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39th Education Conference Cancelled due to Winter Weather
Unfortunately, this year's conference, scheduled for 1/31/26, has been cancelled due to a winter weather warning. Stay tuned for upcoming information on recorded workshop sessions and other ways to connect with our registered exhibitors.
Our Annual Education Conference is designed specifically for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities. The conference offers informative sessions on a variety of topics relevant to the caregiving journey. Attendees also enjoy lunch, the chance to network with fellow families, and time to engage with local exhibitors offering valuable resources and support.
Eligibility
- Be a parent/caregiver of a kiddo age from birth through 29 years old and have lifelong developmental and/or physical disabilities. Some common diagnoses include but are not limited to cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, spina bifida, degenerative illnesses, and rare genetic syndromes.
Due to limited space, we’re unable to accommodate professionals as conference guests.
39th Annual Education Conference Sponsors
Agenda
8AM Registration
8:15AM Session 1
- Katie Beckett 101 & Beyond with Debbie Dobbs, Founder & Managing Director at Debbie Dobbs Advocacy, LLC
- A Restorative Pause: Mindfulness for Caregiver Wellbeing with Haley Davis, Counseling Psychology Doctoral Candidate at the University of Georgia
- Guardianship & Beyond: Empowering Decisions for the People You Love with Heather Nadler, Attorney, Owner of Nadler Biernath LLC
- 5 Key Financial Planning Decisions Every Special Needs Parent Must Make with Greg Corneille, Financial Advisor at Choice Wealth Management, LLC
9:25AM Session 2
- Federal Changes and Special Education: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, and How Parents Can Advocate with Christy Calbos, Attorney at Calbos Law Firm
- Katie Beckett Medicaid Waiver: Common Reasons for Denials & the Renewal Process with Debbie Dobbs, Founder & Managing Director at Debbie Dobbs Advocacy, LLC
- Turning 18 and Beyond: Obstacles and Opportunities On the Path to Adulthood with Kim Martin, Attorney Partner, Harrison LLP
- Navigating the Medical Maze: How Neurology Fits Into Your Child’s Care Team with Dr. Stephanie Keller, Pediatric Neurologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
10:30AM-11AM Exhibitors
11:15AM Session 3
- Navigating Georgia's Medicaid Services and Waiver Programs with Rena Harris, Chief Program Officer at the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities and Joe Sarra, Advocate at Georgia Advocacy Office
- Because Love Isn’t Enough: How Special Needs Trusts Protect Your Child Today and Tomorrow with DJ Jeyaram Judge and Attorney at Jeyaram & Associates
- Navigating the IEP Process with Janet Preston, Attorney at The Preston Law Firm
- Sleep: A Look Into Common Sleep Problems and What You Can Do with Dr. Roberta Leu, Director of Pediatric Sleep at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta And Dr. Kelli-Lee Harford, Sleep Psychologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
12:30PM Lunch with Keynote Speaker & Exhibitors
Fees:
Advanced registration is now closed. Limited spots are available at the door for $20.
Keynote Speaker
Collette Chapman-Hilliard, PH.D.
Associate Professor at the University of Georgia and FOCUS Mom
Keynote Topic: Naming What We Carry: Honoring the Feelings that Make Caregiving Possible
Have ever experienced multiple feelings in what seems like just seconds? As a caregiver you may hold complex feelings—fear with determination, exhaustion with love, sadness with hope— with little time to pay attention to or to process these emotional experiences. This keynote focuses on naming and claiming those emotions, offering language and practical anchors to facilitate sustainable care practices, advocacy, and rest.
Workshops
Debbie Dobbs
DJ Jeyaram
Greg Corneille
Haley Davis
Janet Preston
Kim Martin
Heather Durham Nadler
Rena Harris
Dr. Roberta Leu
Stephanie Keller
Christy Calbos
Dr. Kelli-Lee Harford
Katie Beckett 101 & Beyond with Debbie Dobbs | Navigating the Katie Beckett Medicaid Waiver can feel overwhelming for families who are new to the process. In this workshop, Debbie Dobbs, MS of Debbie Dobbs Advocacy, LLC provides a clear, practical overview of the Katie Beckett initial application, including who may apply, how to obtain the application, eligibility requirements, and the documentation most critical for approval. Beyond the basics, this session also introduces additional funding and waiver programs that families may qualify for but often do not realize exist. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience supporting families of children with disabilities, Debbie Dobbs offers real-world insight into the challenges families face when accessing medical, therapeutic, and educational supports. This workshop is designed to give first-time applicants a strong foundation, realistic expectations, and a clearer path forward as they begin the Katie Beckett process. For additional resources, families may visit www.debbiedobbs.com
A Restorative Pause: Mindfulness for Caregiver Wellbeing with Haley Davis | Caregivers often have limited time to slow down, reflect, or attend to their own well-being amid the demands of daily life. This workshop offers a supportive space to pause through an extended guided mindfulness meditation designed to promote emotional regulation, grounding, and reflection. Participants will also receive a take-home mindfulness script to help integrate brief, accessible moments of peace into everyday routines. All caregivers are invited to join, breathe, and practice creating small, meaningful moments of care for themselves.
Guardianship & Beyond: Empowering Decisions for the People You Love with Heather Nadler | This workshop will provide an in-depth look at the guardianship process, guiding participants on how to navigate this important legal and caregiving option. Additionally, we will explore alternatives to guardianship, discussing reasons why guardianship may not be the best choice for certain situations. Participants will learn about various alternative solutions, how they differ from traditional guardianship, and the steps to take when moving forward with these options to support and empower individuals.
