, experiences, and outcomes for children with disabilities within the early... Read More →

ECEE Indicators Activity Inclusion 101 copy pdf

Tuesday May 19, 2026 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT
Dogwood, Virtual on Zoom

Plenary, All

Age Group 0-3, 3-5, Pre-K-3rd Grade
Audience All
Information Level Appropriate for all levels
Format Virtual, In-Person

2:45pm EDT

(Hybrid) The Power of Rightful Presence: Fostering Agency and Self-Advocacy in the Early Years

Tuesday May 19, 2026 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT

Grumman, Virtual on Zoom

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This plenary centers the leadership and experiences of people with disabilities in exploring how belonging, agency, and self-advocacy take root in the earliest years. Framed by a discussion on rightful presence in early childhood systems, the session will examine how contexts, culture, and values can either strengthen or constrain a young child’s developing sense of agency and participation. Panelists will reflect on how their own early experiences shaped their sense of belonging, participation, and self-advocacy.

Speakers

Amanda Kloo

Director of Inclusive Recreation, National Inclusion Project

Seena Skelton

Founder/ Principal Consultant, Makeeba Consulting, LLC

Dr. Seena M. Skelton is a nationally recognized leader in educational justice, inclusion, and systemic school transformation, with over 28 years of experience. She serves as the Leadership Development and Research Project Director for SWIFT Education Center at the Life Span Institute... Read More →

Alexander Campbell

Alexander Campbell is a self-advocate with autism and PTSD who primarily focuses on issues related to public education. Specifically, Alex has been involved in passing thirteen bills across five state legislatures, as well as several local school board policies in Virginia, and has... Read More →

Philip Woodward

Systems Change Manager, North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilites (NCCDD)

Manages community living initiatives. Has been Hard of Hearing since age four, wears hearing aids, reads lips, and knows American Sign Language (ASL). Very interested in friendships and Personal Support Network development for people with disabilities.

Tuesday May 19, 2026 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT
Grumman, Virtual on Zoom

Plenary, All

Age Group 0-3, 3-5, Pre-K-3rd Grade
Audience All
Information Level Appropriate for all levels
Format Virtual, In-Person

4:30pm EDT

(Virtual) Reflection/Networking Session: Virtual Participants

Tuesday May 19, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Virtual on Zoom

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The purposes of the reflection session are:

To set an intention for your time at the Institute.

To reflect on the Keynote and Plenary sessions.

Ensuring that you have an opportunity to connect, reflect, and build community.

Advisory Board

Meredith H Villines

EI/ECSE Systems Coordinator, Oregon Department of Education

With 20+ years of working in early care and education, I am currently at the Oregon Department of Education, in the Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities. My primary roles have been a classroom teacher in inclusive childcare and preschools, lead teacher in an Early Childhood Special... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Virtual on Zoom

Reflection, All

Age Group 0-3, 3-5, Pre-K-3rd Grade
Audience All
Information Level Appropriate for all levels
Format Virtual

11:45am EDT

(In-Person) Lunch and Reflection

Thursday May 21, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT

Trillium

In-person participants will reflect together at their tables during lunch and enter responses into Padlet.
Virtual participants can reflect and share directly on Padlet.

II Print pdf

Thursday May 21, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Trillium

Break

Age Group 0-3, 3-5, Pre-K-3rd Grade
Audience All
Information Level Appropriate for all levels
Format Virtual, In-Person

6:00pm EDT

(Virtual) The “F-Words for Child Development”: Bring the ideas to life for young children and their families (Part 1 of a 2-Part Session)

Wednesday June 24, 2026 6:00pm - 6:50pm EDT

Virtual on Zoom

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This two-part session introduces the F-words for Child Development – family, fun, friends, functioning, fitness and future – within the evolving landscape of early childhood inclusion and developmental practice. Co-presented by researchers, a parent partner, and a clinical partner, it integrates research evidence, lived experience, and clinical insight. Participants will explore key concepts, the field’s shift toward functioning and participation, and practical tools to support implementation. Real-world examples will highlight the ways in which the F-words can be used across settings. Attendees will leave with clear, actionable ideas for applying the F-words in practice and everyday life, with time for discussion and questions.

