About 400 youth, family members and professionals gained valuable information, resources and connections to help prepare for adulthood at the 2025 conference in Springfield 

The 2025 Illinois Statewide Transition Conference was more than just an informative event for 17-year-old attendee Aliyah.

The conference helped reframe how she thinks about her disability, her sense of self and what’s possible for her future.

 “I think the most important takeaway from this whole thing is just finding the courage to say, ‘Hey, this is me, and I’m not ashamed of it anymore,’” Aliyah said.

Aliyah has cerebral palsy and is a Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) participant. She loves art and being creative. She is also a Special Olympics athlete with three gold medals in track and two in bowling. Her dream is to be a daycare worker or babysitter.

Aliyah and her parents, Dawn and Steve, traveled from Carbondale to attend the 20th annual Illinois Statewide Transition Conference in Springfield. It took place Oct. 30-31, 2025, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center.

More than 400 people from across the state attended, including youth with disabilities, parents, caregivers, vocational professionals, healthcare professionals and more.

“The transition conference is really a way for professionals and families to get together to learn about all the areas of the transition to adulthood,” said Claire Cook, DSCC’s Title V Transition Specialist and co-chair of the transition conference’s steering committee.

“You learn from self-advocates and learn about independence, healthcare transition, guardianship and alternatives, education — all the different areas that you need to learn about as you become an adult.”

DSCC helps sponsor the conference and serves on its steering committee. We also provide financial support to help our participant families attend the conference.

“Don’t let your limits hold you back”

Aliyah and her parents were among 21 DSCC participant families who attended the 2025 conference. They took part in a busy schedule of presentations and workshops.

“Today’s been exhausting, but also exciting because it’s like my future and what the future holds for me,” Aliyah shared after the conference’s first day.

Before coming to the conference, Aliyah didn’t enjoy planning for the future.

“I was scared about it. I was scared of my future, and also, I didn’t want anything to change. I’m not good with change at all,” she said.

“The first speaker we saw, (keynote presenter) Taylor (Sweeting), he relates a lot to me because he felt like he was an outsider and didn’t belong here, and he hated his disability, and I hated my disability for a long time. I didn’t want anything to do with it or even talk about it.”

By attending sessions with self-advocates and connecting with a strong community of other individuals with disabilities, Aliyah began to view her future in a new way.

“Honestly, I like to see people that are going through things I’m going (through), that people are just like me,” she said.

Now, Aliyah offers powerful advice to other teens and young adults with disabilities.

“Don’t let your limits hold you back. If you have a dream, don’t let your disability or whatever you have hold you back from your dream,” she said.

TaLeah is another DSCC participant with big dreams.

The 18-year-old from Kankakee, Ill., first attended the transition conference in 2024. Since then, TaLeah has achieved her goal of attending college and playing basketball. She’s now working hard to eventually play basketball professionally.

As a returning conference attendee, TaLeah recommends the conference to other young adults with disabilities.

“Any type of disability, you should come here because they give you a lot, a lot of information,” she said.

“I was a little nervous at first. But I’m like, OK, you know what, I’m going to go ahead and check it out, see what’s going on. And then I felt like, OK, this conference can kind of help with information about disability. I feel good right now.”

TaLeah and her mom, Tamara, found out about the Transition Conference through DSCC.

TaLeah first enrolled with DSCC 16 years ago when she was diagnosed with hearing loss.

“We’ve been there since she was 2 or 3. I can’t believe all this time has gone by already. Throughout the years, they’ve been very supportive. They’ve been very helpful with medical expenses, equipment, appointments, resources. They can refer you here, refer you there. It’s very helpful,” said Tamara.

“Independent in her own space”

DSCC parent Todd attended the conference alone in 2023 and 2024. He and his wife, Michelle, said they were grateful they could both attend the 2025 event with their daughter, Taylor.

Taylor, 18, has Down syndrome and mild to moderate hearing loss. She loves art, taking care of animals, and most of all, her dog, Lulu.

“I would say that the past two years attending this conference, I gained so much information, I could have even benefited by going a year prior to that,” said Todd.

“It was a lot building up to her turning 18 that we felt like we had to get done, and I think we were able to get a lot of information. We set up an ABLE account. We obtained guardianship, applied for Social Security, and I think all of that we were able to do from the information and the knowledge that we got from this conference.”

Participating in the conference as a family helped them attend more sessions and gather twice as much information for Taylor. Now that Taylor has reached the age of adulthood, they have many hopes for what her next chapter will look like.

“The way that I see her future is Taylor independent in her own space with her own friends. Her days are meaningful, filled with doing what she loves, work or if that’s continued education. That’s the way that I see her future – happy, safe and living her best life,” said Michelle.

Michelle said she recommends the conference not only to other families but also to educators who teach youth with disabilities.

Conference Co-Chair Claire agreed that the transition conference offers a wealth of information for professionals that can have a powerful ripple effect.

“I really love the fact that these professionals can take it back to their communities and really spread it out to where they may have been the only one that attended, but hundreds of families learn from it,” Claire said 

DSCC Care Coordinator Gabrielle Paskevicz attended the 2025 conference for the first time. She said she wanted to strengthen her knowledge and gain resources to help her participant families better navigate the challenges involved with moving to adult systems.

“It’s always a learning experience. I don’t care if you’ve been a professional for one year or 25 years. There’s new information, and it’s always evolving, and it’s important for us as professionals to be up to date with everything that’s going on,” she said.

 “I am very thankful that I was able to talk with some doctors that are actually some of my current participants’ doctors and be able to talk as professionals and just let them know the barriers that I’m hearing from my families and how to communicate with them… and how can we work towards their goals and make their transition process easier.”

The 2026 Illinois Statewide Transition Conference will take place on Nov. 5-6, 2026, at the Sheraton Lisle Naperville Hotel in Lisle, Ill.

To learn more about how to support youth with special healthcare needs during the transition to adulthood, contact DSCC at (800) 322-3722 or dscc@uic.edu.

For more information about the transition conference, visit www.illinoistransitionconference.org/.

Learn more about the annual conference, including highlights from DSCC participants, families and team members, in the video below.

You can also check out our Facebook page to see a photo album with more photos from the 2025 transition conference.

Nearly 20 Illinois families gained valuable knowledge, support and connection for raising a child with hearing loss during the annual Institute in June  

June 10-14, 2025, marked 80 years of the Institute for Parents of Preschool Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

This free, annual program is for parents and caregivers of children ages 6 and under who have an identified hearing loss. It helps families learn, connect, and find support all in one place.

Since 1945, the Institute has welcomed families at the Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) campus in Jacksonville. This year, 18 families from across the state found community and connection at this five-day program.

The Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) helps support the Institute, along with other sponsors.

Support for the Whole Family

The Institute is more than a learning program for parents. It’s a family-friendly event where everyone can join in.

“It really is a valuable experience for everyone who comes,” said Angela Kuhn, director of the Institute and an administrator at ISD. “It’s an event that is inclusive of everyone in your family.”

Parents Rogelio and Lizeth came to the Institute with their 10-year-old son, Roger, and their 2-year-old daughter, Aliah. Aliah was born with Microtia, a condition that affects the shape of the ear and causes hearing loss.

Their family came to the Institute to learn how to best support her development.

“We have learned a lot, how to help my daughter and how to make us stronger, how to defend her, how to prepare her for the future,” shared Lizeth.

“My son Roger has been learning how to help his sister,” added Rogelio.

While Aliah was busy playing with her peers and receiving evaluations from professionals, Rogelio and Lizeth spent their time in workshops and lectures for parents. Roger joined the sibling program, where he took American Sign Language (ASL) lessons and made friends with other siblings of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

By the end of the week, Roger had formed a close bond with other siblings in the program, including Michael (7), Neela (11), and Jezreel (12).

“I wasn’t expecting that…”

Michael came to the Institute with his mom, Brittany, and his younger siblings—Dominic (age 1) and Gianna (age 5). Gianna is profoundly deaf and has CHARGE syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects multiple parts of the body.

At first, Michael wasn’t sure what to expect. “I expected that it wouldn’t really be that fun, I wouldn’t meet any kids to play with,” he said. “But I guess I did—and it was really fun.”

Michael and his new friends spent almost every moment together.

“He’s just like, ‘Hi, Mom. Bye, Mom.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, okay, bye,” Brittany said with a smile.

