COUNCIL ON RESEARCH AND EVALUATION (CORE)
5/25/2023
AIR-P Launches New Academic Channel in Cureus
The Autism and Health: Across the Lifespan Channel (Autism and Health Channel) was founded in 2023 to promote research to increase the life expectancy and quality of life of autistic individuals. With broad support from national collaborative research entities, the goal of this academic channel is to serve as a forum to disseminate scientific articles which contribute to the evidence base of health promotion for autistic individuals and their families across the lifespan.
5/25/2023
Perspectives on the Implementation of Pre-ETS Services: Identification of barriers and facilitators to early career planning for youth with disabilities
There are differences between and within states in the delivery of Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) for students with significant disabilities early in their career planning process. This complicates the delivery of services for these youth with disabilities (YWD) and leaves gaps in communication between families, educators, and vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors.
5/18/2023
Iowa Recognizes the 2023 Healy Award Winners
Each year, the Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD), Iowa's UCEDD, recognizes trainees from the Iowa LEND program with the Alfred Healy Leadership Award in Developmental Disabilities. The award is intended to nurture in the recipients a life-long commitment to leadership in developmental disabilities to carry on Dr. Healy's legacy for future generations. Dr. Healy's long-term leadership is still felt in the CDD clinics, the UCEDD and the Iowa LEND program. The Healy Award is intended to facilitate additional leadership development activities. This year's award winners are Laury Scheidler and Audrey Wood.
5/17/2023
A Qualitative Investigation on COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Neurodivergent Communities
Over the course of 2 years, the student led group, Neurodiversity Health Chats at UCLA has published their explorative work on vaccine hesitancy in the neurodivergent community!
5/17/2023
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) Member Works to Improve Sleep Assessment in Down Syndrome Research
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) member Sarika Peters, Ph.D., received a VKC Director's Strategic Priorities Grant to determine the feasibility of use of a wearable sensor to assess sleep in children (ages 4-10 years) with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is estimated to occur in 1 out of 700 babies and is associated with many co-occurring conditions including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA impacts between 50-79 percent of individuals with Down syndrome and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening for OSA in children with Down syndrome starting at age 4.
5/16/2023
Aggie ACHIEVE Ring Day
On Friday, April 14 the seven juniors and four seniors from the Aggie ACHIEVE program received the first-ever Aggie ACHIEVE Rings in a ceremony at the Rec center at Texas A&M. The ACHIEVE Ring represents the students' dedication to excellence in their 4 year certificate program of Interdisciplinary Studies. We are so proud of each student's accomplishments!
5/15/2023
Autism and the Dysregulated Arousal System
By Rebecca Grzadzinski, Kattia Mata, and Jose Rodriguez-Romaguera, The Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities - UNC IDDRC
How do babies learn to be social? Babies are born into the world with so much to learn, from basic body movements to complex communication and interaction skills. Philosopher John Locke believed that babies are born into the world as "blank slates" (tabula rasas)-everything to learn will be gained from their environment and experience1. Indeed, environment and experience are critical for learning-studies on enriched environments highlight this. However, research continues to highlight the influence of inherent characteristics, underlying neurobiology and genetics on how and what we learn or know. Researchers aim to understand what and how we learn by studying the dynamic interplay between inherent biological traits, physiological states, and the environment.
5/3/2023
EDI-Self-Report (EDI-SR) Survey
The purpose of this new research study is to create a questionnaire known as the EDI-Self-Report (EDI-SR). This project is funded by the Eunice Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD). The EDI-SR was designed to measure emotional experiences in autistic teens and adults and teens and adults with other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This study is enrolling individuals ages 11 and older who are autistic or have an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) and their parents/caregivers, as well as individuals without these diagnoses. Individuals must be current United States residents to participate.
4/24/2023
Harnessing Uniqueness: MNLEND Fellow Leverages Neuroscience Advances to Explore Brain-Behavior Links
A MN LEND fellow searches neuroimaging databases for patterns that could lead to more personalized and effective strategies for regulating emotions, or developing social cognition, among other skills.
4/14/2023
ME UCEDD Receives Nearly $500K Maine DHHS Grant to Help Adults with Disabilities
With a $499,970 grant from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Office of Aging and Disability Services, the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (ME UCEDD), will conduct a model demonstration project of intensive evidence-based behavioral intervention to help adults with disabilities who are currently subject to restrictive behavior management plans.
4/12/2023
Special Education Research & Bots Survey
Are you a researcher who studies services and/or supports for children/youth with disabilities? Have you conducted at least one online research survey anytime between January 2010 and today? Researchers from Coastal University and Vanderbilt University are recruiting participants for a research study to learn about your experiences conducting online surveys in special education and related fields, including any experiences you may or may not have had with online bots.
3/22/2023
Requesting Support on Advocacy Issue for Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is proposing changes to how pediatric residents are trained to evaluate and care for patients with developmental disabilities and behavior challenges. The proposed changes would remove the requirement for a board-certified DBP to teach the pediatric residents, and instead allow pediatric residency program directors to have faculty without DBP board certification to teach the residents. Please lend your voice to oppose these critical changes in pediatric residency education by posting comments on the ACGME Review and Comment page before April 5, 2023.
3/20/2023
Autistic, Not Sorry
Isabelle Morris (left) is a MN LEND fellow and autism researcher who describes herself as "unapologetically autistic." She's among a growing group of autistic researchers using their lived experience to shape the future of autism research.
3/16/2023
NH-ME LEND Spring Kick-Off: Engaging in Advocacy and the Policy Process
In January, NH-ME LEND convened trainees, faculty, and five panelists for a Leadership Intensive: Organizing to Influence Your State's Policy. Panelists represented perspectives on advocacy at the state, local, and personal levels. The Leadership Intensive was the first step in preparing the 2023 LEND cohort for the spring Disability Policy Seminar (DPS) and subsequent meetings with congressional delegations.
3/16/2023
UNMC Munroe Meyer Institute LEND Trainees Collaborate with Special Olympics Nebraska
University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) physical therapy students and Munroe Meyer Institute (MMI) LEND trainees partnered with Special Olympics Nebraska for their LEND Community Learning and Leadership project. They were involved with helping Special Olympics Nebraska (SONE) provide a variety of services to the community, their largest being a 6-week Young Athletes Camp hosted at a local elementary school.