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Developments Newsletter - January 2021

January 29, 2021


Developments, a project of AUCD and ITAC, in partnership with SPHARC.
 
  January 2021   |  Vol. VI, Issue 1
  
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Developments is a newsletter for Autism CARES legislation grantees, published by AUCD's Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (ITAC) in partnership with AMCHP's State Public Health Autism Resource Center (SPHARC). Its purpose is to share news, activities, events, research, and accomplishments across grantee areas - research, training, and state implementation.

MCHB Minute

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Happy New Year HRSA Autism CARES Grantees!

HRSA Maternal & Child Health

There are few words to share that adequately capture my appreciation and admiration for all of your work to care for children, youth and families with ASD and other developmental disabilities over the past year. I am grateful for your unwavering commitment to advancing training, research and systems development efforts in extraordinary circumstances, for your rapid implementation of innovative approaches, and your dexterity in responding to a changing environment. We end a challenging year with many CARES network successes, new models of care, and lessons learned that will strengthen the CARES network and advance shared goals, as well as a continued commitment to advancing health equity for the populations that we serve. Read more...

CARES Network Announcements

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2021 Autism CARES Meeting Update

autism cares  Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Supports Act 2021

Due to the ongoing pandemic, travel restrictions, and the concern for the safety and well-being of grantees, the 2021 Autism CARES Meeting will be held virtually in Summer 2021.This virtual event is an opportunity for HRSA-funded CARES grantees (representing research, training, and state systems) to share information about activities within their respective networks, discuss emerging trends, and facilitate meaningful collaboration. Grantees will be asked to be engaged in the planning process for this event (as requested) and participate in all virtual activities. Read more...

 

Research Roundup

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AIR-P (MGH-scheduled to sunset) Updates

AIRP Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical HealthThe AIR-P (MGH-scheduled to sunset), is led by Karen Kuhlthau, PhD. The key goals for the AIR-P Network from 2015 to 2020 were two-fold:To conduct multi-site research on evidence-based interventions that improve physical health of children and adolescents with ASD and developmental disorders, especially underserved populations. To transform AIR-P into a multi-site Autism Learning Health Network (ALHN) which will provide a collaborative laboratory for developing and testing evidence-based interventions and accelerating the adoption of effective interventions and system management approaches into practice. Read More...

 

AIR-P (UCLA - initiated 9/1/20) Updates

AIRP Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical HealthIn September 2020, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) had the opportunity to assume leadership of the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) programming and activities under the direction of Dr. Alice Kuo. Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, the AIR-P is an interdisciplinary, multicenter research network for scientific collaboration and infrastructure to increase the life expectancy and quality of life for autistic individuals, with a focus on underserved/vulnerable populations. Read More...

 

AIR-B Network Distributes COVID-19 Resources in English, Korean and Spanish for Families and Educators

AIR-B

The year 2020 was filled with unexpected changes to the whole world as well as to the Autism Intervention Research Network on Behavioral Health (AIR-B Network; PI: Kasari), which includes UCLA, UC Davis, University of Pennsylvania, University of Rochester, Drexel University, University of Kansas, University of Washington, and each university site's community partners. Since 2008, the AIR-B Network has conducted research that aims to increase equity in access to effective interventions for children with ASD and hosted numerous events and presentations for under-resourced communities. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic led the research-community partnership to cancel its annual tradition looked forward to by many - the free autism conference for families taking place every March. Instead, the AIR-B partners - now meeting on Zoom instead of their monthly get-together at the Healthy African American Families office - decided to start an initiative to accommodate immediate needs of families struggling with distance learning. Read more...

 

Recommendations for Weight Management in Primary Care for Children and Youth with ASD from the Healthy Weight Research Network

Health Weight Research NetworkIn response to the lack of training and limited resources to guide primary care providers on weight management for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the Healthy Weight Research Network, funded by the Maternal Child Health Bureau of the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and coordinated by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Medical School, developed a set of recommendations for weight management in primary care for this population. The recommendations were published in the journal Pediatrics in April 2020. The recommendations include suggestions for screening, evaluation, prevention, and intervention, and provide practitioners with suggestions specifically targeted for working with children with ASD their families, allied health professionals, and school systems. They also include modifications to and expansion of the American Academy of Pediatrics guidance on managing childhood obesity, tailored for children and youth with ASD and their families. Read more...

 

National Autism Indicators Report- Health and Health Care

National Autism Indicators Report- Health and Health Care  November 2020  Life Course Outcomes Program AJ Drexel Autism InstituteThe National Autism Indicators Report: Health and Health Care is the sixth in the National Autism Indicators Report Series produced from the Life Course Outcomes Research Program area at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. It reports indicators of health and health care for autistic people across the lifespan. Topics covered include overall health, health services, medication, insurance, and accessing services. The report combines data from two national surveys about health, one national sample of hospital inpatient stays, and previously published findings from Kaiser Permanente Northern California patient records. Read more...