5 Key Financial Planning Decisions Every Special Needs Parent Must Make with Greg Corneille | Families of children with special needs face financial decisions that are unique, complex and personal. In this presentation we’ll discuss the five key financial planning decisions every family must make that shape financial independence and peace of mind. From coordinating government benefits and estimating lifetime costs, to balancing retirement security and creating continuity of care; we’ll uncover strategies to develop a practical roadmap families can use at any stage of the planning process.
Federal Changes and Special Education: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, and How Parents Can Advocate with Christy Calbos | Recent federal shifts in special education and civil rights enforcement have left many parents of children with disabilities feeling uncertain about what protections still exist and what to do when schools are slow to respond or resistant to requests for services. In this practical presentation, Georgia special education attorney Christy Calbos explains what has not changed under federal law, what has shifted in enforcement and oversight, and how those changes affect parents navigating special education in public schools.
Katie Beckett Medicaid Waiver: Common Reasons for Denials & the Renewal Process with Debbie Dobbs | The Katie Beckett Medicaid Waiver allows children with significant disabilities to qualify for Medicaid without consideration of parental income; however, many families encounter denials due to avoidable errors, missing documentation, or misunderstandings of eligibility requirements. In this seminar, Debbie Dobbs, MS, of Debbie Dobbs Advocacy, LLC, draws on more than 20 years of experience supporting families of children with disabilities to examine the most common reasons Katie Beckett applications are denied. She shares practical strategies to help families avoid common pitfalls that can derail an otherwise eligible application and outlines steps families can take after a denial, including an overview of reconsideration and appeal options. Additionally, Ms. Dobbs breaks down the Katie Beckett renewal process, with guidance on how to prepare documentation, respond to renewal requests, and reduce the risk of a lapse in coverage. Families will leave with practical tools to reduce avoidable errors, strengthen their documentation, and navigate denials and renewals more confidently. Additional information and resources are available at www.debbiedobbs.com
Turning 18 and Beyond: Obstacles and Opportunities On the Path to Adulthood with Kim Martin | This workshop will cover issues that arise when a child with a disability turns 18, including changes in benefit eligibility, guardianship and conservatorship, options for life after school, and post-majority issues to look out for.
Navigating the Medical Maze: How Neurology Fits Into Your Child’s Care Team with Dr. Stephanie Keller | This workshop will help parents understand the role a pediatric neurologist plays in caring for children with significant disabilities. Many of our kids see multiple specialists, therapists, and providers, and it can be overwhelming to know who does what—or when to reach out for help.
Navigating Georgia's Medicaid Services and Waiver Programs with Rena Harris and Joe Sarra | Learn about Georgia's Medicaid system for children and adults with disabilities. We will discuss the basics of Medicaid, Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis & Treatment (EPSDT), Medicaid Waivers, Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) and Autism Services.
Because Love Isn’t Enough: How Special Needs Trusts Protect Your Child Today and Tomorrow with DJ Jeyaram | As parents, love is a driving force in the decisions we make for our children. However, love alone cannot protect our children's government benefits such as Katie Beckett, NOW/COMP waivers, SSI, SSDI, Medicaid and more. Join Attorney and Judge DJ Jeyaram to learn how a Special Needs Trust can help legally protect your child's benefits and create a legal roadmap for their future. In this session, DJ will discuss Special Needs Trusts, ABLE Accounts, Guardians and Trustees as a part of your child's Special Needs Trust, and more. As a former Administrative Law Judge and current Magistrate Judge, DJ brings a rare, insider perspective that helps our families navigate the legal system with confidence and plan wisely for the future. DJ is a long-time FOCUS parent and has helped hundreds of special needs families all across Georgia protect their loved ones with Wills and Special Needs Trusts.
Navigating the IEP Process with Janet E. Preston | Building an IEP team is a challenging task. The IEP process is often overwhelming and confusing for parents. How does the system work? What rights do parents have in determining services for their children? How do you create an IEP that addresses all your child's areas of need? Janet Preston, Esq. will give tips on how to navigate the IEP process and assist parents in understanding their rights and having their voices heard in IEP meetings. Janet represents children with special needs ages 3 to 22 to ensure they receive appropriate and individualized education and services through the IEP process. Janet has attended hundreds of IEP meetings, successfully serving the needs of families to access services for their children. Janet will help parents gain a better understanding of how to build an appropriate educational program for their special needs child, including meeting preparation to overcome obstacles when presented in the IEP process.
Sleep: A Look Into Common Sleep Problems and What You Can Do with Dr. Roberta Leu and Dr. Kelli-Lee Harford | In this workshop, Dr. Leu will introduce common sleep disorders, their evaluation and their treatment in children. Dr. Harford will follow with a discussion of how you can help improve your child's sleep.
Exhibitors
Exhibitors are a critical part of the FOCUS Annual Education Conference experience. You are the connection… the resource that families need to help make their journey easier.
NOTE: To ensure a diverse and enriching experience for all attendees, we are implementing a limit on registration spots based on industry. This will allow us to provide a broader range of information and services for attendees.
Exhibitor registration is closed. All Exhibitor spots have been filled. Please email [email protected] to be put on a waitlist.
Thank you!
The Elaine Clark Center
The Kyle Pease Foundation
