This bi-annual meeting was an opportunity for MCHB-funded Autism CARES legislation grantees representing research, training, and state implementation stakeholders to share information about activities within their respective networks, discuss emerging trends, and facilitate meaningful collaboration.

The 2015 AUCD Conference will be held at the Washington, DC, Renaissance Hotel.

This workshop will introduce LEND audiology trainees to the various challenges associated with assessing, monitoring, and effectively serving children with hearing loss and additional disabilities in an interdisciplinary context. It is a unique, interactive learning opportunity that brings together trainees and faculty from across the country.

On Sunday evening immediately before the Disability Policy Seminar, AUCD is hosting a special Trainee Policy Summit! Attendees will have exclusive access to Hill staffers and former trainees now working in policy, and learn from the experts how to best craft your message for Wednesday's Hill visits. An evening reception will provide a comfortable background for trainees to meet and network with over 200 peers from around the country.

During this crucial election season we need YOU in Washington, D.C. to help us build bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for high-priority disability issues. When you attend the Disability Policy Seminar, we'll arm you with all of the information you need to help educate our Members of Congress and their staff on the priorities of the I/DD community.

Latinos represent the fastest growing population in the US, and Latino children are one of the fastest growing ASD populations. Despite this growth, they are one of the most underserved groups with respect to diagnostic services, health care, and specialty autism services. Dr. Sandy Magana will discuss the development of a culturally-based approach to addressing informational needs of Latino parents, which is essential in order to better support their children with ASD. She will present preliminary findings of a randomized controlled trial that is underway to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model.

As part of Network activities, the AIR-P/ATN holds a monthly webinar series titled "Advances in Autism Research & Care" (AARC) which alternates autism research and care themes, and is available to all AIR-P/ATN network members, CAAI-sponsored programs, the entire LEND and DBP Fellowship networks, various other autism and pediatric organizations, collaborators, primary care providers, as well as autism advocates. Research webinars feature current AIR-P research study investigators, while care focused themes cover hot topics in the field of autism, and promote idea generation for future research.

This annual meeting was an opportunity for Division of Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development (DMCHWD) grantees to come together around topics of mutual relevance and increase their knowledge of innovative training methods. It was hosted by AUCD's Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (ITAC).

Hosted by Baylor College of Medicine and available nationwide through an AUCD-sponsored live broadcast, this year's conference will be a valuable resource for the entire network.

One of the most difficult times for youth and young adults with ASD is the transition from school to adulthood. In fact, young adults with ASD typically experience low rates of employment, independent living, and connection to community. This session will review the research regarding employment outcomes for youth with ASD as well as review 3 important pathways to employment. These pathways are internships, supported employment and customized employment. Additionally, the presenters will provide specific examples regarding the supports youth and adults with ASD used to acquire and maintain employment in community-based integrated environments.

This webinar will provide a forum for discussing issues related to the inclusion of family in MCH Training programs. Panelists will discuss existing resources to strengthen the family discipline and strategies for program leaders and family faculty to build their programs by broadening and deepening the involvement of families.

Behavioral interventions have been critical for improving the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Notable achievements include the improved numbers of children with optimal outcomes, and the larger number of children accessing the regular curriculum. Despite these gains, standard behavioral methods have had the least success in social communication outcomes. We continue to find nearly half of all children entering school without fluent, socially related communication skills. This talk will focus on the core social communication impairment in children with ASD, evaluations of this core domain and recently developed, effective interventions.

The power of our collective voices working together to sustain vital supports and services for people with disabilities and their families cannot be denied. The AUCD Conference brings us together to discuss the strategies, innovations, and systems that will allow us to continue to move the needle forward. Join us at the 2017 AUCD Conference as we celebrate successes, learn from past efforts, seek opportunities in the present, and innovate for the future.

Take advantage of this amazing opportunity to connect and network with more than 800 public health officials who share an interest in maternal and child health. The schedule of workshops and skills-building sessions for the 2018 AMCHP Annual Conference has been posted online!