Current advances in our knowledge of the genetic contributions to physical health and its integration into medical care have generated both opportunities for advancing healthcare and critical gaps in knowledge on its impact. We will introduce the landscape of genetic advances for individuals with neurodevelopmental differences, from diagnostics to ancestry and predictive risk. We will also explore the current state of genetics within healthcare, the role of early diagnosis on outcomes, opportunities for implementation of individualized interventions, and discuss future directions for this advancing field.

In this webinar, we will share about AUCD's Language and Communications Access Plan and lessons learned from the first two years of implementation. From 2019-2021, the UCEDD Resource Center (URC) supported a pilot implementing the plan, with the creation of the Plain Language Advisory Group and Spanish Language Caucus. Join us to learn about the work of both groups, what the URC has learned in its efforts to improve the language and communications accessibility of its technical assistance, and how this might apply to the work at your center or program.

Presenters from The Ohio State University (OSU) Nisonger Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) will provide an overview of knowledge translation (KT), discuss general methods and specific strategies to conduct KT activities with stakeholders, and describe their research project's KT model and process. Participants will also see examples developed by the team in consultation with the project's Disability Experience Expert Panel, a group of research partners with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This presentation will provide an overview of the incidence and pathophysiology of epilepsy in patients with autism spectrum disorders, as well as special considerations in treatment.

Research demonstrates that autistic individuals interact with the criminal justice system at high rates. These interactions consequently are risk factors to physical, behavioral, and mental health, as well as the overall wellbeing of autistic individuals. The Global Autism and Criminal Justice Consortium was developed to address this issue and respond to calls from the autism community to prioritize criminal justice concerns.

This installment of the Admin Essentials Series will focus on professional development and succession planning. We will be joined by content experts Molly Tucker (Training and Advocacy Manager, Georgia State University Center for Leadership in Disability) and Derrick Willis (Director, University of Iowa Center for Disabilities and Development).

Join us for updates on how the latest national research indicates autistic individuals are gaining, maintaining, and using Medicaid that point toward areas for policy and program change. Experiences from Pennsylvania, a state with two of the first and only Medicaid programs to serve autistic adults, will describe how practice is unfolding on the ground and where research is needed to improve health outcomes.

Drawing on findings from his dissertation research, Nachman discusses how autistic college students make sense of and reconcile challenges related to their mental health and wellness. He describes the influence of an autism-specific college support program in enabling students to think through emergent issues and determine solutions that support their well-being. Nachman will relay study insights and practical recommendations for colleges to implement.

This webinar will help to prepare interdisciplinary professionals to become important team members and crucial partners to parents and teachers in the early childhood intervention field (e.g., teachers, speech/language pathologists; occupational therapists, physical therapists; early behavior specialists; and social workers).

This webinar will offer interested potential applicants an opportunity to interact with the AUCD Leadership Academy faculty. The webinar will feature a brief overview of the 2022 Academy curriculum and timeline. This will be followed by a time for questions from potential applicants to the 2022 AUCD Leadership Academy. In addition, alumni will share their reflections about the benefits they gained from participation in the week-long academy.

This webinar will discuss how to intentionally use social media to boost outreach to policy members, stakeholders, advocates, and people with disabilities, how to encourage engagement with social media posts, ensuring that accessible post design is top of mind, and how to track and use social media analytics to make communication decisions to your social media platforms.

After introducing common aims and controversies surrounding the neurodiversity movement, this presentation will empirically examine how support for the neurodiversity movement intersects with perspectives about socially valid "intervention" goal among autistic and non-autistic stakeholders.

Dr. Rujuta B. Wilson provided education on sleep difficulties in autism in this webinar. The following areas were addressed: (1) prevalence and diagnosis of sleep difficulties in autism, (2) the current knowledge in the field of why sleep difficulties occur in autism, and (3) behavioral and pharmacologic treatment for sleep difficulties.

Family assessment is required in IDEA Part C but is important throughout childhood and youth. A unique way to determine family needs is a Routines-Based Intervention, especially if it involves asking about time for yourself, what you worry about, and what you'd like to change in your life. This intervention leads to outcomes/goals meaningful to families and functional for children.

This webinar will prepare participants to attend the 2022 Disability Policy Seminar. AUCD's policy team will review the basics of how the federal government operates, provide tips for meeting with policymakers, and how to frame policy priorities for effective impact.