2. homepage in the news

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.

3/17/2023

Release of the Annual Disability Statistics Collection

On February 7, 2023, StatsRRTC at the Institute on Disability released key findings from the Annual Disability Statistics Collection. The annual report addresses critical gaps in national and state data related to people with disabilities by synthesizing complex data from numerous U.S. federal agencies into accessible formats.

3/16/2023

Angela Shepard Appointed Director of NERGN

We are pleased to announce that Angela Shepherd, MD, MPH, will be joining the IOD in early March as Director of the New England Regional Genetics Network (NERGN). Angela is a NH native who graduated from Plymouth State University before attending the University of Maryland's School of Medicine. She returned to New England to complete her Preventive Medicine residency and master's in public health at UMass Medical School in Worcester, MA. Angela is very active in the rare disease community in New Hampshire.

3/16/2023

JoAnne Malloy, PhD, Selected as NH Social Worker of the Year

Congratulations to JoAnne Malloy, PhD, on her selection as Social Worker of the Year by the New Hampshire chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She received the award at the Social Work Celebration in Concord, NH, on March 3, 2023. JoAnne is a Research Associate Professor at the Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire and has worked to advance improved behavioral health for children, youth, and families in the state since 1982.

3/16/2023

Kelly Nye-Lengerman Named Associate Editor

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) has named IOD Director Kelly Nye-Lengerman an associate editor for the journal Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). The IDD is a bi-monthly, peer-reviewed multidisciplinary journal of policy, practices, and perspectives.

3/16/2023

Mailman Center Leadership Changes: Dr. Michelle Schladant, Dr. Jason Jent, Dr. Elana Mansoor, and Dr. Dainelys Garcia

Following Dr. Jeff Brosco�s transition to HRSA/MCHB as Director of the Division of Children with Special Health Care Needs, changes are taking place in the leadership of the Mailman Center has leadership changes with promotions.

3/16/2023

New Program Builds Business and Leadership Acumen for Early Childhood Educators

As a part of the Association of University Centers for Disabilities and the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities for the state of Missouri, the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Institute for Human Development (UMKC-IHD) along with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) are launching a training and coaching program over a two-year period starting in 2023. The project aims to enhance the efficacy of early childhood education by building the leadership and business skills of early childhood education administrators across family child care businesses, smaller independent early learning centers and large early learning organizations across Missouri.

3/16/2023

Opening Doors, and Minds

A MN LEND faculty member's massive open online course (MOOC) is a Coursera hit. Wendy Looman's course is about families with young children, and how environmental factors such as housing and nutritious food, influence their outcomes.

3/16/2023

UCLA PEERS for Careers: Breaking Employment Barriers for Autistic Adults

There will be an estimated 700,000 autistic adults aging into adulthood over the next 10 years and yet, a staggering 80% of autistic adults are unemployed. UCLA PEERS� for Careers is an innovative offering to support autistic undergraduate and graduate students in successfully transitioning from post-secondary education to the workforce.

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.

3/16/2023

Will SARS-CoV-2 During Pregnancy Impact Child's Neurodevelopment?

Scientists led by the Lieber Institute for Brain Development are studying how a mother's SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy affects the biology of the placenta and the corresponding trajectory of the child's brain development, including the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism.

3/15/2023

Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature Reflection

by Melanie Ong and Martina Penalosa, MCDD Trainees

Every year, the Maryland Developmental Disabilities (MDD) Coalition sponsors DD Day. On this day, participants come together to educate legislators about issues that are important to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.

3/15/2023

Innovative Transition Age Youth Curriculum Launched by JFK Partners' Colorado Office of Employment First

The Colorado Office of Employment First (COEF) and JFK Partners, the University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities at the University of Colorado, is proud to announce a partnership with the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council (CDDC) that launched a new statewide training, "A Brighter Future: Navigating the World of Disability and Employment."

3/15/2023

Iowa's Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Launches Training Series

Iowa's Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health (CEBH) recently launched a virtual training series, which will help build the capacity of Iowa's providers to ensure people with serious mental illness have access to the treatment they need to help them live healthy, meaningful lives in the community. CEBH is one of the newest grant programs based at Iowa's UCEDD, the Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD, Iowa's UCEDD).

3/15/2023

University of Kansas Black Feathers Podcast

Hosted by mental health experts Crystal Hernandez, who has a doctorate in psychology, and Shauna Humphreys, a licensed professional counselor, "Black Feathers" is a product of the State of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Ongoing Longitudinal Data Project of National Significance and produced with support from the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities (KUCDD), a part of the KU Life Span Institute. Episodes focus on Native American experiences with intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health, anxiety disorders and health care access, among other topics.