2024 EHDI Conference Scholarships for LEND Audiology Trainees

Deadline: February 16th at 11:59pm

AUCD is offering scholarships to support LEND audiology trainees in attending the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Annual Conference on March 17-19, 2024. All current LEND audiology trainees, including those in their externship year, are eligible to apply.

LEND Family Mentorship Models

The long-awaited LEND Family Mentorship Models are here! This document was written by LEND programs for LEND programs and contains several different versions of this experience from across the network. The LEND Family Discipline Network (LFDN) hopes you will use this document to help inspire or develop your own family mentorship experience in your LEND program.

2022-2024 AUCD Emerging Leader Board Member

Position Description and Selection

The AUCD Board of Directors is seeking nominations from the network's Emerging Leader community to fill the newly created Emerging Leader Board Member voting position on the Board. The Emerging Leader Board Member will be a voting member on AUCD's national Board of Directors and serve as a representative of the Association and broader AUCD network. This position will bring the voice and perspective of the AUCD Emerging Leader Community, including but not limited to trainees and early career professionals in the network.

Maine LEND Final Presentations Demonstrate Leadership

The Maine LEND graduated 12 Trainees from the program in May 2022. As part of demonstrations of Maternal and Child Health Competencies and LEND tenets, the Trainees each participated in an elective project that was presented at the end of April.

Maine LEND Leadership at Health Careers Camp

The Maine LEND program led two one-hour activity sessions focused on the work of health professionals who work with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families at the Annual Health Careers Explorations Camp at the University of New England.

Louisiana LEND Scholars Recognized with Allied Health Honors

Louisiana's UCEDD, LSUHSC Human Development Center, is proud to see Louisiana LEND scholars receive honors from the LSU Health Sciences Center School of Allied Health Professions as they completed their respective programs on May 19th.

Retiring Va-LEND Faculty Member Leaves with a Song

By Jennifer Drummond

During her time at Va-LEND, Power-deFur shared a couple of her fondest memories which included working with Va-LEND's interdisciplinary clinics, which are a core part of the curriculum at Va-LEND and the collaborative discussions during the in-person faculty meetings. Working with Hayes E. Willis Health Center, of Richmond, we frequently worked with Spanish interpreters/brokers and relied on their input to develop a meaningful plan.

WI LEND Celebrates 10 Years of Welcoming Disability Advocates

Wisconsin's Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (WI LEND) program is proud to celebrate the tenth anniversary of graduating disability advocates as LEND trainees! WI LEND offers interdisciplinary and leadership training to over 30 trainees a year across more than a dozen disciplines, including disability advocates (persons with a developmental disability) and family (family members of a person with a developmental disability).

2022-2023 Council Trainee Representative Application Now Open

Apply by August 5!

We are pleased to announce recruitment for the 2022-2023 AUCD Council Trainee Representatives! This is an exciting year-long leadership opportunity for current trainees to learn about AUCD, connect with established professionals, and engage in activities on a national level.

Spanish-Language Caucus Recruitment

AUCD is recruiting new members for the AUCD Spanish-Language Caucus (SLC). The Spanish-Language Caucus is a workgroup open to Spanish-speaking individuals within the AUCD network. We hope for representation from all network roles (Spanish-speaking faculty, staff, Self-Advocates and LEND, UCEDD, and IDDRC current and former trainees).

MN LEND Fellow Teaches People with IDD to Write Their Stories

Cow Tipping Press founder Bryan Boyce (MNLEND, 2020-21) recently wrapped another series of the organization's writing courses for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), bringing the cumulative number of students served to nearly 600. Through networking conversations with fellow MNLEND alumni, Boyce has begun offering courses beyond Minnesota's borders, a result of the surge in interest for online learning due to the pandemic. Most of the coursework can be completed online, but the Cow Tipping team goes on location at the end to present published books featuring students' work and celebrate the experience.

2022 Emerging Leaders Map: Supporting Resiliency and Self-Determination for All

This interactive map highlights Emerging Leaders from across the country. Check out what emerging leaders across the country are doing to support resilience and self-determination.

LEND Capstone Poster Session and Celebration

On May 6, 2022, 17 trainees from the 2021-2022 NH-ME LEND program shared their scholarship and leadership development during the annual Capstone Poster Session and Celebration. The trainees' posters showcased their leadership development through community placements in settings that included state agencies, community health providers, advocacy organizations, and partners in each state's developmental disabilities network. The opening remarks were provided by Will Clyde, Associate Dean of the UNH Graduate School, followed by NH-ME LEND Program Director Betsy Humphreys. Congratulations to the graduates!

AIR-B Network's Conference on Inclusion for Students with ASD

The academic and community partners of the Autism Intervention Research Network on Behavioral Health (AIR-B Network; PI: Kasari) gathered virtually in March and April for their 8th annual community conference on autism. Titled Optimizing School & Community Inclusion for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

An ecological approach to understanding obesity risk among children with autism spectrum disorder

Led by Dr. Russell S. Kirby, investigators at the University of South Florida College of Public Health conducted a secondary analysis to better understand the social-ecological context for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obesity to address disparities in adolescents with ASD as they transition to adult health care. The study was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under grant number R41MC39340 and R40 Maternal and Child Health Field-initiated Innovative Research Studies Program.

Power of Partnerships to Enhance Impact: MN LEND and MN Act Early

Partnerships have the power to transform our work. In Minnesota, we are fortunate to have a robust partnership between our MN LEND and MN Act Early projects. MN LEND and MN Act Early share a common mission to connect young children (birth to 5) to early developmental screening and critical early intervention services. These two programs have developed a strong and lasting partnership by identifying and supporting shared goals and seeking opportunities to advance a strategic vision for the field of early intervention.