News & Blogs

Header graphic reading: Postponed. Path Forward: LBSA Behavioral Support Service conference, next to a light orange butterfly logo.

September 10, 2026

POSTPONED Path Forward Behavioral Support Service Conference

POSTPONED Path Forward Behavioral Support Service Conference LBSA’s “The Path Forward Behavioral Support Service Conference” has been postponed at this time. We remain fully committed to bringing our community together to explore practical, person-centered approaches to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Please continue to monitor for upcoming opportunities. Read More

Header graphic reading: Path Forward: LBSA Behavioral Support Service conference, next to a light orange butterfly logo.

September 3, 2026

Why the Room Matters as Much as the Speakers

Why the Room Matters as Much as the Speakers A conference is only as good as the conversation it creates. At the LBSA 2026 Behavioral Support Mini-Conference, that conversation happens between people who rarely sit at the same table. Direct support professionals notice things others miss. They see the… Read More

Promotional Graphic with a photo of Connor Larson And Sally Sales that reads

August 28, 2026

Five Reasons to Attend the LBSA 2026 Behavioral Support Mini-Conference

Five Reasons to Attend the LBSA 2026 Behavioral Support Mini-Conference Speakers do not make a conference worth attending on their own. What they bring to the room does. Here is what Sally Sales and Connor Larson offer, and why it matters for your work. First, you get 20… Read More

Promotional Graphic with a photo of Connor Larson that reads

August 25, 2026

Meet Mini-Conference Speaker Connor Larson

Meet Mini-Conference Speaker Connor Larson, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner We are pleased to welcome Connor Larson, DNP, RN, PHN, as a featured speaker at LBSA’s Behavioral Support Mini-Conference. Connor has worked alongside people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) since he was 16 years old. This long-standing commitment gives him… Read More

Promotional Graphic with a photo of Sally Sales that reads

July 30, 2026

Meet Mini-Conference Speaker Sally Sales

Meet Mini-Conference Speaker Sally Sales What does whole-person care look like when it reaches all the way into someone’s daily life? This question sits at the center of our 2026 Mini-Conference. We are honored to welcome Sally Sales as one of our speakers. Sally brings more than 20 years of… Read More

July 14, 2026

They Called 911: “Now what?” said the person, the caregiver, and the medical staff

They Called 911: “Now what?” said the person, the caregiver and the medical staff Better health outcomes begin before a person enters the hospital’s front doors. “My name is Johnny, I am 20 years old, have autism and live with my parents, who are my primary caretakers. I am nonverbal… Read More

Two individuals sitting at a table looking at one another with papers in front of them.

June 17, 2026

What About a “To-Be List”, Not a “To-Do List”

What About a “To-Be List”, Not a “To-Do List” A phrase shared with me recently, while discussing whole person care, has stayed with me: “We don’t need a to-do list. We need a to-be list.” I stopped when I heard it because it captured something I had been feeling but… Read More

Doug Turk, LICSW, Director of Behavioral Support Services at Laura Baker Services Association.

May 8, 2026

Boxes and cookie-cutters, oh my.

Boxes and cookie-cutters, oh my. Throughout time, humans have learned to define groups of people. Could be geography, skin color, gender or any number of things. By defining these groups, a box is formed that allows outsiders to look at the group and assume everyone in that group has the… Read More

Person gently holding another person’s hands.

March 12, 2026

Together We Can

Together We Can “Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and to work for it, and to fight for it.” – Barack Obama This year, both personally and… Read More

Two people sitting at a table with a computer in front of them.

March 6, 2026

Transitioning Into Adulthood: Avoiding “The Cliff”

Transitioning Into Adulthood: Avoiding “The Cliff” The transition out of high school is a deeply emotional and often an overwhelming time for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and the people who love them. Throughout the school years, families can rely on a familiar network of support, special education… Read More