“I wasn’t expecting that part to be so neat,” she said. “To see them as strangers on Tuesday and then to watch them eating lunch together, being inseparable, that was really cool.”

Extraordinary Connections

Institute and ISD preschool teacher Natalie Garver explained how attendees transform from strangers at the start to a close-knit family by the end.

“It’s so cool how we show up day one and everyone’s kind of looking around like, ‘Was this a good idea? This seems kind of awkward.’ By the last day of Parent Institute, it’s like, ‘Bye, we’re going to miss you. Like, let’s keep in touch, find me on Facebook,’” she described.

“When you share this kind of experience with other people, the connection you can make with families is just extraordinary in such a short amount of time.”

Natalie has taught children who are deaf or hard of hearing for 17 years. She has worked at the Institute for several of those years. Natalie is one of many returning team members who make the experience feel like home for families.

“The staff here does a really good job of making it almost a family setting and culture,” said Institute parent Brent.

Brent and his wife Rebecca are the proud parents of Cash, age 5. They live in Jacksonville where Cash, who uses cochlear implants, is a student at ISD.

 “It’s our job as parents to stay informed and stay involved and keep learning,” Rebecca said. “The Parent Institute is perfect for that.”

“There’s a community for us and they’re closer than we think.”

While Cash and his family are locals, many families travel from all over Illinois to attend the Institute.

Cindi and her 2-year-old daughter, Luna, made the trip from the north side of Chicago. Luna is the first person in her family to be diagnosed with hearing loss.

“This is all brand new. I felt lost, like nobody around the neighborhood that I know of had children with hearing loss,” said Cindi.

“Coming here, I’ve connected with so many parents. I actually found a neighbor, not literally a neighbor, but she’s so close by that we take our kids to the same playground, and we never even noticed. So, it’s been great. There’s a community for us and they’re closer than we think.”

DSCC Family Liaison Violet Wiker, who helps families enroll in the Institute, emphasized the value of these new friendships and their lasting impact.

“I think it’s very wonderful when you walk around the cafeteria and you can hear the kids scream across the line asking mom if they can sit with their new friend…” Violet said.

“And then you see mom and dad making another friend at the lunch table, and they’re sharing experiences and they’re not even in the same location, but they found a friend that maybe they can take home with them and connect with later to say, ‘Hey, I’m feeling this sort of way,’ or’ Hey, do you have a suggestion here?’ And we built that network now.”

Looking Ahead

The 80^th year of the institute was full of learning, laughter, and new friendships. Families left with more knowledge, stronger support systems, and lasting memories.

Tori Lynch, an Institute cadet, looks forward to the Institute’s bright future. “I have no doubt it’ll go on 80 more years.”

Find more memories from the 2025 Institute on our Facebook page in our 2025 recap album. You can also see videos that highlight different parts of the Institute experience on our YouTube playlist.

The following organizations supported the 2025 Institute:

• University of Illinois Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC)
• Department of Human Services – Division of Rehabilitation Services
• Illinois School for the Deaf
• Illinois State Board of Education
• Illinois Department of Public Health
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

For more information about the Institute and how DSCC supports children with hearing loss, call (800) 322-3722 or email dsccinstitute@uic.edu.

The annual Illinois Statewide Transition Conference provides valuable opportunities and resources to help youth and young adults with disabilities navigate the transition to adulthood.

Turning 18 is a major milestone. For Brenton Braxton and his family, they approached it with a mix of excitement and many questions about the future.

What benefits can Brenton qualify for as an adult? What should they know about guardianship and power of attorney?

Brenton has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that causes his muscles to weaken over time.

“When Brenton was first diagnosed when he was 7, these things that are being presented to us now – at that time, we had no idea that we’d be able to be at this place. So, that’s why my word I keep using is a sense of excitement because… Brenton’s still thriving,” his mom, Veneise, said.

Brenton is now a senior in high school with a strong interest in sports and a desire to go to college and “live life to the fullest.”

To help Brenton and his family prepare for what’s next, their Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) Care Coordinator recommended they attend the Illinois Statewide Transition Conference.

The annual event provides valuable resources and information to help youth with disabilities and their families navigate the transition to adulthood.

