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General Conference Workshops

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Call for Speaker Proposal Submission Guidelines

2026 – General Conference Workshop  

Call for Speakers

Before you begin, please review the General Conference Workshop Submission Guidelines and General Conference Workshop Themes for important information about your submission and the criteria the Speaker Selection 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 multiple 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. 

If a modified version of your proposal would also be applicable to the Youth & Adult Conference please consider submitting a Y&A Speaker proposal. The Youth & Adult Conference is designed to be fun, educational, empowering, and inspiring experience for self-advocates (individuals with Down syndrome) ages 15 and older.

Click the buttons below for submission guidelines and workshop themes.

Para enviar una propuesta para las sesiones solo en español, vaya al final de la página.

General Conference Workshop Sessions Times/Dates 

The General Conference Workshop sessions are held Friday, July 24, to Sunday morning, July 26, 2026. Sessions will be 60 or 90 minute sessions.  

For those attending the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group (DSMIG) conference, DSMIG sessions will conclude by Friday evening July 24, 2026 with no overlap to the Saturday or Sunday General Conference Workshop Sessions. The Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action (DSAIA) Pre-Conference will be occurring from July 22-23, 2026 with no overlap to the General Conference Workshop Sessions.

Timeline 

Timeline for General Conference Workshops Call For Speakers: 

  • October 1, 2025 – Call for speakers opens 
  • December 1, 2025 – Call for speaker proposal submission deadline 
  • February 13, 2026 – All those who submitted will be notified if the proposal was approved or declined. 
  • March 4, 2026 – Early registration and hotel opens for accepted speakers 
  • March 10, 2026 – General registration and hotel opens to all 

Please note the schedule is subject to change.

Presentation Formats 

The 2026 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.

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 Speaker Selection Team . 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. 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.   

General Conference Workshop speakers will need to register for Convention and will receive discounted registration price of $100. Deep Dive speakers will receive a free Convention registration. Self-advocate general conference speakers do not need to pay to register for General Conference.   As hosting costs for the Convention have increased each year, we have considered several budget adjustments to make the event as accessible as possible for families. This included introducing a small registration fee of $100, which is over 50% less than the regular fee. Our research with other conferences nationwide shows that charging a registration fee for speakers is a common practice across conferences. 

In return, NDSC expects presenters to:  

  • Acknowledge availability 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.   
  • 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 
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