Project Description:
Objective 1a: Provide interdisciplinary, pre-service training for educators and health care providers on inclusive services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
In accordance with our ADD-approved Training Plan, we are in the process of expanding our long-term training program to include (in addition to medical fellows) graduate students and postdocs in Nursing, Education, Psychology and related fields. This year we have four long-term CEDD trainees, up from two in the previous year. Our current trainees include three medical fellows and one PhD student in Human and Community Development. We expect the number of long-term CEDD trainees to increase to at least ten by March 2010.
Beginning in January 2010 we are instituting an interdisciplinary graduate level seminar which will be required of all long-term CEDD trainees. It will be available to students of both UC Davis and California State University Sacramento (CSUS). The seminars are currently in pilot testing phase.
CEDD medical trainees receive instruction and practical experience in all UCEDD core functions, including training/teaching, community service, research, and dissemination. This year each medical trainee has:
o participated in at least 200 hours of didactic instruction and seminars;
o worked at least 300 hours in clinic, including 100 hours supervising medical students and residents;
o provided two or more lectures to medical students;
o been involved in research projects in which s/he has provided clinical services for at least 30 research subjects; and
o made two or more research-related presentations in professional/community forums.
We are continually seeking new funding sources for supporting medical trainees. CEDD and UC Davis Physical Medicine and Rehab have applied to NIH for a training grant in Neurodevelopmental and Neuromuscular Disorders. The grant would provide funding for two fellows, one in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics and one in Physical Medicine and Rehab.
We have also made significant advances this year in development of a short-term training program, following the direction outlined in our ADD-approved Training Plan. Our short-term training program is the Special Studies Program (SSP) in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), which is offered through UC Davis Extension. The intended audience is primarily educators, but three of the five classes in the certificate program are available to everyone, including students in any department/school, consumers, family members, etc. The three courses are: 1) Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), 2) Applied Behavior Analysis Strategies and Interventions for ASD, and 3) Best Practice Strategies and Interventions for ASD. A total of 393 students have taken classes in our Special Studies Program (SSP) in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in the first three quarters of the 2008-09 school year.
Work is underway on an additional course and practicum for educators to further develop their hands-on skills and competency. Once these two additional classes have been added, students who complete all five classes will be eligible to receive a certificate in ASD studies. CEDD is also working with California State University Chico (CSUC) to make the SSP-ASD classes available on the Chico campus starting in fall 2009.
Objective 1b: Utilize telehealth/distance learning strategies, particularly for professionals in rural and remote areas.
The first class in the SSP-ASD series is currently available as an on-line course, and we are working on making the other two classes in the series available in the online format as well.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote
