Supporting Children with Disabilities: Lessons from the Pandemic

MCHB is funding this virtual workshop hosted by the Board on Children, Youth and Families of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Dr. Houtrow chaired the planning committee with Emily Hotez from the UCLA LEND and Marc Taste from the OSU UCEDD serving as committee members.

Ignite Inclusion with SPARK for Autism

In 2016 the Simons Foundation launched a nationwide genetic longitudinal autism study with the goal of recruiting 250,000 persons with autism to better understand its causes and how the diagnosis impacts families and individuals. The Center for Autism (CARD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute is one of thirty-one clinical sites across the nation participating in this unprecedented research opportunity.

Teacher Implementation of the Early Achievements Intervention Improves Preschoolers' Social and Communication Outcomes

At the International Society for Autism Research annual meeting in Austin Texas on May 12, 2022, Dr. Rebecca Landa, Ms. Anne-Michelle Engelstad and Dr. Calliope Holingue presented the results of an Institute of Education Sciences-funded randomized control trial focused on teacher-implemented intervention with autistic preschoolers in public school settings.

"On My Way to Kindergarten:" Assessing Visually Impaired Children's Kindergarten Readiness

The transition to kindergarten is a challenge for many children with visual impairment, their families, and teachers. Visual impairment includes those who have trouble seeing, even with eyeglass use or contact lenses, or people who are blind.

WI LEND Adds Family and Disability Advocacy Peer Mentors to Training Team

WI LEND, located at the Waisman Center UCEDD, introduced a new staff role of Peer Mentor at the beginning of the new grant funding cycle. Ida Winters and Stasia Wilson, both recent graduates of the WI LEND program, were hired to fill the roles of Family Peer Mentor and Disability Advocacy Peer Mentor, respectively. Ida and Stasia were both standout trainees, and we are so excited to add them both to our staff, said the Training Director, Gail Chodron. WI LEND has had trainees and staff in the family discipline for over 15 years, and added self-advocacy trainees 10 years ago.

Get featured on the 2022 Emerging Leaders Map. Nominate Yourself Today!

AUCD is excited to announce that recruitment is now open for the 2022 AUCD Emerging Leaders Map! This year's theme is "Supporting Resiliency and Self-Determination for All."

Request for Proposals: NIRS Technical Assistance

Deadline to submit a proposal: May 27, 2022

The UCEDD Resource Center (URC) is seeking a consultant to support improvements to our technical assistance (TA) related to NIRS. The consultation will contribute to improving the quality of NIRS TA through developing recommendations for the type and delivery of TA resources and developing consistency in branding and formatting for NIRS TA Resources.

ITAC Bulletin Board - March 2022

As you finish the current academic year and look forward to future cohorts, we recognize the importance of delivering relevant information and resources to your MCH training programs. We hope that you find the content of this newsletter helpful in supporting the work of your faculty, staff, and trainees.

Spanish-Language Caucus Recruitment

AUCD is excited to announce the recruitment of 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).

Dr. Erin Vinoski Thomas Named Associate Director of CLD

Dr. Erin Vinoski Thomas has been named as the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD)'s new Associate Director. Dr. Vinoski Thomas also currently serves as the CLD�s Director of Health and Wellness and a Research Assistant Professor within Georgia State University�s School of Public Health.