ITAC: ASD/DD NEWS
3/21/2024
Oklahoma LEND Graduate's Non-Profit Nationally Recognized
Jeanette O'Hara is an OK LEND 2022 graduate and Founder/Executive Director of the nonprofit, Will's House, located just outside Tulsa in Jenks, Oklahoma. Will's House serves as a specialized respite option that supports full time caregivers of children and young adults with medical needs or intellectual/developmental disabilities. Jeanette's approach is simple yet profound: "What do you need? How can we help you?" This philosophy reflects a commitment to addressing the diverse and often overlooked gaps in services for caregivers and families.
7/18/2023
The Conversation Continues: When it Comes to Autism, Can We Reconcile the Medical and Social Models of Disability?
On June 15, I (Jason Folger, PhD) had the pleasure of re-convening nearly all of the panelists and speakers from the NE Regional Spring LEND Conference of May 8: When it Comes to Autism, Can We Reconcile the Medical and Social Models of Disability? The conference focused on the idea of exploring and reconciling the polarized ideas circulating in popular media that celebrating one's neurodiversity as an autistic person somehow diminishes or invalidates the emotional pain of caregivers of individuals living with what has come to be known as "profound autism" and vice-versa.
5/17/2023
MN LEND Graduates Celebrate
This year, 28 fellows have earned full MNLEND certificates, along with seven intermediate trainees who joined the program for a more limited, focused experience. They come from University of Minnesota academic disciplines, including Public Health Administration, Law, Social Work, Psychology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pediatric Dentistry, and many more; or are community members in disability-related professions, self-advocates, or family advocates.
4/13/2023
Oklahoma LEND Graduate Makes it to the State House
Oklahoma LEND graduate, Ellyn Hefner, class of 2014, is elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Prior to being accepted into the OK LEND program, Ellyn was a strong advocate for her son to ensure he would have the same opportunities as his siblings. She graduated from the Oklahoma Partners in Policymaking class sponsored by the Developmental Disability Council of Oklahoma.
2/15/2023
LEND and NERGN DNA Today Podcast/Spotify
Betsy Humphreys, Karen Volle, and NH-ME LEND trainee Karina Mancini were interviewed for the "DNA Today" podcast by host Kira Dineen. The interview explores how LEND and NERGN (New England Regional Genetics Network) support training of future interdisciplinary leaders.
9/7/2020
Summer LEND Trainee Project Yields Youth Transition Data and Reinforces Career Path for Trainee
During summer 2020, the Wisconsin LEND Program at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison had an exciting opportunity to collaborate with a first-year medical student on a UCEDD project examining the needs and barriers to quality healthcare and healthcare transition for adults with Down syndrome (DS). The project was conducted by Kelly Kuehl, a medical student at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), as part of the Shapiro Scholarship Program. This program offers medical students an opportunity to explore areas of interest on a project for 40 hours per week for 10 weeks over the summer in collaboration and with matching funds from a partner program. For Kuehl's DS transition project, she partnered with WI LEND and was mentored by Anne Harris, PhD, director of the WI LEND program, and Maria Stanley, MD, medical director of the Waisman Center Clinics.
9/12/2016
AUCD 2016 Registration is Open!
Registration is currently open for the AUCD Conference! We welcome network members, partners from outside the network, experts from across the disability field, individuals with disabilities, family members, and students to learn and grow together during this exciting event. Whether you're a newcomer to the field or a seasoned professional, the AUCD Conference provides countless opportunities to share with and learn from colleagues across the network and beyond.
4/28/2016
Expanding Our Knowledge About the Science of Autism: Achievements from IDDRCs
Scientists from the nation's 15 IDDRCs continue to make groundbreaking contributions to the ways in which we understand autism. Their work not only deepens scientific knowledge of the genetics of autism but also exposes new forms of ASD and helps identify abnormalities in brain structure and function that may explain behaviors found in individuals with autism. The output of IDDRC researchers forms an essential foundation for those with autism and the communities that support them.
4/20/2016
Updates from the State Public Health Autism Resource Center
AMCHP's the State Public Health Autism Resource Center (SPHARC) has several new activities planned, along with presentations, webinars and technical assistance opportunities designed to aid and assist ASD/DD grantees.
4/18/2016
Secretary Burwell Names Dr. Thomas E. Novotny New HHS Autism Coordinator
Dr. Novotny, a graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (MPH Epidemiology), is Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. He is Board Certified in Preventive Medicine, has specialized in health systems development, non-communicable disease control, health diplomacy and served in the National Health Service Corps. He has first-hand knowledge of issues facing vulnerable and underserved individuals through his work and looks forward to continuing his service in his new role.
4/1/2016
A Special Message from Cathy Pratt, Chair of AUCD's Autism Special Interest Group
3/1/2016
Celebrating Inclusion in March for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
In an effort to spread awareness about developmental disabilities, AUCD is partnering with NACDD and NDRN on a social media campaign (Side-by-Side) to highlight the many ways in which people with and without developmental disabilities come together to form strong, diverse communities. Together we seek to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life, as well as awareness to the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to community life.
1/6/2016
FAST Projects Help Training Programs Make Strides toward Greater Diversity and Inclusion, Resulting Resources Now Available Online
In November 2014, AUCD's Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (ITAC) encouraged project proposal from LEND and DBP programs that wished to receive targeted assistance and funding support of up to $7,000 to address one of several priority areas of need. After carefully reviewing each proposal, ITAC staff selected five programs to participate in this initial cohort of Focused Assistance to Support Training (FAST) projects. The hope was that these projects would not only lead to measurable improvements for the programs involved, but that their efforts could serve as innovative and resourceful models for others to address similar areas of need.
12/15/2015
North Carolina Autism State Implementation Grant Collaborates with State Early Interventionists for Autism Training
The North Carolina Autism State Implementation Grant (NC-SIG) trains early interventionists on autism diagnostic assessments and intervention. Targeted efforts have been made with the state's 16 Children's Developmental Services Agencies (CDSAs), which provide early intervention services to families across North Carolina's 100 counties. The NC Division of Public Health's Infant-Toddler Program funds the CDSAs.
12/15/2015
Systemwide Solutions for Developmental-Behavioral Concerns
"Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive!" has been promoting universal, broad-band developmental and social-emotional screening in children ages 0 to 5 years across the health care, early childhood education and social service sectors. With the U.S. federal government and AAP combining forces to promote periodic developmental-behavioral screening, the next step is for the U.S. to address its capacity crisis for providing high-quality early intervention and learning services.