Developments - December2018
Monday, December 17, 2018
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Developments is a newsletter for Autism CARES programs funded under MCHB. The content of this newsletter has been generated by program staff and trainees, and does not necessarily reflect the views and policies of HRSA-MCHB. No official support or endorsement by HRSA-MCHB is intended or should be inferred. This publication is funded in part by cooperative agreement #UA5MC11068.
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Through a series of three virtual activities entitled, " Autism in the Context of Ableism: Culture, Identity, and Quality of Life," the network of MCHB-funded Autism CARES grantees explored the topic of ableism in September and October of 2018. Each of the interactive webinars in the series was recorded and is now available (including supporting documents) to grantees for asynchronous viewing on the ITAC website. 
The 2019 Autism CARES Meeting will be held in-person on July 18-19* at the historic Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington, DC. This meeting, will be an opportunity for MCHB-funded CARES legislation grantees (representing research, training, and state demonstration stakeholders) to share information about activities within their respective networks, discuss emerging trends, and facilitate meaningful collaboration. 
In preparation for the 2019 Autism CARES Meeting, AUCD is looking for planning committee members who can represent the voices of the training, research, and state systems grantees. 
The Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P), led by Karen Kuhlthau, PhD, conducts research on evidence-based interventions to improve the physical health and well-being of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, with an emphasis on reaching underserved communities. Family leaders serve on the AIR-P advisory group and local advisory groups, they review grants and manuscripts, and participate in all projects. 
This free symposium will provide a forum for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, people with disabilities, family members, and other interested individuals to learn about current research in the field related to promoting healthy weight for children intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Through knowledge translation and dissemination this interdisciplinary symposium provides an opportunity to shine a light on the need for evidence-based health promotion programs, practices, and policies on behalf of this population. 
The Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network (DBPNet) is a partnership between 14 of the country's leading DB pediatrics clinical, training, and research programs and the only national professional society devoted exclusively to developmental-behavioral pediatrics, the interdisciplinary Society for Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (SDBP). 
Vermont Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (VT LEND) is a distance accessible program meaning all participants, regardless of where they live, are able to participate in all program components. (http://www.med.uvm.edu/vtlend/home) This effort began with our need to train individuals living in rural parts of Vermont who could not participate when we required in person presence. In 2016 when our collaboration with the US Virgin Islands (USVI) began to provide LEND training to individuals there, we solidified our commitment to having a distance accessible program. 
Maren Christenson Hofer joined the MNLEND Fellowship cohort this 2018-2019 year. As the parent of an autistic child, she is keenly aware of challenges faced by families trying to navigate educational, medical, therapeutic, and other support and service systems to ensure that their autistic children's needs are met. Maren currently serves as a leader in the Multicultural Autism Action Network (MAAN), a non-profit organization built on the idea that navigating autism support and service systems can be incredibly complex for families, and even more overwhelming when differences in culture, language, and power dynamics are at play. Two additional MNLEND Fellow-Alumni are engaged in supporting MAAN's work: Mariam Egal (Minnesota Dept. of Health Coordinator) and Fatima Molas (respiratory therapist; parent-advocate). Another MAAN member, Dr. Delia Samuel, has served as guest faculty for MNLEND. 
The Louisiana Autism Spectrum and Related Disabilities (LASARD) Project has been a partnership between the LSUHSC Human Development Center and the Louisiana Department of Education since 2006. The overall purpose of LASARD is to improve outcomes for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related disabilities by developing a pool of highly effective educators across the state. 
The Parent Autism Support Service (PASS) at the University of Washington Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (UW LEND) is a program to support parents in the early months after a diagnosis of autism. The PASS Program is run by the Family Leadership Discipline of the UW LEND program. This program serves children seen in the Child Development Clinic at the University of Washington Center on Human Development and Disability. 
As mentioned in the previous Developments issue, SPHARC, in partnership with HRSA, is continuing to support the new Autism Community of Learners state grantee cohort as they continue work in Year 2 of the grant cycle. 
AUCD Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are made up of individuals within and outside the AUCD network that have common topical interest. SIGs serve as a mechanism for sharing information, engaging in dialogue, and generating new ideas. Because SIGs are driven by the interests of the AUCD membership, new SIGs may emerge while ones that have run their course may disband. Within AUCD's Autism SIG, the listserv (
Introducing the redesigned Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit! Following feedback regarding the previous website, AUCD has made modifications that improve user friendliness, accessibility of resources, and general site updates. While the content remains the same, users can now expect a responsive menu to easily navigate through resources based on needs. In addition, the redesigned site places a greater focus on "Case Studies," or success stories shared by programs and organizations on initiatives implemented to enhance diversity, inclusion, and cultural and linguistic competence. 
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