Current Trainings
Autism Society Iowa April Lunch and Learn Series
Wednesdays from 12:00 to 1:00 PM in April
April 23, 2025 - What Happens After You Receive a Diagnosis of Autism, Including Those Who Are Not Toddlers
April 30, 2025 - Social Skills
Care Transitions for Complex Needs
Presented by ACL’s No Wrong Door Resource Center
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 – 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
The Administration for Community Living’s No Wrong Door Resource Center invites you to participate in a webinar about care transitions for people with complex needs, including:
- The scope and impact of complex needs on care transitions
- Role of partnerships in facilitating successful care transitions, follow-up, community tenure, and health and social outcomes
- Successful models working to improve care transitions for persons with complex needs, including housing instability and financial insecurity
Presenters include Tim McNeill (Freedmen’s Health), Cathey Eades and Fran Anderson (Bay Aging), and Jody Michaelson (Multnomah County Aging and Disability).
Live captions will be available. Registrants can note additional accommodation needs on the registration page.
Contact nowrongdoor@acl.hhs.gov with questions.
Registration is Open for the 2025 Together We Can Conference
FREE registration for Families, Caregivers, and Youth/Young Adults with Disabilities
Saturday, May 3, 2025 - 8:15 AM to 4:00 PM
State Fairgrounds, Varied Industries Building
3000 East Grant Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50317
What is TWC? Held annually on the first Saturday in May, the Together We Can Conference is a one-of-a-kind, statewide event that empowers individuals with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who support them.
This inspiring day brings together hundreds of attendees for meaningful connection, impactful learning, and collaborative advocacy.
Upcoming Events
Let’s Plan Together: Creating Change with the Iowa DD Council
Thank you to everyone who already filled out our state plan survey and shared feedback
Friday, May 30, 2025 - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Every five years the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council (DD Council) writes what is called a State Plan. It describes what work we will do and how we will spend the federal money we get.
Now, we're hosting a webinar so you can share your thoughts directly with our team.
We will work on self-advocacy, but we may choose to also work on employment, community living, education, health, housing and transportation.
Positive Behavioral Supports
2-day Train the Trainer program
June 25 - 26, 2025 – 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
One Vision, 600 Glen Oaks Dr.
Clear Lake, IA
Positive Behavioral Supports is a 2-day, train-the-trainer program open to all providers of home-and-community-based services interested in helping individuals transition to homes in community settings through Iowa’s Money Follows the Person Grant.
It is expected that supervisors, administrative staff and/or training staff of agencies will take from this training the competency to train their staff at their organization in the techniques and philosophies of Positive Behavioral Supports.
Registration is required. Please register by May 21, 2025.
Registration is Now Open for the 2025 SOAR Conference
Seeking Opportunities for an Advocacy Revolution
October 3-5, 2025
Embassy Suites by Hilton – Omaha Downtown
Old Market, 555 S. 10th St., Omaha, NE 68102
This event brings together self-advocates with disabilities from around the Midwest to exchange ideas and learn from each other about advocacy.
Participating States: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming
Mindspring Hosts Webinars & Events
Free Training Opportunities
April 2025 dates
Webinar Series
Mindspring provides free mental health education opportunities to the public through webinars on a wide variety of mental health topics. Webinars are hosted every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00pm-1:00pm, and Wednesday from 10:00-11:00pm and 12:00pm-1:00pm CST.
All webinars are free and open to the public. Webinars are recorded and emailed to all registrants. Certificates of attendance are administered to anyone who participates in the live webinar and completes the survey at the end.
Training Sources
Health Care Provider Training
Free suite of videos
Assuring Access to Quality Health Care for Persons with Disabilities is a free suite of videos aimed at educating current and future health care professionals on strategies to effectively communicate with and accommodate patients with a variety of disabilities.
Empowering Families in Special Education: Navigating Resources for Your Student
The Iowa DD Council hosted a discussion with the Iowa Department of Education, ASK Resource Center, Disability Rights Iowa, and Health and Human Services. They discussed resources and tools available for your family and how to advocate for the services your child needs.
Disability Exchange Podcast
The Disability Exchange (DX) podcast is produced and presented by the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Iowa’s UCEDD, at the Center for Disabilities and Development. Join UCEDD staff and podcast co-hosts, Mike Hoenig, Laury Scheidler and Judy Warth, for this engaging series.
All episodes of the DX podcast are available on the Anchor by Spotify platform.
Or search for “Disability Exchange” wherever you get your podcasts. And find links to a variety of other platforms on the DX Anchor by Spotify page. DX is not yet available on Apple podcasts.
Joanna Sabha produces the DX podcast for the UCEDD. Get in touch with her if you have questions or would like to learn more about it at Joanna-sabha@uiowa.edu or 319-356-1347.
Download transcripts of new podcast episodes, below, or catch up with episodes from previous seasons.
Access to Training
Our Training Sources page provides links to a variety of training resources that are available on an ongoing basis. Most of these resources are online, available any day, any time. Check websites for fees associated with the trainings.
The Conner Training Connection makes every effort to assure these listings are up-to-date. Visit our Training Sources page.
Training Calendar
Please visit our interactive calendar to find trainings on disability-related topics, including autism, brain injury, mental health, self-advocacy and transition. We invite you to share trainings with us and others using the "Add Event" button on this calendar.
Please visit our Contact Us page on this website for more information or support.