The Disability Policy Seminar is the premier opportunity to cultivate champions on Capitol Hill and advance the grassroots movement for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Join AUCD, the Arc, AAIDD, NACDD, SABE, and UCP as we learn about and advocate for access to health care and community living supports, and bedrock civil rights protections. The first 100 days of any new Administration and Congress are key to setting the agenda, and this year, more than ever, we need you in Washington, DC.

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) in partnership with the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University (GSU) is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for the inaugural AUCD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. The academy will be held on the downtown GSU campus in Atlanta, Georgia on June 25-30, 2017.

This webinar will: (1) introduce the Embedding Project to the members of the NTDC; and (2) share the array of resources and tools designed to build the capacity of network programs to embed widely accepted Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC) policies, structures, and practices across the four UCEDD core functions of interdisciplinary pre-service training and continuing education, community services, research and evaluation, and information dissemination.

Daisy Christensen, Epidemiologist at NCBDDD at CDC, will present on the recent "Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014" data release. The latest findings from the ADDM Network provide evidence that the prevalence of ASD is higher than previously reported estimates and continues to vary among certain racial/ethnic groups and communities. With prevalence of ASD ranging from 13.1 to 29.3 per 1,000 children aged 8 years in different communities throughout the United States, the need for behavioral, educational, residential, and occupational services remains high, as does the need for increased research on both genetic and nongenetic risk factors for ASD. During the latter half of the webinar, Rebecca Wolf, Team Lead, "Learn the Signs. Act Early." at CDC, and Brian Barger, Director of Research and Evaluation at GSU's UCEDD, will present on the study and findings of, "Better Together: Developmental Screening and Monitoring Best Identify Children who need Early Intervention".

The AUCD Leadership Academy is a week-long program designed to enhance the skills of current and emerging leaders from the disability network in building coalitions that will improve systems of supports and services. Participation is open to individuals from Self Advocacy Organizations, UCEDDs, LENDs, IDDRCs, CILs, DD Councils, Disability Rights, community based disability organizations, and other disability partners to come together to immerse themselves for a week of study, shared experiences, self-evaluation, and skill development. Participants will continue to engage with their cohort, academy staff, local coaches, and national allies in the year following the experience. The academy will focus on the exploration of shared values and commitments to civil and human rights, assessments of personal and leadership strengths, skills in building partnerships to achieve collective impact, and establishing personal and professional leadership goals.

This webinar will use the ABLE Act as an ongoing case study in disability policy, from legislation development and passage to implementation, evaluation, and revision. It will also help trainees and practicing professionals feel more confident in their abilities to advocate for ABLE accounts and other structural solutions that support positive outcomes for their patients/clients across the lifespan.

Staff from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will discuss DS-Connect: The Down Syndrome Registry (https://DSConnect.nih.gov) and what it can offer families. They will describe how families can fill out surveys, participate in research, and view the aggregate de-identified data. NIH staff will also show how a researcher or clinician interested in any aspect of Down syndrome can use the registry for learning about Down syndrome and recruiting participants for studies. Webinar participants will also learn about progress in studies being supported by DS-Connect.

Join us for this 1-hour webinar on the NIH All of Us Research Program and precision medicine, being supported by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), in partnership with the American Association on Health Disability (AAHD) as AAHD presents on the outreach it is doing to insure people with disabilities are included in this initiative. You'll also hear what two UCEDDs are doing in their states to reach the disability community.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) is pleased to invite you to attend our annual special event to recognize National Autism Awareness Month, A Woman's Voice: Understanding Autistic Needs.

The 2019 Summer Institute on Theology and Disability will be held in Holland, Michigan, May 20-23, 2019 in partnership with Western Theological Seminar. The Institute brings together academics, theologians, practitioners, and others to explore the inclusive intersections of faith and disabilities.

The Oregon Self-Advocacy Coalition, the Oregon Office on Disability and Health and the University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities is excited to share their newly released, free on-line toolkit, called "Taking Charge of My Health Care".

The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children is in the process of developing the first ever, stand alone, Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Personnel Preparation Standards. Learn more about the standards,what led to this important step forward for the EI/ECSE workforce and what it means to the Early Childhood Field/Systems. We will share opportunities to provide feedback to the DEC Standards Development Task Force.

Most professional believe that early intervention (EI) is essential to improving outcomes for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. But how early is "early?" Should screening identify newborns with IDD, even before symptoms appear? Is there value in "pre-symptomatic" EI for children or families? Are pre-symptomatic treatments powerful enough to alter developmental trajectories in meaningful ways? Using fragile X syndrome to exemplify these issues, this presentation describes Early Check, a research program in which screening newborns for several disorders is offered to 120,000 families per year.

Calling all IDDRC, LEND, and UCEDD trainees! Join this webinar to learn about a NEW leadership opportunity! AUCD includes 5 Councils that address emerging trends and issues to facilitate communication across and beyond the AUCD network, including community education, leadership and advocacy, research and evaluation, diversity and inclusion, and interdisciplinary training. This year, one trainee per Council will be selected as a Council Trainee Representative and act as a liaison between the Emerging Leaders Community and the Council.

This webinar will offer interested potential applicants an opportunity to interact with AUCD Leadership Academy faculty and alumni. The webinar will feature a brief overview of the 2020 Academy curriculum and timeline. This will be followed by reflections from alumni about the benefits they gained from participation in the week-long academy and the follow-up activities.