New AUCD Website Coming Soon!
Mark your calendars for next week! AUCD is thrilled to launch its new website on Monday, April 29. The new AUCD website is a space where AUCD Network members, supporters, partners, and friends can find the latest news, research, and events across the Network and disability community. We can’t wait to share it with you!

AUCD 2024 Conference: Call for Proposals Opens on May 2
The AUCD Conference brings together more than 1,100 researchers, policymakers, practitioners, professionals, advocates, community leaders, and students. This annual event is designed to promote innovative thinking that will launch disability policy, research, and advocacy initiatives to the next level. Do not miss this opportunity to highlight your work! Call for proposals will open on May 2 and close in late June. Stay tuned for more updates.

Fowler Named Rehabilitation Technologist of the Year

Josiah Fowler, a Rehabilitation Technologist for the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, thinks of his job like a puzzle. Luckily, he’s good at puzzles. 

Though the title of Rehabilitation Technologist might suggest cutting edge advancements, sometimes his ultimate solution is no more advanced than a simple color alteration.

Jump Start Honored as Program of the Year

The Mailman Center’s Jump Start Program received The Children’s Trust Fund’s Program of the Year award at the 18th Champions for Children Awards ceremony on Thursday, April 12. This prestigious award is given to individuals and programs that excel in providing exceptional services to children and their families.

Consensus Statement on Healthcare for Youth With Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Published in Pediatrics
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.

Alzheimer's Disease Progresses Faster in People with Down Syndrome

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.

Epilepsy Drug Prevents Brain Tumors in Mice with NF1

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.

Missouri UCEDD Launches Third Season of Accessible: The Podcast

It's back! The University of Missouri-Kansas City's Institute for Human Development, the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) for the state of Missouri, 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."

Special Issue Explores the Complex Genetic Landscape Around Diverse IDDs

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.

Dr. Kara Ayers Featured as a Grand Rounds Speaker at Cincinnati Children's 6th Annual Health Equity Day

UCCEDD's Associate Director, Dr. Kara Ayers, was featured as a Grand Rounds Speaker at Cincinnati Children's 6th Annual Health Equity Day on April 2, 2024. Her Grand Rounds focused on Inclusive Health: Equity Through Anti-Ableism Practices. The day also featured a flash talk by University of Cincinnati resident, Al Lutwek on his experience of being an autistic resident. Dr. Feranmi Okanlami was featured as a keynote speaker and hosted a panel with a focus on Disabusing Disability: Demonstrating That Disability Doesn't Mean Inability. 

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) Researchers Awarded $2.48M in Special Education Training Grants

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.

Five Factors to Ensure an Infant Thrives

Washington University IDDRC investigators co-author a new publication in JAMA Pediatrics highlighting five factors that help infants thrive. This article is a summary of these findings. “When they have access to these basic supports, even in the face of adverse environments, it enhances their brain development, cognition (measures of IQ) and social-emotional development,” said Luby, MD, the Samuel and Mae S. Ludwig Professor of Child Psychiatry at the School of Medicine.

Doctor's Orders

Dr. Mollika Sajady (MN LEND 2018-19) is a developmental pediatrician and parent who believes in the healing power of nature and listening to families. After working with the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Task Force on ways to provide equitable access to outdoor activities for children, Sajady, now a developmental pediatrician at Children’s Minnesota, recently collaborated on a pilot project with the Minnesota Zoo to hand out free zoo passes to pediatricians and mental health providers, who in turn could hand them out to their patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, or other conditions.

Policy Fellow Temporary Assignment, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), Silver Spring, MD

Are you interested in gaining significant experiences in national level activities related to policy development and implementation, advocacy, training, and technical assistance? Do you want to advocate on behalf of people with disabilities to make change at a national level? The Policy Fellowship will aim to (1) provide experience in the development of and implementation of national policy related to individuals with disabilities, their families and the professionals who work with them, (2) broaden the Fellow's knowledge of AUCD’s programs, priorities and membership and (3) develop important relationships with other federal level government and advocacy organizations including Congress, federal agencies, national organizations, and other public and private entities that are working to improve the lives of people with disabilities. 

Maryland's UCEDD 2024 Annual Learning Series
The Community and Professional Development Training Program offered by the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute is committed to providing evidence-based training across a broad spectrum of topics to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities and their families. MCDD's 2024 Annual Learning Series will run from April through October. The series consist of three-hour continuing education (CEU) virtual and in-person workshops with interdisciplinary topics focused on working with individuals with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities and their families. View Flyer

2024 IHD Evidence for Success Disability Conference
June 3-4, 2024, Chandler, AZ
Join in on the 25th anniversary of the IHD Evidence for Success Disability Conference on June 3-4 at the AAA Diamond Awarded Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, Arizona. This year’s conference features 60 breakout sessions led by nationally known speakers and local experts and a vibrant exhibit hall with over 40 exhibitors. Early registration rates are offered until May 10. 

AIR-P Research Day at Autism CARES Meeting 2024: Translating Research to Community Impact
Monday, July 22, 2024, Virtual
The Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) will be hosting its 7th semi-annual Research Day on July 22, 2024, in conjunction with the 2024 Autism CARES Meeting. This virtual event is an opportunity to highlight research related to the physical health and overall well-being of autistic individuals. The 2024 theme is "Translating Research to Community Impact" and will feature poster presentations from across the nation. This virtual event is open to all.