 

Training Topics

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ICI UMN Parent Resource Videos: Supporting Your Child's Learning at Home

Image of young child bundled up in winter clothing running with their arms outstretched outside. Text Parent Resource Video SeriesTwo U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) national technical assistance centers- TIES Center and the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)- of the Institute on Community Integration (UCEDD) at the University of Minnesota have jointly created a video series addressing how parents of students with significant cognitive disabilities can support their child's learning at home during distance learning brought about by COVID 19. The first four videos in an eleven part series are available to share with parents. Read More...

MN-LEND Project Responds to Opioid Crisis

Image of a young white woman with shoulder length hair wearing a sweater and blouse smiling at the camera.What can you do if your baby, or a loved one's baby, has neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)? How can a toddler's development be affected by NAS? Where can Minnesotans find support? As part of their 2019-20 MNLEND fellowship experience, Bridget Winchester (pictured) and Catie Mapa are answering those questions, and more, through online content expected to be launched next month from the MNLEND website.  Read more...

State Stories

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Updates from the State Public Health Autism Resource Center

SPHARC  State Public Health Autism Resource Center2021 has arrived! Despite the challenges we have all faced during COVID-19, our Community of Learners have persevered and made excellent progress in their work. Most notably, the Iowa team successfully hosted the 2020 Virtual Peer to Peer exchange in the midst of a severe derecho. The theme for P2P was The Iowa Family Navigator Model: Providing Family-to-Family Support to Families of Children and Youth with ASD/DD. The virtual event took place over three days and was filled with engaging workshops and inspiring panel discussions with family leaders. Participants included the current grantees from North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as former grantees from Delaware, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Read more...

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Collaborators Corner

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MN LEND Fellow Challenges Disability Stigma in Zambia

Image of a African American woman with shoulder thength hair wearing a white blouse.More than 7 percent of Zambia's children have disabilities, and nearly half have never attended school. Many lack health services and experience isolation and stigma in their communities. For the last four years, however, Renee Hepperlen (MN-LEND 2011-12) has been part of a multi-disciplinary team working to train local nurses, therapists, and other professionals in infant and child development, early intervention, daily living skills, positive language around disability, and disease prevention. Read more...


MN-LEND Fellows Climb a Virtual Hill

Imageof a African American woman with shoulder length hair and glasses, wearing a suit and smiling at the camera.Better pay for direct support professionals, more post-secondary educational opportunities for young adults with disabilities, and continuing funding for interdisciplinary programs that promote the inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) were among issues on the table as a group of fellows from the Institute on Community Integration met this month with members of Minnesota's congressional delegation. Read more...


Supporting Families and Systems that Serve Young Children through the Act Early Response to COVID-19

Supporting Families and Systems that Serve Young Children through the Act Early Response to COVID-19

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) has expanded its National Center on Disability in Public Health efforts with an investment of over $4M in the Act Early Network through an Act Early Network-wide Response to COVID-19 made possible by a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).43 State and Territorial Act Early COVID-19 Response Teams were awarded a one-year (September 2020-August 2021) grant opportunity for Support for Early Childhood State Systems Through the Act Early Network. This nationwide initiative is focused on support for early childhood state systems through the Act Early Network to support recovery and strengthen resilience skills, behaviors, and resources of children, families, and communities. Read more...

 

 

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ITAC Items

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AUCD Central Office is Hiring!!

Open Position at AUCD Central Office!Interested in working for a national disability organization in the Washington, DC area? Passionate about growing diverse and skilled leaders? If you or someone you know can answer "yes" to any or all of these questions, consider working for AUCD! Read more...

 

Now Archived: 2020 MCH Workforce Development Virtual Grantee Meeting

HRSA logoThis annual meeting was an opportunity for Division of Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development (DMCHWD) grantees to convene around a cross-cutting topic of interest: Resiliency in the MCH Workforce. The meeting was hosted by AUCD's Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (ITAC). Read more...


In This Issue
MCHB Minute
CARES Network Announcements
Research Roundup
Training Topics
State Stories
Collaborators' Corner
ITAC Items
New from HHS
Meetings
Upcoming Activities
Stay Connected
Submit an Article

News from HHS

HHS Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Updates

The HHS Combat COVID website, available in English and Spanish, provides information on HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH) COVID-19 phase 2 and 3 prevention and treatment clinical trials and information on plasma and blood donation on one website. It includes studies for people who've never had COVID-19, those with mild to moderate disease, those with severe disease and those who have recovered from COVID-19. Read more...

 

Events

 

Prepared4ALL Town Hall

Prepared4ALL Town Hall

  Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Virtual

 

AIR-P Presents: The Needle Anxiety Program at UCLA

AIR-P Presents: The Needle Anxiety Program at UCLA

Tuesday February, 16, 2021
Virtual

 

2021 Leadership Academy

Apply Today! 2020 AUCD Leadership Academy

June 21-25, 2021
Virtual

 

Upcoming Activities

Join the
AUCD Autism
Special Interest Group.

Stay Connected

Article Submissions

To have an item considered for publication in Developments, submit your article and photo using this online form.

The next edition of Developments will be published in April 2021.
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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