The CTA Special Education Conference features sessions full of strategies, insights and proven research to support you and your exceptional students. This year’s theme is Building Bridges: Families, Educators, and Specialists Working Together to Serve the Whole Student.

Join us for a robust program that dives into not only classroom pedagogy, but specific strategies for collaboration, communication, and successful outcomes.

If you have any questions, please email the conference staff at SpEdConf@cta.org.

CONFERENCE AGENDA*: Click here to view the Conference Agenda

WORKSHOP GRID*: Coming soon!

DESCRIPTIONS*: Coming soon!

• CTA Members – $139
• CTA Aspiring Educators – $40
• Invited Exhibitor – $570 / booth

The hotel offers onsite self-parking for a CTA discounted rate of $18/night.

John Wayne Airport/Orange County (SNA): 13 miles

Long Beach Airport/Daugherty Field (LGB): 17 miles

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): 37 miles

Please consider using public transportation to travel to the conference. Please visit https://go511.com/ for maps, schedules, fares and more information.

Airfare Discount: United Airlines offers reduced rates for CTA members up to 10%. Please visit www.united.com from a desktop computer and enter the code ZRVW947785 under Upgrades, Certificates, and Promotion codes. This can be found by clicking Advanced Search under “Book”. Please check with the other airlines to ensure that you are getting the best rate.

Registration Link Coming Soon!

Childcare for the 2026 Special Education Conference is available to CTA Members and Staff attendees who are the primary caregivers of the child(ren) attending. Click here for more childcare information.

You must Register your Child to reserve a spot at Camp CTA through the event registration website. Children attending Camp CTA must adhere to the conference Health & Safety Policies.

When: Camp CTA will take place from October 2 – October 4, 2026

Day/Dates/Times of program:

• Friday, October 2, 2026 – 6:15 pm – 9:15 pm
• Saturday, October 3, 2026 – 7:45 am – 5:45 pm
• Sunday, October 4, 2026 – 7:45 am – 12:15 pm

Session documents will be available in the conference app and attendee hub closer to the start of the conference. You must be logged in to the Event App to view session documents. Provided documents can be found at the bottom of each session page within the Event App and Attendee Hub.

The health and safety of attendees, exhibitors and staff are our highest priority. In partnership with hotels, CTA will adhere to all official government and local authority guidance, as well as any venue or location-specific regulations.

All attendees, staff, exhibitors, and invited guests are strongly encouraged to wear a mask on-site in event-designated programming areas. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test is not required to attend the event.

Click here to see CTA’s health and safety policies for in-person events.

Code of Conduct for CTA Events

The California Teachers Association (CTA) is committed to ensuring that all attendees of its conferences and meetings have equal access and opportunity to participate in these events. CTA recognizes that some attendees with disabilities may require the assistance of animals for various reasons. This document outlines the policy and procedures for reasonably accommodating disabled attendees who require the use of assistive animals at CTA conferences and other events. This policy also recognizes that for the health and safety of all attendees and to avoid disruptions at CTA conferences and meetings, pets are not permitted in conference and meeting spaces.

Please click HERE to view the full Animal Accommodation Policy.

A link to purchase specially-priced Disneyland Resort Theme Park tickets will be provided in your registration confirmation email.

Grant applications will open soon!

Click here for more information on conference grants.

Professional Growth Hours: By attending this conference, you will earn 15 hours of Professional Development which can be used to claim (1) University Credit through our partner, CSU Chico. Conference attendance from start to finish is required to receive the Professional Growth Hours. After the conference, attendees will be emailed a certificate of Professional Growth Hours.

University Credit: The CTA University Credit Program is a benefit available to members who attend CTA Conferences or watch recorded sessions through the CTA Virtual Pass to Online Learning. Please visit www.CTA.org/Credit for all timelines and information on how to claim the credit.

Email: SpEdConf@cta.org