Presenter Guidelines

DEC Guiding Documents

DEC Mission and Vision: https://www.dec-sped.org/mission

DEC Racial Equity Point of View: https://divisionearlychildhood.egnyte.com/dl/GPVEY6LbYW
DEC Ends Policies: https://divisionearlychildhood.egnyte.com/dl/MTUZ0ylpxX/

 DEC Recommended Practices: https://www.dec-sped.org/dec-recommended-practices

 

DEC Speaker Expectations

DEC has, as a priority, the equitable treatment of all members, customers, participants, partners. Every audience member merits respect. Recognition of diversity is inclusion. Inclusion is the soul of DEC. To this end, DEC expectations for speakers are to value the diversity of every participant.

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DEC’s conferences and events are an integral part of accomplishing its mission. It is critical that these venues are accessible and inclusive to all interested partners. Therefore, DEC is intentional in relying on the expertise of those who have been made most marginalized by systemic oppression to shape conferences and events so that their content and activities appeal to a diverse community of interested parties, and that attendees and presenters reflect the same.

              Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children Racial Equity Point of View (POV) (2023)

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A Speaker who respects diversity:

• Develops a complex view of issues.

• Does not stereotype, avoiding its consequences.

• Sees things from others’ viewpoints - empathizing with them.

• Is comfortable speaking before a culturally diverse audience.

• Does not alienate receivers by trying to impose his or her views on them.

• Treats audience members as she or he would like to be treated by a speaker.

• Reviews the session/materials for derogatory words or statements that might alienate members of the audience.

              Gamble (2018). The public speaking playbook. SAGE.

 

If you have additional ideas to support presenters now or for next year’s  conference, please let us know.

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Family Considerations 

Congratulations on your upcoming session at DEC2026! The DEC Family Committee is working to make the conference welcoming to all the families of young children with or at risk for developmental delays and disabilities and we need your help! As you prepare for the conference, please consider how you can include families in your session or presentation, such as:

• Welcome families by including “Family” as an option for audience roles. 

• Define key terms early and often. 

• Avoid using abbreviations, acronyms, and jargon. If you use them, define them! Include acronym definitions in your presentation materials.

• Provide opportunities for families to highlight their unique expertise and knowledge. 

• Listen carefully and respectfully if a family chooses to share their perspective. Remember, lived experiences can differ drastically from research results. 

• Respect privacy and confidentiality when asking families to share their stories.

• Include family perspective in research findings to impact or enhance practice with families or how to include family voices in future research on your topic.

• Emphasize family-professional partnership when promoting practical strategies. Discuss how families and professionals can partner to make strategies meaningful, functional, and effective.

• Design learning activities including families’ perspectives into your presentation, make sure scenarios, discussion questions, or other activities reflect home and community settings. 

• Compensate families for their time spent preparing and/or presenting at the conference.

• Consider inviting family partners to present with you for future conferences! 

 

Thank you for taking the time to consider ways to enhance your session by improving the inclusion of families at the 42nd Annual DEC Conference. 

 

Sincerely, 
The DEC Family Committee
 

 

Primary Email Address 

Please ensure you use your primary email address consistently across all submissions and communications to avoid any delays or confusion.

 

As the Lead Presenter, you are responsible for sharing the following, and all forthcoming information with your co-presenters.

Please be aware that institutional firewalls and email security systems can sometimes block or filter our messages, especially if they include attachments or links. If you’re not receiving communications, we recommend checking our website, social media channels, or newsletter for updates, and contacting us directly to ensure you stay informed.

 

 

Session Materials

A PDF version of your handout(s) must be uploaded/ added to the conference app prior to the session. We highly recommend adding your handouts one week  in advance to ensure attendees can access the files (October 19, 2026).  Images must be your own or you must have permission to use the images per all copyright laws.

 

Handouts should meet requirements for accessibility (508 compliance requirements).

o   Handouts must be formatted for accessibility. Learn more on how to make

  content accessible with Microsoft Office Suite here. 

 

Accessibility 

We are committed to ensuring all sessions are accessible to participants. Please review the following guidance and tools:​

•   Slide Design: Use high color contrast, large  readable fonts, and provide alternative text for images.

•    Captions: All presenters should enable captions in their presentation software.

