http://www.aucd.org/ Timely information from AUCD on wide range of events, debates, policy issues related to disabilities in US. en-us Association of University Centers on Disabilities, AUCD Mon, 29 Apr 2024 Mon, 29 Apr 2024 Nearly all adults with Down syndrome will develop evidence of Alzheimer's disease by late middle age. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that the disease both starts earlier and moves faster in people with Down syndrome, a finding that may have important implications for the treatment and care of this vulnerable group of patients. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16737 Wed, 17 Apr 2024 A drug used to treat children with epilepsy prevents brain tumor formation and growth in two mouse models of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. NF1 is a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, including the optic nerves, which connect the eyes to the brain. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16738 Wed, 17 Apr 2024 Two Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) researchers have received two training grants totaling $2.48 million in funding from the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. The new grants address the need to train culturally conscientious special education teachers of students with high intensity needs. One of the grants will support training for teachers of students with limited or no functional speech. The other grant will support training for teachers of students with visual impairments. Both grants seek to recruit candidates from historically underrepresented groups or with a unique interest in supporting students from culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16736 Mon, 15 Apr 2024 The IDDRC network has completed their 2023 publication section in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders focused on "Etiological heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and polygenicity in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDDs)". The issue includes seven new publications from IDDRC investigators across the country. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16735 Thu, 11 Apr 2024 An interprofessional and community-engaged panel of experts has published the first peer-reviewed consensus statement establishing healthcare standards for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities in the journal Pediatrics. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16734 Wed, 10 Apr 2024 It's BAAAAACK! The University of Missouri-Kansas City's Institute for Human Development, the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities for the state of Missouri (UCEDD), has just launched a new season of Accessible: The Podcast. Accessible is the podcast that opens the door to disability leaders and their ideas. Featuring UMKC-IHD Director George Gotto and Senior Research Assistant Amelia Reighard. The podcast hosts leaders in the disability field with new insights and developments that you can channel into your own career and development. Or you can share these ideas to help others learn from you. Listen to the Accessible Podcast. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16731 Tue, 02 Apr 2024 On February 27th, the Center on Disability Studies (HI-UCEDD) welcomed over 750 attendees representing 12 countries from across the globe to Honolulu, Hawaiʻi to the 39th Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity both online and in-person. In celebration of the conference theme, Beyond Access: Building a Culture of Belonging we aimed to explore how we all live to belong, to be part of something greater than ourselves. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16732 Fri, 29 Mar 2024 The RFK IDDRC unveils its groundbreaking "Operation IDD Gene Team" program developed by Dr. Steven Walkley. This multidisciplinary initiative supports families affected by rare genetic diseases causing intellectual & developmental disability (IDD).Operation IDD Gene Team brings together families, physicians, and scientists to foster understanding and empowerment. Through collaborative meetings, families share their experiences, physicians discuss clinical implications, and scientists provide insights into gene biology. Published in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, this innovative program offers hope and guidance to families while advancing research into rare genetic diseases. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16725 Mon, 25 Mar 2024 In late January, NH-ME LEND gathered for the annual spring kick-off event: Organizing to Influence Your State's Policy. An inspiring keynote speaker, Ansley Peacock, followed by an informative panel discussion set the stage for the upcoming policy module, and the trainees' participation in the upcoming Disability Policy Seminar (DPS) in Washington, D.C. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16726 Mon, 25 Mar 2024 On March 14, 2024, Alan Cobo-Lewis, associate professor of psychology and director of the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (ME UCEDD), was invited to attend Communities in Action: Building a Better Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, in person at the White House complex. This meeting brought together federal figures with over three dozen local elected officials and community leaders working on behalf of their communities to create opportunities and improve people's everyday lives. Discussions highlighted federal initiatives, especially those funded by the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA), Inflation Reduction Act, and Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16727 Mon, 25 Mar 2024 Each year, the Maryland Developmental Disabilities (MDD) Coalition sponsors Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature (DD Day), an opportunity for participants to educate state legislators in the capital on crucial issues affecting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their caregivers and their families. On February 21, 2024, we had the pleasure of attending this year's DD Day as Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities trainees, alongside Kennedy Krieger Institute staff members, other trainees and self-advocates. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16723 Fri, 22 Mar 2024 Jeanette O'Hara is an OK LEND 2022 graduate and Founder/Executive Director of the nonprofit, Will's House, located just outside Tulsa in Jenks, Oklahoma. Will's House serves as a specialized respite option that supports full time caregivers of children and young adults with medical needs or intellectual/developmental disabilities. Jeanette's approach is simple yet profound: "What do you need? How can we help you?" This philosophy reflects a commitment to addressing the diverse and often overlooked gaps in services for caregivers and families. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16717 Thu, 21 Mar 2024 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) researcher and longtime health equity champion Arie Nettles has retired from Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. As a psychologist and professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, her entire career has been spent ensuring the well-being of pediatric and adolescent patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism and cleft craniofacial disorders. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16718 Thu, 21 Mar 2024 Brain injury is more common than you might think. Every brain injury is different in terms of symptoms, affected areas of the brain and the outcome. The University of Missouri-Kansas City's Institute for Human Development, the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities for the state of Missouri, has just launched a new free training to raise awareness of traumatic brain injuries - or TBIs. It highlights symptoms, treatments and provides prevention strategies. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16721 Thu, 21 Mar 2024 The AUCD Board of Directors is seeking nominations from the network's Emerging Leader community to fill the Emerging Leader Board Member voting position on the Board. (*Note that this is not the same as the Emerging Leader Intern.) The Emerging Leader Board Member will be a voting member on AUCD's national Board of Directors and represent the Association and broader AUCD network. This position will bring the voice and perspective of the AUCD Emerging Leader Community, including but not limited to trainees and early career professionals in the network. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16713 Tue, 19 Mar 2024 The Gatlinburg Conference, a premier research event focused on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in its 56th year, is proud to announce that the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) will be joining the University of Kansas as co-host for this year's conference. The event is scheduled to take place from April 17th to 19th in Kansas City, MO, with the theme "Early Life Identification of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities." http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16716 Mon, 18 Mar 2024 In this episode, meet Sharon Williams, LEND Class of 2019-2020. Sharon was a LEND trainee from the US Virgin Islands. She lives on the island of St. Croix with her husband and daughter Sharon joined the Virgin Islands UCEDD (University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities) in 2012 and is the Assistant Director of Assistive Technology. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16702 Fri, 23 Feb 2024 Dr. Nicholas Wright and Maria Kemplin, staff at the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute, received a University of Kentucky Office for Institutional Diversity Award to support programs that are student-centric and foster collaboration through partnerships that address the important of diverse views and cultures. In partnership with the Martin Luther King Center and the Disability Resource Center, staff will explore the intersectionality of ability, and race. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16703 Fri, 23 Feb 2024 Aiming to boost college options for Minnesota students with intellectual disability, the Institute on Community Integration's new Inclusive Higher Education Technical Assistance (TA) Center is collaborating with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education as it implements a competitive grant process this spring. http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16696 Thu, 22 Feb 2024 Accessing and navigating services for children with developmental, emotional, or behavioral health (D/E/B) concerns has greater complexity for military families, geographically-dispersed families, and families who are highly mobile or lack providers near their homes. University of Minnesota's Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) has received $3.5 million to lower these barriers as a partner in the Department of Defense Child Collaboration Study "A Research Collaboratory to Explore Best Practices for Expanding Access to Care Through Expansion and Support of Telehealth Care for Children and Families with Behavioral Health Needs." http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=16697 Thu, 22 Feb 2024