Speakers

Lynda Moore

Parent Partner, CanChild, McMaster University

Lynda Moore is a parent to a young child with complex health. She is a presenter and parent partner in research with CanChild co-instructing Family Engagement in Research and various F-Words projects. She is part of the BC F-Words Foundation training team and resides on Vancouver... Read More →

Peter Rosenbaum

Professor of Paediatrics, McMaster University

Peter Rosenbaum is a Professor of Pediatrics at McMaster, and a Developmental Pediatrician and researcher in the field of childhood-onset disability. He has a career-long interest in the wellbeing of families and the most effective ways for us as service providers to support their... Read More →

Rachel Teplicky

Business and Engagement Officer, CanChild, McMaster University

Rachel Teplicky is an occupational therapist and a leader in pediatric rehabilitation with over 25 years of experience. As Business and Engagement Officer at CanChild, she leads national and international efforts to turn research into policy and practice, including the widely adopted F-words for Child Develo... Read More →

Evelyn Bursey

Wednesday June 24, 2026 6:00pm - 6:50pm EDT
Virtual on Zoom

Concurrent, Learning/natural environments (e.g. home or classroom)

Age Group 0-3, 3-5, Pre-K-3rd Grade
Audience All
Information Level Appropriate for all levels
Format Virtual
Zoom Links https://inclusioninstitute.fpg.unc.edu/2026-zoom-links/

7:00pm EDT

(Virtual) The “F-Words for Child Development”: Bring the ideas to life for young children and their families (Part 2 of a 2-Part Session)

Wednesday June 24, 2026 7:00pm - 7:50pm EDT

Virtual on Zoom

Feedback Survey

Speakers

Lynda Moore

Parent Partner, CanChild, McMaster University

Peter Rosenbaum

Professor of Paediatrics, McMaster University

Rachel Teplicky

Business and Engagement Officer, CanChild, McMaster University

Evelyn Bursey

Wednesday June 24, 2026 7:00pm - 7:50pm EDT
Virtual on Zoom

Concurrent, Learning/natural environments (e.g. home or classroom)

Age Group 0-3, 3-5, Pre-K-3rd Grade
Audience All
Information Level Appropriate for all levels
Format Virtual
Zoom Links https://inclusioninstitute.fpg.unc.edu/2026-zoom-links/

8:00pm EDT

(Virtual) Inclusion Without a Blueprint: Community Practices and Realities from Malaysia

Wednesday June 24, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

Virtual on Zoom

Feedback Survey

What does early childhood inclusion look like when there is no mandate, no strong system-level support, and limited resources? Based on experience in the Malaysian context, this session explores classroom realities, the enabling factors and entry points that make inclusion achievable in low-resourced settings. The session also considers who and what holds inclusion together in practice: families and informal community partnerships. Drawing on reflections from working with community partners and teachers, the session highlights how language, culture, and local adaptation shape practice, and reflects on the tensions between deficit-based language and rights-based approaches to inclusion.

Speakers

Lai Thin Ng

Lai Thin is an inclusive education specialist from Malaysia. She authored Small Steps, Big Changes for Preschool Inclusion—Malaysia’s first resource centred on presuming competence and access for children with disabilities.She is currently the Project Lead at the National Early Childhood Intervention Council (NECIC), where she supports the strengthening of early childhood intervention practices and... Read More →

2026 inclusion without blueprint pptx

Wednesday June 24, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Virtual on Zoom

Concurrent

Age Group 0-3, 3-5, Pre-K-3rd Grade
Audience All
Information Level Appropriate for all levels
Format Virtual
Zoom Links https://inclusioninstitute.fpg.unc.edu/2026-zoom-links/

9:00am EDT

(Virtual) Supporting Peer Relationships for Autistic Preschoolers: Practical Evidence-Based Strategies for Inclusive Classrooms

Thursday June 25, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT

Virtual on Zoom

Feedback Survey

Peer interactions are at the heart of meaningful inclusion in early childhood settings. In this session, participants will explore how video modeling and social narratives can be used to support autistic preschoolers in building social engagement, participation, and connections with peers. This session will feature examples, video clips, and free resources that can be used in inclusive classrooms to make evidence-based practices practical and immediately useful.

Speakers

Ann Sam

Advanced Research Scientist, FPG Child Development Institute, UNC Chapel Hill

Ann Sam, PhD, is a senior research scientist, at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Her research and professional development interests are rooted in her direct experience as a public-school teacher working in preschool and kindergarten classrooms with students with... Read More →

Jessica Amsbary

Technical Assistance Specialist, FPG Child Development Institute at UNC Chapel Hill

Dr. Amsbary is a Technical Assistance Specialist at the FPG Child Development Institute and Program Coordinator of the Early Childhood Intervention and Family Support (ECIFS) Master’s Degree in Education at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her primary research is focused on ensuring early interventions... Read More →

Supporting Peer Relationships pdf

Thursday June 25, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Virtual on Zoom

Concurrent, Learning/natural environments (e.g. home or classroom)

Audience All
Information Level Appropriate for all levels
Format Virtual
Zoom Links https://inclusioninstitute.fpg.unc.edu/2026-zoom-links/

1:00pm EDT

2:45pm EDT

2:45pm EDT

4:30pm EDT

11:45am EDT

6:00pm EDT

7:00pm EDT

8:00pm EDT

9:00am EDT

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