LEND

Shaping the Future: LEND Scholar’s AUCD 2023 Experience

Each fall, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) gathers their network members for a conference in Washington, D.C. Their shared goal is to advance policies and practices that improve the health, education, social, and economic well-being of all people with developmental and other disabilities.

The Human Development Center is proud to participate in the conference by sending our Louisiana LEND and Interprofessional Preparation Program scholars as well as various HDC staff and faculty to connect, share, and grow with our national disability community. The 2023 AUCD theme was “Emerging Leaders: Shaping the Future.

We asked LEND scholar and self-advocate Jakeel Abdullah to share his AUCD experiences with us.

Louisiana LEND scholar Tiffany Richard on Autism Acceptance for the Organization for Autism Research

Autism Acceptance month is over… now what? Self-advocate and 2022-23 LEND scholar Tiffany Richard shares why autism acceptance is important after April in an article for Organization for Autism Research. As Tiffany puts it, “Autistic people don’t magically turn into pumpkins and disappear when the month is over.”

Her tips include:

• Learn About Autism from other Autistic Perspectives
• Treat Us Like Equals
• Create Sensory Friendly Spaces

Louisiana LEND scholar Maddie Mayes featured in the Act Early Network News

Check out LEND scholar Maddie Mayes featured in the Act Early Network News’ Spring 2023 Issue! The feature, titled “Louisiana LEND Scholar Studies Family Perspectives on Developmental Monitoring,” explains Maddie’s leadership project, which sought to explore the knowledge and perspectives of parents and other caregivers regarding healthy development and developmental monitoring (DM).

Louisiana LEND scholars create Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) fact sheet asking “what will Louisiana do?”

HDC at AUCD 2022

Louisiana LEND is now accepting applications

Strong leadership influences change in systems like Healthcare, Education, and Public Policy. To become a better informed professional, you need interdisciplinary skills and community-based learning. To transform society as we know it, you must be an effective advocate and leader.

Apply to Louisiana LEND now to acquire these skills! Deadline to apply is April 25, 2022! Click the button below that best describes you.

Click here to apply for the Louisiana LEND 2022-23 cohort

Not sure if this program is right for you? Click here to complete an interest form.

Please know that LEND is a stipend program that financially compensates you for your time and participation. Registration and travel to the national AUCD conference in Washington, D.C. is also covered when participating in the program.

HDC Spotlight: Courtney Bissonnette, RN, MSN

Ms. Courtney Bissonnette, RN, MSN recently began working at the Human Development Center (HDC) as a Health Specialist for HDC’s Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) project and a member of the core faculty of the Louisiana Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program. Before joining HDC as a Registered Nurse (RN) and Health Specialist, Courtney worked as an acute care pediatric nurse on pediatric medical surgical units for five-years. She also spent a year at a pediatric primary care clinic as a pediatric triage nurse. Courtney left the hospital setting and earned a Master of Science in Nursing Education, while simultaneously working full-time as a nurse at a childcare center that served young children with special needs. Courtney has a personal relationship with developmental disabilities. She is the mother of a child with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Courtney’s professional training and life experiences make her uniquely able to notice small details that can impact a family or child’s health, wellness, and quality of life. Courtney uses this lens in her daily work to make sure that faculty, staff, teachers, families and children possess the wellness tools they need to reach their full potential.

Alumni Alert: Louisiana LEND scholars present capstone at ASHA 2021

2020-2021 Louisiana LEND alumni Sloane Henry, B.S., Lillian Patton , MCD, CF-SLP , and Alix Moody, B.S. present capstone that supports interdisciplinary training at the 2021 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention. Titled “An Interdisciplinary Peer-led Educational Intervention to Improve Physician Assistant Student Knowledge of Speech-Language-Hearing Developmental Milestones,” the LEND scholars’ presentation is supported by LSUHSC Assistant Professors and Louisiana LEND faculty Leslie C. Lopez, Ph.D., CCC/SLP and Megan R. Guidry, Au.D., CCC-A.

Alumni alert: Louisiana LEND scholars working at Families Helping Families of Acadiana

Families Helping Families of Acadiana (FHFOA) recently recognized its staff for their appointments to various boards, task forces, or committees and the completion of programs dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities and special health care needs. HDC was proud to see two familiar faces in this group: current Louisiana LEND scholar Kristie Curtis and Louisiana LEND alum Nicole DeJean. Click this link to read the original FHFOA newsletter.

Algiers Community Health Information and Resource Fair