2025 NDSC Convention

Before you begin, please click the button below to review the Submission Guidelines for important information about your submission and the criteria the Proposal Review Team will use to evaluate workshop proposals.

The General Conference Workshops within the NDSC Convention are designed for parents, adult siblings, grandparents, caregivers, medical experts, and educational professionals. General Conference attendees have access to seven workshop cycles. Each cycle offers a selection of workshops that registrants attend based on their interests. These interactive workshops feature respected professionals, each selected for their valuable contributions to the field of Down syndrome education and support. From individuals making strides in early childhood communication to those innovating K-12 learning environments, as well as researchers addressing the needs of adults with Down syndrome, our presenters bring practical experience and insight to share with our community.

Timeline

Timeline for General Conference Workshops Call For Speakers:

• October 1, 2024 – Call for speakers opens
• December 2, 2024 – Call for speaker proposal submission deadline
• February 1, 2025 – All those who submitted will be notified if the proposal was approved or declined.

A Call for Speakers for the Youth and Adult Conference will be opened at a later date. 

Please note the schedule is subject to change.

Presentation Formats

The 2025 General Conference Workshops will consist of a combination of deep dive presentations, interactive workshops, and panel discussions. Below are session format definitions:

• Deep Dive Presentation:  3-hour intensive, single session with a live presentation, allowing time for questions.
• Interactive Workshops: Single session with a live audience, engaging delivery, including time for questions.
• Panel Discussions: Single session, moderator-led panel presentation developed by one lead presenter who assembles 4-6 experts for targeted, topic-driven dialogue. The panel leader must be identified, and only the leader will receive communications from the NDSC convention staff.

Proposal Selection Criteria

When developing the general conference curriculum, our goal is to provide a balanced program that meets the variety of skills and interests of the attendees and is presented by speakers of the highest quality who represent the diversity of the NDSC membership. When drafting your proposal, keep the following criteria in mind:

• Is the material research-based, accurate, and up-to-date?
• Does my presentation offer strategies or how-to’s for attendees to take and use at home, school, or within the broader community?
• Is my presentation interactive and/or engaging?  
• Is the topic relevant and needed by the Down syndrome community?
• Am I using people-first language?
• Will my presentation appeal to the audience? While there are some professionals, most of our attendees are parents, siblings, grandparents, and other caregivers.

All proposals are reviewed and selected by the NDSC General Conference Workshop Proposal Review Committee. Speakers are selected based on the completeness and clarity of the submission, relevance of the topic to the NDSC mission, and qualifications and experience of the speaker(s).

Presentation Compensation and Benefits

NDSC has a tradition of offering educational conference sessions as a platform for the advancement of the Down syndrome community as a whole. We invite contributors who are willing to share their expertise without expectation of compensation in the spirit of educating, inspiring, and advocating for the community, caregivers, and self advocates.  

In lieu of payment, selected presenters can receive one complimentary registration.  

In return, NDSC expects presenters to: 

• Acknowledge they are available to speak during the timeframe of posted convention dates and during any assigned workshop cycles.  An effort will be made to ensure speakers’ preferences or conflicts, but final assignments will be made by NDSC.  
• Work closely with convention organizers before the event to meet all deadlines. 
• Make no substantial changes in content, format, or number of presenters without prior approval of convention organizers.  
• Design and provide high-quality PowerPoint presentations in electronic format.  
• Give NDSC permission to record the session for the purpose of allowing member access post-convention (opt out is permitted).
• Allow NDSC to utilize selected speakers and topics to promote convention registration.  
• Recognize that a presentation is an opportunity to share information and is not a showcase for promoting one’s business, practice, services, or products.  

Questions? Email info@ndsccenter.org