AUCDigest

December 12, 2007 • Volume 7, Number 11

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2007 Sibling Leadership Network Conference

2007 Sibling Leadership Network Conference Report. The November 9–10, 2007 event was sponsored by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental Disabilities and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD). The meeting was convened by a steering committee composed primarily by representatives from the Institute on Disability and Human Development (IL UCEDD), the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, the Nisonger Center (OH UCEDD/LEND), and the Sibling Support Project of the United States. Over 80 brothers and sisters of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities other committed professionals in the disabilities field discussed services and supports, policy advocacy, and research, and created three White Paper Working Groups that over the next twelve months will delineate issues and make recommendations for change. Their ultimate goal is to create opportunities for siblings to partner with government and service providers to ensure the highest quality of life, now and in the future, for their entire families.

Two National Professional Associations Recognize the Human Development Institute’s (KY UCEDD) Pre-service Health Training Modules for CME Credit. The American Dental Association and the American Academy for Physician Assistants both posted specific Modules directly onto their website for Category 1 CME credit for each module. The Pre-service Health Training project was designed to train medical, allied health, dental and nursing students, using a virtual patient approach, about the needs of patients with developmental disabilities. Funded by the Kentucky Council on Developmental Disabilities, the modules were developed in collaboration with families, consumers, and medical, nursing, and allied health faculty, to be infused into existing course work. For more information, visit the Physician Assistant modules website.

Center on Disability and Community Inclusion (VT UCEDD/LEND) Raising Awareness on Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). The UCEDD hosted a series of CVI workshops in November. Over 150 Professionals and family members attended workshops which ranged from an introductory training on understanding CVI, to advanced workshops for professionals. In addition, a Mentorship Training gathered professionals who mentor others on CVI issues. Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy, a CVI expert, spoke at all of the events sponsored by the Vermont Project for Children and Youth with Deaf-blindness. For more information on Vermont's CVI program, contact Susan Edelman.

A.J. Pappanikou Center (CT UCEDD) Begins Early Intervention Specialist Program (EISP). Started December 1, 2007, the Connecticut UCEDD began a new cohort of students for their online Early Intervention Specialist Program (EISP). The interactive, competency-based program is organized into three interactive modules: (1) Family-centered Practice, (2) Cross-disciplinary Interventions in Natural Environments and (3) Interagency Collaborations. The course is aimed at increasing the number and quality of early interventionists serving infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. Participants must be employed in the field of early intervention. For more information, please contact Dr. Melissa Van Buren.

News and Activities from the Rose F. Kennedy UCEDD/LEND (NY)

Children's Tumor Foundation Honors Faculty. On November 7, 2007, at its annual gala, the Children's Tumor Foundation honored members of the clinical team of the Einstein/Montefiore Center for Neurofibromatosis for its contributions to the care of individuals with neurofibromatosis. Dr. Robert Marion, Director of the Rose F. Kennedy UCEDD at Einstein, is co-director of the NF center.
UCEDD Associate Director’s Editorial Addresses Medicaid Inequities. Dr. Arnold Birenbaum, UCEDD Associate Director, had an editorial piece published in the Journal News, a Gannett-Westchester newspaper. Entitled Don't skimp on Medicaid in order to provide universal health care, Dr. Birenbaum addressed inequities in the Medicaid system for individuals with disabilities.

News and Activities from the Tarjan Center (CA UCEDD)

Pathway at UCLA Extension Nationally Featured on NBC Nightly News. Pathway at UCLA Extension is a new college program at UCLA for students with developmental disabilities. Dr. Raynor, Director, Tarjan Center chaired the committee that developed the program that is now implemented through UCLA's Continuing Education division. The program was featured December 1, 2007 on NBC Nightly News. To watch go to: http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=35c49524-b657-4e3c-9627-fe1a9a8affda (If you are unable to use the hyperlink, please copy and paste the URL in your browser to watch the video.)
Alcohol and HIV Prevention. Mary O’Connor received a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The grant is titled Neighborhood Alcohol and HIV Prevention in South African Townships. (Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus, PI)
Access to Postsecondary Education. Testimony titled "Recommendations to Improve Access to Postsecondary Education for Students with Developmental Disabilities " was provided by Dr. Olivia Raynor at a hearing conducted by the Assembly Committee on Human Services concerning the Lanterman Act. The testimony was conducted on November 16, 2007 in San Jose, CA.
Poster Presentations on Neuroscience. Mary O’Connor presented 2 posters at the 37th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, CA: Children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure show decreased activation during orthographic processing and Increased dorsal frontal and inferior parietal activation during verbal working memory among children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Service & Inclusion Initiatives