“One of the major reasons why we wanted to attend this conference is that we wanted to get in the room with the resources. We wanted to get to the people, talk to the people, engage with the people that can say, ‘Hey, here’s what your child qualifies for. Hey, try this program for him, do this, go down this avenue,’” Veneise said.

“You just really want to have your feet grounded in knowing what’s getting ready to happen.”

The Braxtons were among nearly 450 people who attended the 19th Illinois Statewide Transition Conference, titled “Stepping Stones of Transition,” on Nov 7-8, 2024, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield.

The transition conference brings together youth with disabilities, parents, caregivers, vocational professionals, healthcare professionals, educators and more.

Youth with disabilities and their families can network and find answers to common questions about the transition to adulthood, including:

• What happens after I leave high school?
• How do I sort through the maze of resources?
• What steps can I take now to prepare for upcoming changes?
• What skills are important for me to develop?

“Here we all are in one space.”

DSCC Home Care Family Outreach Associate Erica Stearns describes the annual conference as “a dream come true.”

Erica is the parent of two children enrolled with DSCC. Erica also has lived experience as an individual with disabilities.

“I was talking to another adult with disabilities before this interview, and it dawned on me, I didn’t grow up having this,” she said.

“To have an event where everyone is coming together for a similar purpose related to our children and their disabilities is incredibly meaningful, and it’s unique in that here we all are in one space.”

Erica highlighted the importance of ensuring youth and young adults have access to the information and resources they need as they transition to adulthood.

“It is abundantly clear that while we know that there are certain steps and certain paths that individuals with disabilities can take as they navigate their entry into adulthood, the information to prepare both their families and themselves for that is very challenging to find,” she said.

“I think most families feel empowered with knowledge. And I think that’s what this conference provides families is information, knowledge, tools and resources.”

DSCC helps sponsor the conference and serves on its steering committee. DSCC also provides financial support to help participant families attend the conference.

Claire Cook is DSCC’s Title V Transition Specialist and co-chair of the Transition Conference’s Steering Committee.

“Several families came back from last year,” said Claire. “We had about 20 or so individual families from DSCC, five of which were primarily Spanish speaking and several of our transition-age youth.”

“A lot of opportunities, a lot of information.”

Jani, 14, attended the conference with his mom, Aimee, and sister, Grace.

Jani has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). He first enrolled with DSCC when he was diagnosed with SMA, close to 12 years ago.

Jani described the conference as a positive experience with valuable information. He and his family gained resources, discovered new opportunities and made connections.

“We had a very nice family that was sitting by us (at lunch), whose son had a similar disability. It was just nice to talk to them and hear their story,” Jani said.

When asked if he would recommend the conference to other young adults, he said, “You should definitely come because it has a lot of opportunities, a lot of information. It’s just good to come to understand what’s going to happen, what they want to do later in life.”

After high school, Jani plans to go to college and become a teacher.

“I want her to be strong, and I want her to be confident.”

TaLeah, 17, attended the conference with her mom, Tamara. TaLeah first enrolled with DSCC 15 years ago, when she was diagnosed with hearing loss.

She is an accomplished basketball player who plans to go to college, play basketball and be successful.

“I want her to be strong, and I want her to be confident,” said Tamara.

“I want her to continue to advocate for herself and others. And I think she’s doing a good job thus far.”

Tamara said she is trying to give her daughter the best tools and equip her the best way she knows how.

“All this information is very helpful and hopefully it’ll help build her up.”

Brenton Braxton said the resources and knowledge his family gained at the conference will help him achieve his goals.

“I think some things from here that I learned is that not only I’ll still have my independence, but I can also use my parents to help me in my journey and to living it to the fullest and doing all the things I want to do,” he said.

On turning 18, he said, “It’s a big step, but I feel like with the support from my family and people around me, it’ll be good.”

Save the Date for the 2025 Transition Conference

The 2025 Illinois Statewide Transition Conference will take place Oct. 30-31 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield.

To learn more about how to support youth with special healthcare needs during the transition to adulthood, contact DSCC at (800) 322-3722 or dscc@uic.edu.

For more information about the Transition Conference, visit www.illinoistransitionconference.org/.

Check out our Facebook page to see a photo album with more photos from the 2024 Transition Conference.