The disability community has long fought for equal access to physical, social, political, cultural and economic life, seeking changes in laws and policies, as well as in attitudes and perceptions. Access is a civil right, not a privilege to be earned or a favor to be granted. In a time of increasing pressure on local, state and federal budgets, it is more important than ever to strengthen our focus on increasing access for people with disabilities to all aspects of community and economic living.
The Southwest Conference on Disability seeks proposals for the 2012 conference in areas including the following:
You can submit your proposal today at http://cdd.unm.edu/swconf/submit.asp
April is Autism Awareness Month. On March 29th the Center for Disease Control released a new report that estimates the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders affecting 1 in 88 U.S. children, including 1 in 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls. This April the CDD is "Recognizing the Spectrum of Autism".
The Autism Programs kicked off the beginning of April with Imagine.... a learning journey through Autism Spectrum Disorders, a three day conference with over 220 attendees from across the State and three keynote speakers. Attendees included families, educators and professionals that received up to 17.5 continuing education credits. Training opportunities will be offered across the state for families, educators, and professionals throughout the month of April.
Please check out available trainings HERE.
A new training and resource portal has been developed that will be the hub for accessing a wide range of FIT related materials, information and training opportunities. The new portal contains a variety of resources for FIT Program managers and staff, organized in a simple, accessible way. Items accessible through the Portal include FIT Forms, Technical Assistance documents, manuals, online trainings and links to helpful web sites. The Portal was launched alongside the new FIT Web Calendar – http://cddtraining.info – containing information and registration for FIT-related events. Both new sites are maintained by the Early Childhood Network, CDD.
The CDD along with Governor Susana Martinez are "Celebrating Diversity" this March. March has been proclaimed Developmental Disability Awareness Month. The CDD will have 7 billboards around Albuquerque throughout all of March to help raise awareness and encourage all community members to Celebrate Diversity.
Dr. Piyadasa Kodituwakku has been awarded a Fulbright Specialist grant in Public/Global Health at the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. The main purpose of this grant is to assist Sri Lankan investigators in the development and validation of two neuropsychological test batteries: one for the assessment of dementia in the elderly and the other for the assessment of cognitive functions in children. Sri Lanka is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean with a population of over 21 million. While the country’s free health care system has focused on meeting people’s basic medical needs, minimal resources have been allocated for the assessment and treatment of neurocognitive problems. Therefore, the primary aim of this project is to develop and validate culturally sensitive measures to assess cognitive and emotional functioning in children and the elderly.
Another goal of the grant is to assist in the development of a course in clinical neuroscience for physicians at Ruhuna School of Medicine. Dr. Kodituawakku will be working with a clinical neurologist of Ruhuna School of Medicine on its development. Once the course has been developed, he will plan to teach it using distance education technologies available at CDD.
January 31, 2012
ADD and AUCD are pleased to announce the inaugural ADD-UCEDD Fellow, Mette Pedersen, PhD
Dr. Pedersen has worked with children and adults with disabilities, their families, and communities throughout the United States in university, therapeutic, early intervention, and public school settings. She has worked to create systems of care and education through collaboration of community, family, and state efforts. She helped develop opportunities for inclusive childcare in New Mexico across state agencies and worked there to establish a system of home visiting, including Federal home visiting programs supported by the Affordable Care Act. Mette's recent research efforts have addressed preparation of middle and high school students with intellectual disability to assume adult roles, including those of partnering and parenting. She has a strong interest in supporting parents with intellectual disability and was a founding member of The Association for Successful Parenting, an international organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of families when parents have learning difficulties.
Mette holds master's degrees in early childhood special education and counseling and a doctorate in special education. She was the recipient of the Alexander M. Tymchuk Award of Excellence in 2010 for her research in supporting parents with intellectual disability. Dr. Pedersen currently directs the Division of Early Childhood and Specialized Personnel Development at the Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico where she is also a Deputy Director.
The Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), through its technical assistance contract with AUCD, has initiatied a fellowship program recruiting outstanding individuals in the UCEDD community for an intensive year-long experience at ADD in Washington, DC. The Fellow will gain experience in collaborating across the federal agencies to advance the goals embodied in the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 -- "...to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of, and have access to, needed community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life ...". The Fellow will share first-hand knowledge and experience of his or her home UCEDD as well as the UCEDD network with ADD, and will use knowledge gained during the Fellowship year to impact future work in the field of developmental disabilities.