During Your Presentation:

• You must always use the microphone when presenting. Multiple presenters will need to share the mic if there is only one available. 

• When engaging with the audience, repeat or restate the audience questions before responding. You can connect with A/V if an additional microphone is needed for your room. 

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Resources for Accessibility and Caption Settings: 

• Google Slides: Make slides accessible | Turn on captions 

• PowerPoint: Make PowerPointpresentations accessible (includes caption/subtitle guidance)

• Canva: Accessibility features | Enable captions

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Please let us know if you require any accommodations during your time as a presenter at the conference, and we will be happy to assist in making appropriate arrangements.

 

Whova App (Release Day To Be Announced)

This year’s conference will use the Whova app as the primary hub for presenters. Through the app, you can review the agenda, check session details, access important updates, and engage with attendees before, during, and after your session.

• Download the Whova App – Explore your audience, connect with attendees, and promote your session. 

• Update Your Speaker Profile – Enter your bio, photo, and affiliation. A strong profile helps drive interest to your session!

• Share Your Handout Links –At the link [this Speaker Form link] you will be able to add to your session description. Please copy/paste the links to your handout(s) within each of

• your sessions’ descriptions. We recommend using your preferred cloud service. Iif your handouts are not already available online (e.g. Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive). 

• Set Up Polls – Boost attendee engagement by adding polls to your session (optional). 

• Promote Your Session – Whova includes ready-made graphics for sharing on social media to help grow your audience.

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Room Setup & Technology

• Each presentation room will include a projector, screen, podium, microphone, and a PowerPoint remote.

• Please bring your own laptop along with any necessary adapters to connect to the projector.

• Wi-Fi will be available in all session rooms. However, bandwidth may be limited as many presenters and attendees will be using the internet simultaneously. Download any videos in advance to ensure that you will be able to play them during your presentation. 

• Rooms will be set up theatre style unless otherwise noted. Room assignments will be posted in the Whova app before the conference.

 

Posters

Poster Size: Boards measure 4 ft tall x 8 ft wide (maximum space available-horizontal orientation). Posters must not exceed this space.

Institutional Requirements: Check with your university or institution for poster guidelines so your poster can be reused at future events.

Poster Sessions: Each session lasts one hour. Please stay with your poster during the hour-long session so attendees can come engage with you and learn more about your presentation.

Poster Assignments: Poster numbers will be assigned prior to the conference and included in the Whova app.

Supplies & Setup: Push pins will be provided. Tables and electricity will not be available during poster sessions.

Shipping & Storage: DEC is unable to accept or store packages on behalf of presenters or attendees. We recommend printing or shipping your poster via UPS or Fedex. 

Sales 

Presenters may not promote or sell virtual or hardcopy products during their session. However, they may (1) mention they wrote a book, (2) extend an invitation to visit their exhibit booth, and/or (3) purchase advertising from DEC in the form of hardcopy, online sponsorships, or advertising. For more information contact us at conference@dec-sped.org

 

Registration 

Conference Registration is required. Presenters do not receive registration discount codes, but you may utilize other registration discount codes available. 

Per the DEC requirements, all Lead and co-presenters are required to register for the conference.

To complete your DEC2026 registration, click here.

 

Important Deadlines

Early Bird 1 - Ends July 15th

Early Bird 2 - Ends Aug. 1st

 

Cancellations

If you need to cancel your session after May 28th due to urgent or unexpected circumstances, please notify us as soon as possible if your plans change, and first consider whether a co-presenter may be able to proceed with the session in your absence. After the session is scheduled, final cancellations must be made by July 31, 2026. 

 

Ask Me Anything Sessions 

We’ll be hosting “Ask Me Anything” sessions ahead of the conference specifically for presenters. This is a great opportunity to bring your questions about logistics, technology, session planning, or anything else you’d like clarified before the event.

 

Monday, Jul 27, 2026 5:30 pm -6:30 pm ET - Register here

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 2:00 pm -3:00 pm ET - Register here

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 10:00 am- 11:00 pm ET - Register here

Thursday, October 8, 2026 5:00 pm-6:00 pm ET - Register here 

 

Thank you for your time and commitment to making this conference a success. We look forward to your contributions and are excited to see your sessions come to life.