PATH: Promoting Accessibility to Healthcare for Neurodiverse Individuals

Neurodiverse individuals have unique stressors in medical settings that can contribute to care refusals and traumatic experiences. This results in decreased participation in healthcare and unmet medical needs. Many healthcare providers receive minimal training on how to support neurodiverse individuals. In this interactive and innovative workshop, we will review preventative support strategies, environmental adaptations, sensory accommodations and discuss ways to implement these changes at your home institution.

• Download Clinical Scenario Choice
• Download EEG Visual Checklist
• Download EEG Social Narrative
• Download Vaccine Social Narrative
• Download Shot Visual Checklist
• Download Vaccine Social Narrative
• Download Worgroup Materials

From Individual to Systems Impact: Why Direct Support of Families is Vital to Creating Systems Change

Unlock the power of family support in driving systems change to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities and families! Through hands-on exercises and real-life examples, the audience will understand how empowering families strengthens advocacy, enriches communities, and transforms systems. Join us in this session to address common challenges, discuss practical skills, and promote collaboration for a more inclusive and equitable society.

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Services for People with Disabilities in Schools, Community, and Healthcare Settings

This presentation will highlight how interdisciplinary approaches can enhance service delivery and inclusion for people with disabilities. Presenters will discuss three different projects within the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities which aim to include people with disabilities in their care planning/supports, as well as ensure that school, healthcare (physical and mental), and home environments are supportive of the needs of people with disabilities, including embracing their identities and cultures.

Strengthening the Self-Advocacy Discipline: Results and Recommendations Based on a Small Pilot Study Utilizing the Self-Advocacy Competencies

The MCH Self-Advocacy competencies were introduced to the Network in 2022. The first pilot study involving five LEND programs utilizing the new competencies with self-advocate trainees ran from 2023-24. Attendees will gain an understanding of the results and lessons learned from the study. Focus is on the purpose and intention of the self-advocacy competencies, their relevance to an entire cohort and recommendations for their implementation within a LEND Program.

• Download Self Advocacy Discipline
• Download Break out directions questions
• Download POST Self-Assessment
• Download PRE Self-Assessment
• Download Self-Advocacy Competencies
• Download Survey Questions Used in the Pilot Study

Aspiring LeaDDership Program: Working Together to Empower Inclusive Leadership Education for Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Join us to explore an exciting collaboration between Westchester Institute of Human Development (WIHD) with community partner, Volunteer New York! highlighting the Aspiring LeaDDership Program. The presentation will cover the program's impact on fostering inclusion, building confidence, and enhancing person-centered leadership skills through a diverse cohort. Relevant to disciplines including social work, education, psychology, disability studies, and community development, attendees will gain insights into creating inclusive, empowering environments.

• Download WIHD Aspiring LeaDDership

LEND Pittsburgh Advocacy Academy: A Medium-Term Traineeship for Rural Families and Self-Advocates

Advocacy Academy is a virtual learning opportunity offered by LEND Pittsburgh for families and self-advocates living in rural communities, as well as those who prefer the convenience of eLearning. Advocacy Academy's curriculum includes strategies on effectively sharing one's knowledge, expertise, and insight gained from lived experiences.This session will present curricular topics and will showcase several Advocacy Academy graduates' final projects of advocacy messages on a variety of issues.

Stronger Together: Efforts to Enhance State and Community Collaboration to Promote Transition from High School and Employment Outcomes

This presentation will describe one state's efforts to enhance transition and competitive integrated employment outcomes through three related projects focused on interagency collaboration, local community engagement, supported employment capacity building, and Employment First policy analysis. In this presentation, we will highlight UCEDD leadership in the projects, processes used to engage people with disabilities in project leadership, strategies used to promote sustainable systems change, and outcomes from each project.

Promoting Mental Health Through Prevention Programming: The Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy (MHAA) Curriculum Suite

The Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy (MHAA) curriculum is a mental health literacy (MHL) program with demonstrated effectiveness in improving knowledge and self-efficacy among university students and paraprofessionals. We have since adapted the program to the meet the needs of various groups, including: employment support professionals, direct support professionals, and community youth leaders. The panel will review these adaptations, with a focus on how increasing MHL can improve health outcomes.

Ethics and Quality-of-Life: Addressing Barriers and Biases Related to Treatment Dilemmas Faced by People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

The intent of this interactive presentation is to apply principles typically used in bioethics/medical ethics while incorporating quality-of-life considerations. Participants are actively engaged in real cases during this presentation/discussion. Time for questions is embedded in this interactive process.

• Download 1st Medical Ethics Case Study
• Download 2nd Medical Case Study
• Download Ethics Case Template
• Download Ethics Principles

Service Delivery and Acquisition in Rural Communities: How Incorrect Data Exacerbates An Already Challenging Problem

Children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in rural communities face barriers to accessing needed services. Poverty, declining population, and increasing shortages of qualified providers are associated with unmet needs and reduced levels of care. Presenters from Nebraska, Wyoming, and West Virginia will address factors such as accessing services in rural areas, how available data is often insufficient, and how both affect the Access Rule for service delivery.

Engaging Spanish-Speaking Communities: Inclusive Strategies for Research, Program Creation, and Information Dissemination for Children with Disabilities

An interdisciplinary team from the AUCD Spanish Caucus, representing three UCEDDs (TX Center for Disability Studies, Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities, and UC Davis), will share their insights on centering the Spanish-speaking community in research, program creation, and information dissemination. This interactive session will explore co-creation with the community, focusing on initiatives serving children with disabilities and their families: The ASPEN program, Mind the Gap program, and Colaboracion Latina California.

Relevance and Rigor: Prioritizing Lived Experience in High-Quality Research

There is often a false dichotomy between research that is reflective of the needs, experiences, and priorities of neurodivergent populations as well as high-quality and rigorous from a research standpoint. This interactive presentation seeks to promote discussion, reflection, and structured collaboration around this topic as well as give research, practice, and policy-oriented audience members actionable and tangible strategies to integrate lived experience and rigor into their own work.

Strategy in Focus: Dialogue Across the AUCD Network to Advance Meaningful Collaborations - Examples from the Territories

While collaborations exist across AUCD membership organizations, are we maximizing our collective resources to benefit the I/DD communities? If so, how? If not, how do we make this happen, and ensure equity and inclusivity? In this interactive session, panelists from AUCD Centers and Programs in the Territories will share 'exemplars' of successes and identify barriers to success.