OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
2/16/2021
MN LEND Fellow Brings Trauma-Informed Care to Children
Alice Kraiza (MN LEND Fellow, 2017-18) is a project coordinator for the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc., where she is helping bring evidence-based children's mental health treatments to schools to improve the quality of care for students who are recovering from trauma
1/11/2021
A Virtual Mock Developmental Assessment: Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Leadership During COVID-19
The Alaska LEND Without Walls is a program that has embraced video teleconferencing as a method to reach faculty and fellows across the geographically vast state. During the current pandemic, the Alaska LEND program utilized a virtual environment for all activities. As part of the annual fall semester "face to face" seminar, interdisciplinary faculty and fellows participate in a mock developmental assessment.
9/30/2020
Mailman Early Autism Intervention Program
The Mailman Early Autism Intervention program uses the evidence-based, manualized Project Impact model, to provide telehealth-based parent coaching to families of children ages 18 months to 4 years with social communication challenges. This project was developed in response to COVID-19 to replace in-person services. This program includes 6 pre-recorded webinars for parents and 6 live coaching sessions. If needed, there is an optional 7th webinar and related coaching session focused on managing challenging behavior.
8/7/2020
The ECHO Effect
The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, recently launched two new initiatives - ECHO AAC and ECHO Autism WI. Both programs are targeted to help improve and expand teletraining services using the Project ECHO� (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) platform. Project ECHO (the mantra for which is "All teach, all learn") uses video-conferencing technology to provide education and case consultation on best practice clinical services, training, and resources for individuals with specific healthcare needs that are difficult to meet locally.
6/8/2020
MMI Psychology Department to Offer Free Consultative Clinics
The Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI) Psychology Department at UNMC is offering free behavioral telehealth consultative clinics. Families of children age 18 or younger can access two free consultative appointments via the teleconferencing platform Zoom or by phone. Providing the services via telehealth also means they will be available to people across the entire state.
5/18/2020
Communication is Vital: Learn how the WI UCEDD is helping pave the way for intubated COVID-19 patients
At the Waisman Center, home of Wisconsin's LEND, IDDRC, and UCEDD, clinicians in the Communication Aids and Systems Clinic (CASC) join a new international task force designed to help patients on ventilators communicate while intubated. CASC is one of 10 different specialty clinics within the Waisman Center and offers specialized services for those who benefit from augmentative and alternative communication aids (AAC). One clinician in CASC, Sarah Marshall, a speech-language pathologist (SLP), has been working with the international task force to develop free communication supports and tools for patients on ventilators due to COVID-19. For patient's suffering from this potentially life-threatening illness, communication with providers and loved ones can be vital. Due to restrictions placed on visitors and the nature of intubation, patients needing intubation and placed on ventilators often find themselves alone and unable to communicate their needs.
5/8/2020
New Mexico Early Cerebral Palsy Risk Detection and Intervention Task Force
New Mexico Early Cerebral Palsy Risk Detection and Intervention Task Force was developed with leadership from the University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability (CDD). Sandra Heimerl, PT, DPT, MS training director of the New Mexico LEND leads the task force. Two years ago several colleagues went to a national conference (American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine conference) to learn new clinical guidelines for detecting cerebral palsy early. The twenty-plus person team began working to develop the task force in 2017. In the last state legislative session a house resolution was passed to study how to implement the new guidelines in New Mexico.
4/22/2020
MN LEND Teams Launch Projects
Hosting a film series and discussions exploring cultural responses to autism. Asking families what services they need most. Evaluating and expanding a promising mentoring program.
4/20/2020
Father Communication Coaching (FCC) Program for Children with ASD
University of Rhode Island
Parent involvement is critical for communication development for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, fathers are often overlooked in communication intervention and research. Fathers have unique communication and interaction styles that can improve communication skills for children with ASD. Through their interdisciplinary project, Father Communication Coaching (FCC)
2/29/2020
Kansas LEND Trainee - Robinson International Scholar
Delaney Owen is currently a speech language pathology graduate student and a long term LEND Trainee at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She was selected for the Robinson International Scholar Studies Award. The Robinson International Studies Award honors former KUMC Professor, Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs, and Chief of Staff, Dr. David W. Robinson, and his commitment to cross-cultural education.
2/1/2020
New App Developed by Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) to Help Pediatricians Recognize Autism Risk in Young Children
Researchers from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (VKC TRIAD, TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) and partners from technology start-up Adaptive Technology Consulting have been awarded $1 million from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to evaluate a new mobile app designed to help pediatricians recognize autism risk in young children.
1/16/2020
Ohio State LEND Leadership Project Aims to Build Relationships Between New Mothers and Healthcare Providers
Ohio State LEND faculty Lori Grisez (Physical Therapy) and Dr. Andrea Witwer (Psychology) initiated a program called Next Steps that aims to promote healthy development in infants and young children living in poverty in Central Ohio. The Next Steps program is an extension of the Moms2B program that was created in 2010 by pediatrician Dr. Patricia Gabbe and infant mental health specialist Twinkle French Schottke to address the alarmingly high infant mortality rate in Central Ohio.
12/23/2019
Va-LEND Integral Component of New Physical Therapy Residency Program
Va LEND is now partnering with the new Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU joins 26 other pediatric physical therapy residency programs nationwide. The current cohort of LEND trainees includes two pediatric PTs enrolled in the new yearlong residency. Dr. Terry Solano, the director of the residency program and a former LEND trainee, sees Va-LEND participation as an ideal fit for the pediatric PT residents.
12/18/2019
Building an Autism Friendly Hospital: How we started, what we have accomplished, and where we go from here
Authors: Belinda O'Hagan, MA; Coral Bays-Muchmore, BSc; Alexander Friedman, MPH; Lauren Bartolotti, MA; Shari King, MA MPH
Hospital visits can be particularly challenging for patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) if their unique communication, sensory, and safety/behavioral needs are unaddressed1,2 (Figure 1). This is especially concerning as individuals of all ages with ASD have been found to have higher rates of various medical conditions, and are thus subject to higher healthcare utilization and costs3-6.
12/16/2019
Announcing the Institute for Human Development at Northern Arizona University's 2020 Evidence for Success Disability Conference Call-For-Presenters!
Proposals are due by Monday, January 13, 2020
The annual IHD Evidence for Success Disability Conference reflects the individual projects and collaborative endeavors in disability disciplines at NAU's Institute for Human Development. With a legacy of over 20 years of annual conferences in Arizona, the Evidence for Success Disability Conference has become one of the premier disability related conference in Arizona drawing over 500 participants annually, many from other states and US territories.