Landmark College Delegation Makes an Impact, Learns from Others at AHEAD Conference

Dr. Rick Bryck discusses a poster covering research conducted by himself and Dr. Adam Lalor with a conference participant.

Last week, members of the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training (LCIRT) traveled to Denver, Colorado to attend the annual Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) conference. Members of the College delegation made a total of 10 presentations, including panel discussions, workshops, and poster presentations covering recent research and trends in postsecondary education. Dr. Adam Lalor, Dr. Richard Bryck, and Emily Helft of LCIRT all presented at the conference, as did Jan Coplan, Senior Director of the College's Career Connections department. 

Dr. Adam Lalor, Vice President for Neurodiversity Research and Innovation, reflected that “the conference was an excellent opportunity to share research, insights, and best-practices with and from colleagues around the country who share a mission of improving the quality of education for disabled people.”

Bryck, Senior Director of LCIRT, and Helft, Assistant Director of Professional Development, presented a full-day preconference session on “The Neurodivergence and Executive Function Connection: Foundations and Strategies”. Lalor and Bryck also led the “Research Year in Review” group presentation on recent postsecondary disability research, as well as a poster session on their research on how to best support neurodivergent college students working in a research environment. Helft conducted five presentations including “Maximizing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Buy-In to Jump Start Faculty Implementation,” “Oh Snap! Rubber Band Syllabication and Other Support Strategies in Second Language Acquisition,” and “‘Why can’t my student just [X]?!’ The Role of Executive Function in Everyday Student Behavior.”

Helft shared that she looks forward to attending and presenting at AHEAD every year. “It’s one of the most inclusive and receptive audiences when it comes to sharing knowledge and learning from one another regarding best practices for creating a more neuroinclusive world. I leave reenergized and inspired each year that I go. I already have multiple new ideas I’m excited to submit for workshops for Providence in 2026!”

Learn more about the College’s research and training work on the LCIRT Blog.