INSAIL 2026: Full Schedule

Session Description:
Play is the foundation of learning, connection, and joy in early childhood — yet in many classrooms, the pressures of standards, data, and compliance have quietly edged play to the margins. This workshop invites educators to rediscover the power of play as a vehicle for engagement, inclusion, and authentic learning for all children, including those with sensory disabilities. Through stories, evidence-based strategies, and hands-on exploration, participants will reflect on their own beliefs about play, and design playful learning opportunities that support development in both academic and communication domains. This session will help you reconnect with the joyful core of teaching — and the children who remind us why it matters.

Session Abstract:
In inclusive settings — from early childhood through elementary school — the science of play is both well-established and persistently underutilized. Research confirms that play promotes neurological development at molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels, building executive function, language, social competence, and emotional regulation across the developmental span (Yogman et al., 2018). For children with sensory disabilities, including those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH), Blind or Low Vision (BLV), or Deafblind, play is not a supplement to learning — it is the primary context through which language, symbolic thinking, and world knowledge develop. This is true not only in the toddler years, but across the school-age continuum. Yet many educators serving this population face heightened pressure to prioritize compliance, data collection, and direct instruction, often at the cost of authentic, engagement-centered play.

This focused one-hour workshop offers a joyful re-entry into the evidence base for play — and a practical toolkit for embedding it meaningfully across settings and age groups. Participants will explore the neuroscience and characteristics of play, examine how sensory access shapes play participation for DHH, BLV, and Deafblind learners at every age, and consider how IEP goals can be embedded authentically within play-based learning experiences. Special attention is given to the spectrum from free play to guided, adult-supported play — and to the educator's role in facilitating rather than diminishing playful engagement, even as students grow older and academic demands intensify.

The session opens with a reflective Joy Inventory and closes with a personal commitment card — anchoring evidence and strategy in the reason participants entered this field. Participants leave with concrete, immediately applicable ideas and renewed energy for the children who remind us why we teach.

Session Goals:

Explain the developmental, cognitive, and academic benefits of play for children ages 3–8, including those with sensory disabilities.
Design strategies and learning environments that promote play-based engagement while meeting curriculum and IEP goals.
Reflect on their own professional joy and reconnect with practices that foster meaning and creativity in their work.

Speakers

Jenna Voss, PhD, CED, LSLS Cert AVEd.

Deaf Education Program Director, Butler University

Jenna Voss, PhD, CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd, is Program Director for the Master of Arts in Deaf Education at Butler University. An experienced faculty member and compassionate educator of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students, Dr. Voss finds joy in supporting the professional growth of... Read More →

Tuesday September 15, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
502 East Event Centre 502 E Carmel Dr, Carmel, IN 46032, USA

All Attendees

12:00pm EDT

Lunch and Networking

Tuesday September 15, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

Wabash Ballroom

Tuesday September 15, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Wabash Ballroom 502 E Carmel Dr, Carmel, IN 46032, USA

All Attendees

2:00pm EDT

Snack Break

Tuesday September 15, 2026 2:00pm - 2:15pm EDT

502 East Event Centre

Tuesday September 15, 2026 2:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
502 East Event Centre 502 E Carmel Dr, Carmel, IN 46032, USA

All Attendees

3:15pm EDT

Closing and Door Prizes

Tuesday September 15, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm EDT

Wabash Ballroom

Speakers

Brittany Feilen

Director, PASS Project

Tuesday September 15, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm EDT
Wabash Ballroom 502 E Carmel Dr, Carmel, IN 46032, USA

All Attendees

INSAIL 2026

8:00am EDT

9:30am EDT

10:45am EDT

11:00am EDT

Jenna Voss, PhD, CED, LSLS Cert AVEd.

12:00pm EDT

2:00pm EDT

3:15pm EDT

Brittany Feilen

Get help with the event