Alliance for Inclusion Advancement. Karen Leventhal conducted training at the Los Angeles and Sacramento Service Inclusion regional network meetings on the topics Creating Leaders in Volunteerism and Legal Rights & Responsibilities Around Including Volunteers with Disabilities.

Service Inclusion Blog launched on Tarjan Center Service Inclusion Website. First post was titled “The Art of Service."

For further information, please contact Dr. Olivia Raynor.

News and Activities from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD)

UCEDD Faculty Travels to Jordan to Teach a Course on Autism and ADHD. Dr. Zachary Warren, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Autism Parent Support and Education Program, was invited to Jordan to teach a pediatric review course. The course is designed to keep pediatricians up-to-date on best practices in their field. Warren gave talks on ADHD and on the neuropsychological consequences of cancer and cancer treatment in younger children. He also delivered the keynote address, Early Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders. In addition, Warren gave a community talk on autism, and toured research and clinical facilities.
UCEDD Training Obstetricians on Lifespan Issues for Families with Disabilities. Dr. Terri Urbano, Director of Training and of Health for the VKC UCEDD, and Roxanne Carreon, VKC UCEDD Family Outreach Program Coordinator, will co-teach a class on disability related issues for Vanderbilt medical students considering a specialization in obstetrics. The course focuses on enrichment topics and was developed by Vanderbilt Professor of Obstetrics, Dr. Frank Boehm. The course repeats every 5 weeks and will allow Urbano and Carreon to train over 123 medical students on everything from prenatal testing, to how to inform a family that a child has a disability, to end-of-life issues.

For further information, please contact Courtney Taylor, Associate Director of Communications and Dissemination.

News and Activities from the Institute for Community Inclusion (MA UCEDD/LEND)

Conference Activities and Presentations

The UCEDD hosted "Mission Employment 3" on October 23rd in Marlborough, MA. EOHHS Assistant Secretary for Disability Policy and Programs Dr. Jean McGuire opened the plenary session followed by a panel presentation focusing on the theme of New Leadership, New Vision. Attended by over 500 disability and employment professionals, state agency staff and people with disabilities, this conference provided a showcase for promising practices in the field of disability and employment.
Susan Foley presented to the Research Committee of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation on preliminary findings from the Emergent Disability Survey at their annual meeting in San Antonio Texas in October 2007.
Heike Boeltzig presented a poster Advancing Parent-Professional Leadership in Education - Preliminary Findings from a Five Year Intervention Project at the AUCD Annual Conference November 10-14, 2007 in Washington, DC.
Susan Foley and Heike Boeltzig presented on a panel at the AUCD conference on November 12th that was entitled Translating Research into Practice: The Methodological Challenges of Conducting Research in Community Settings.

Grant Activities

Heike Boeltzig and her British colleague Doria Pilling from the Rehabilitation Resource Center at City University London, UK, received their second grant from the IBM Center for the Business of Government. The funding will be used to conduct A Synthesis of Research Findings on Public Employment Service Delivery to People with Disabilities and Health Problems in the United States and the United Kingdom. This 6 months project will start in February 2008.
Susan Foley participated in the New Routes to Community Health Kickoff event in Washington DC announcing the grantees of the Robert Wood Johnson/Benton Foundation funded New Routes to Community Health. The eight grantees from across the country (including ICI, the Haitian American Public Health Initiative and the Haitian Media Network) assembled to discuss the use of community media to improve the health of immigrants. ICI will be working with the Haitian community to address mental health issues through a telenovela style broadcast.

Publications

Heike Boeltzig, Jaimie Timmons, and John Butterworth wrote an article entitled "Entering Work: Employment Outcomes of People with Developmental Disabilities" that will be published next year in the International Journal of Rehabilitation Research.

For further information, please contact Quinn Barbour.

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