Baylor Scholars a Leading Voice at International Conference on Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Faculty affiliates and graduate students from the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing (BCDF) were prominently represented last month at the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD) Conference in Long Beach, California. The annual conference, hosted within the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), brings together researchers and practitioners from across the world to share evidence-based strategies that improve education and life outcomes for individuals with autism, intellectual disability, and other developmental disabilities.

Baylor scholars contributed a notable range of lectures, posters, panels, and workshops addressing autism and developmental disabilities, family partnerships, culturally responsive practices, inclusive STEM, and transition-focused outcomes. 

“As past president of the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, it was especially meaningful to see Baylor so strongly represented at this conference,” said Bree Jimenez, Ph.D., professor in special education and department chair of Educational Psychology (EDP) at Baylor University’s Moody School of Education. 

Jimenez, who also serves as a faculty affiliate of the Center, emphasized the importance of Baylor’s presence at the conference. “DADD is committed to enhancing the quality of life for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities by advancing and sharing research-based educational practices, and Baylor’s faculty, staff, and students exemplify that mission. Their presence highlighted the impactful work of the Educational Psychology department, the BCDF, and our shared commitment to improving educational and life outcomes across the lifespan.”

Collectively, the Baylor presentations demonstrated how faculty and students are translating research into practical strategies that expand access, opportunity, and belonging in schools, homes, and communities. 

Center Director Kristen Padilla, Ph.D., expressed her gratitude for the researchers who represented the Center at the national gathering: “It is a true honor to work alongside such skilled, committed, and compassionate scholars who choose to partner with the Center in ways that make a meaningful difference for people with disabilities and their families. Their work reflects the heart of our mission and the impact we hope to have in communities.”

The 2026 DADD Conference emphasized increasing opportunity, access, and student success—priorities that closely align with the Center’s mission and Baylor University’s foundational pillars to integrate impactful research, transformational education, and foster communities worldwide where every person is valued and able to contribute.