Opportunities to Engage

Looking for new leadership opportunities at a national level? Looking to connect with your peers on emerging issues? Check out our top 10 opportunities for programs to engage in 2024-2025! Interested in learning more? Email [email protected].

1. Join ITAC's Project Advisory Committee

ITAC will be expanding its Project Advisory Committee (PAC) in Fall 2024.  The PAC consists of leaders from LEND and DBP programs representing a diverse range of non-trainee roles (Director, Training Director, Discipline Coordinator, Data Manager, etc.), disciplines, cultural backgrounds, and relationships to disability and AS/DD, as well as program location, size, and areas of expertise. Committee members provide input on project direction via virtual bi-annual meetings, individual calls, and email.


2. Join ITAC's NDD Curriculum Editorial Board

The NDD Core Curriculum Resources are overseen by an Editorial Board composed of content experts who are committed to responsibly maintaining and updating the topic modules. This commitment includes reviewing the topics annually to ensure existing content reflects the most current evidence base; ongoing assessment of the value of recommended resources, assignments, readings, etc. within LEND and other relevant training contexts; building awareness of the NDD Core Curriculum Resources among training programs and other network entities; and seeking out and purposefully including diverse perspectives represented across multiple relevant variables. Editorial board meets quarterly.


3. Participate in ITAC's Planning Committees for National Grantee Meetings

Interested in helping ITAC plan future LEND Director meetings, workshops for LEND audiology trainees, and/or Autism CARES meetings? We routinely have open calls for planning committee members, and we need your input! The next open call will be for the Fall 2024 LEND Directors Meeting. 


4. Join the Emerging Leaders Community (ELC) Advisory Board

The ELC Advisory Board is comprised of current and former trainees from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and lived experience with disability as well as Training Directors. The board reviews products such as webinars, newsletters, proposed events/workshops, and the Emerging Leaders Community website to ensure they meet the needs of current and former trainees within the AUCD Network. The board meets quarterly. Recruitment for new advisory members will begin in Fall 2024. 


5. Join ITAC's Quality Improvement and Technical Assistance Workgroups

ITAC has several quality improvement and technical assistance workgroups, including the LEND Family Discipline Network, the LEND Self-Advocacy Discipline Network, the LEND Rural Workgroup, Self-Advocates in LEND, and the LEND Pediatric Audiology Workgroup, among others. Connect with your peers during dedicated "communities of practice" time and join us in developing priority resources for LEND/DBP networks. Interested in more information? Contact [email protected] or visit our Workgroups section on the ITAC website. 


6. LEND and Learn Monthly TA Series

ITAC created a new TA series for LEND leadership and faculty to gather once a month to discuss priority TA topics. Click here to view all LEND and Learn events.


7. Provide Technical Assistance to Your Peers

Share your program’s unique focus or expertise and add your name to the list of LEND programs offering TA to their peers! ITAC will be creating a new page on its website dedicated to peer-to-peer technical assistance. To be added, email [email protected]. 


8. Submit Your Resources

Share your resources with the Autism CARES network, LEND and DBP grantees, trainees, the public, and more! Submit your best practices and resources to ITAC's Resource Hub here.  


9. LEND Regional Consortia 

Join conversations and initiatives at the regional level. To learn more about your LEND Regional Consortium, click here.


10. Join AUCD's Special Interest Groups (SIGS) and Councils

By joining AUCD's Special Interest Groups and Councils, there is a unique opportunity to address emerging trends and issues in the disability field and highlight experts and best practices at a national level. To learn more about SIGs, click AUCD Special Interest Groups. To learn more about AUCD Councils, click AUCD Councils.