Learn more about the keynote speakers who will be presenting in Orlando!

Are we Empowering Students with Learning Disabilities to Thrive in a Rigorous General Education Curriculum?

The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress data for students with specific learning disabilities who received special education services, suggests the answer to this question is a resounding, “No!” This keynote panel of experts will share the most current academic outcome data for students with SLD and discuss what we must do better. The backdrop for this discussion is LDA’s SLD Evaluation Principles and Standards which outline the factors that must be attended to if students with SLD are to reach their fullest potential.

Featuring: Dr. David Allsopp, Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Jesse Steif, Dr. Eric Tridas, and Dr. Sarah van Ingen Lauer

Harnessing Life Ignition Tools (LIT) to Empower Learning Differences

Dr. Jeff Karp, Distinguished Chair at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, is renowned for accelerating medical innovation through his groundbreaking work in drug delivery, stem cell therapies, and medical devices. He has published over 165 papers with over 35,000 citations, delivered 400 invited lectures, holds over 100 patents, and has co-founded 13 companies.

Jeff leads a research lab focused on harnessing lessons from nature with notable innovations including tissue glue for sealing holes in a beating heart, targeted therapies for osteoarthritis and Crohn’s disease, smart needles, a nasal spray that neutralizes pathogens, and immunotherapy approaches for cancer.

He is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Society of Canada, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Growing up in rural Canada, Dr. Karp’s journey with learning disabilities became a personal laboratory, where he experimented and developed the transformative strategies now known as ‘Life Ignition Tools’ (LIT), detailed in his Harper Collins-published book. These tools, forged through his own challenges, have evolved into a powerful method for personal and professional innovation, benefiting not only Dr. Karp but countless others he has inspired. Dr. Karp is also Head of Innovation at Geoversity, Nature’s University, a rainforest bio-leadership training conservancy located in one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world. Jeff lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, with his family and two Cavalier King Charles spaniels.