The Autism Special Interest Group (SIG) is pleased to announce the new vice chairs for the 2021-2022 year. The vice chairs of the Autism Special Interest Group (SIG) will work closely with the co-chairs Brian Be and Dr. Laura Carpenter on SIG activities and events throughout the year.

The Skills and Strategies for Health Care Decision-Making guide was developed by URLEND trainees supported by the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities at the University of Montana. The free guide may be printed or downloaded as a fillable PDF.

In May 2021, the Hawaii MCH LEND Program congratulated 22 long term trainees on their successful completion of the Program. At the final training session, trainee Victoria Murray (Discipline: Self-Advocacy) shared a beautiful poem with the cohort that captured what she learned in the Program. We wanted to share that poem with all of you.

This past April, the Mailman Center for Child Development was awarded an AUCD grant to encourage responsiveness to the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities to increase vaccine confidence. Collaboration amongst network partners to engage in continued conversation around issues is the primary goal, as well the creation of materials and resources to disseminate information about vaccines and the vaccination process.

AUCD is excited to announce (3) openings for the AUCD Emerging Leaders Internship for the 2021-2022 academic year. Ideal candidates are interested in learning more about information sharing, resource development, and stakeholder engagement in a national non-profit organization setting. Interns will represent the AUCD Emerging Leaders Community a network of current and former trainees, including early career professionals, and act as connection points between their respective centers/programs and the broader AUCD network.

May 2021 marks the first-year anniversary of the accreditation of the Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. The program officially started in July of 2019 with its Director Terry Solano, PT, DPT. Solano is also a Va-LEND Faculty member and former Va-LEND Trainee. Jennifer Brashears, PT, DPT was one of two Va-LEND Trainees who were accepted into the program for the 2020-2021 academic year. "Residency programs are a relatively new idea in physical therapy, and even more so in pediatrics, so the process is competitive. Not all programs allow two residents, so this was unique and quite beneficial," said Brashears.

Iowa's LEND trainees participated in the second annual virtual research poster symposium in May. Twenty-eight trainees from a variety of disciplines presented. Though the poster session went virtual last year due to the pandemic, and was held virtually again this year, the format has proven to be a very successful platform for the event.

Kayla was one of three other students who helped create and deliver a training focused on accessibility and inclusion at a local Tucson zoo. Kayla and her colleagues agree that the experience to apply what they learned and help make a difference in the community was a fulfilling experience.

The Mailman Center LEND program has teamed up with the medical school's NextGenMD program to develop a pathway in Child Health, Development, and Leadership. The Next GenMD curriculum pathway provides a longitudinal, structured learning opportunity for a non-dual degree medical student in the form of didactic sessions, required coursework, research under the direction of faculty mentors, experiential learning, professional development through participation in organizations, societies and scientific meetings, and self-directed learning activities, both conventional and web-based.

Plenty of mission statements for faith-based organizations talk about welcoming everyone. When it comes to people with disabilities, however, it takes more than words and a wheelchair ramp to achieve true inclusion. MN LEND fellows, along with the MN UCEDD, are working with a Twin Cities-area church and mosque to think differently about how they serve worshippers with disabilities. MN LEND is an interdisciplinary leadership development program, funded by the U.S. Maternal & Child Health Bureau, that spans more than 16 disciplines across the University of Minnesota.