Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Well Represented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Updated on 12/22/2009 3:17:55 PM.

Many of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s members, leadership, trainees, faculty, and staff participated in the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities held November 8-11 in Washington, D.C.

Entitled, “Challenges and Opportunities for Change,” the Meeting provided University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LENDs) programs, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRCs) opportunities to share a wide range of information on cutting-edge programming and research.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Hispanic Outreach team and the UT Boling Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities were honored for their collaboration on the Camino Seguro and Camino Seguro West Projects. Claudia Avila-Lopez, MSW, Carolina Meyerson, and Luisa Ramirez de Lynch, DPT, were present to accept the Multicultural Council Award for Leadership in Diversity.

For more information on the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, including a full conference program, visit: www.aucd.org.

Presentations, Workshops, and Posters:
Only Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) presenters are listed below.

“Think College: College Options for People with Intellectual Disabilities -How to Fund & Develop Postsecondary Options in Your State”

Elise McMillan, JD, Co-Director, VKC UCEDD
Joyce Elaine Sievers, Chair, Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities; and Member, VKC UCEDD Community Advisory Council

This Capacity Building Institute presented the preliminary results of a national survey and offered an array of funding strategies that can be used to support the development and implementation of postsecondary education options for people with developmental/intellectual disabilities. McMillan and Sievers presented on UCEDD and State Developmental Disabilities Council Partnerships.

“Key Transitions for Siblings of people With Disabilities Across the Lifespan: A Report from Two Studies”

Ann Kaiser, PhD, Professor of Special Education; Susan Gray Chair in Education and Human Development; Professor of Psychology; VKC Investigator

The presenters in this session reported on findings from two studies on key transition points for siblings and people with disabilities.

“Enhancing Professional Training Through Collaborative MCH Relationships”

Anne Marie Tharpe, PhD, Professor of Hearing and Speech Sciences; Chair of the Department; VKC Member

This faculty panel represented three different university training programs, describing efforts in integrating different Maternal Child Health initiatives and sharing resources to enhance and enrich the opportunities offered to their trainees.

“Building Leadership for Spiritual Supports For Families and People with Disabilities: Roles of UCEDDs in Collaborating with Theological Schools”

Courtney Taylor, MDiv, Associate Director of Communications and Dissemination

This presentation covered UCEDD partnerships with theological schools related to training the next generation of ministers in full participation of individuals with disabilities and their families in faith communities.

“Parental Perspectives on Post-Secondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities”

Megan Griffin, M.Ed., graduate assistant, VKC

This poster presented information from a survey on parental perspectives on postsecondary options for their sons and daughters with intellectual disabilities.

“A Training Model for the Diagnosis of Autism in Community Pediatric Practice”

Zachary Warren, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine; Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry; Director, VKC TRIAD Psychological Services

This poster presented attempts to develop a training program in Tennessee designed to help pediatricians identify and diagnose young children with ASD in the context of traditional community practice settings with a very time-limited framework.