Education and Training

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The WIHD Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Training Program Curriculum

Program is a two-semester program that provides intensive training for advanced graduate students and post-graduates interested in furthering their leadership role in a career in this area. The program has four primary components: an overview course on neurodevelopmental disabilities, leadership development activities, research seminars and teams, and clinical experiences. Trainees provide documentation of attainment of educational objectives using the portfolio method of evaluation.

Overview of Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities and Their Systems of Care

This course provides an overview of knowledge essential for professionals aspiring to a leadership position in this field and includes sessions concerning, among other topics, early childhood development, vulnerable populations, family partnerships, genetics as it relates to developmental disabilities, disorders of language and socialization with a focus on the autism spectrum, learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders, assistive technology, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Integrated throughout this curriculum are the themes of policy, advocacy, public health perspective, family-centeredness, and cultural competence.

Leadership Development Activities

Leadership Seminar. This series of seminars covers diverse knowledge and skills areas such as cultural competence, presentation skills, grant-writing, identification of funding sources, designing websites, and career planning strategies. Longitudinal work on an individualized training plan is an important element of this curriculum.

Leadership projects. These projects are designed to assist trainees in acquiring skills and demonstrating competencies related to interdisciplinary leadership.

• Family Resource Center Resource Development Project.
  Trainees serve in an information and referral role to families by identifying, evaluating, and compiling material that addresses common questions asked by families who call for information. The products are designed for use by families and may include annotated bibliographies, articles, program or resource lists, and directories of web-based resources. A web page is also created to share this information electronically.
  
• Family Mentoring Project
  This project provides trainees with the opportunity to learn from a family about the impact of having a child with a disability and about the responsiveness of service systems to the family's needs and desires by visiting a family at home and accompanying them on a community outing. Trainees provide a written reaction to these visits and will share their reflections on their experiences with the group.
  
• Technical Assistance/Community Education Project
  This may be done independently or in collaboration with a faculty member. Trainees provide a brief description of the activity reflecting identification of the problem/topic, planning, delivery, and consumer satisfaction.
  

Research

• Research seminars emphasize clinical and public health research. The seminars provide an overview of research ethics, research design, and skills for carrying out and interpreting the results of the project.
  
• All trainees take an active role in an ongoing research project as a member of a LEND research team. The research groups will have the broad responsibility of addressing specific research questions, and then presenting their findings in the context of public health and systems of care.

Clinical Experience

LEND trainees develop advanced clinical skills through disciplinary experiences, participation in the interdisciplinary services at WIHD, and provision of community-based services. These activities are conducted under the supervision of one or more faculty mentors and are coordinated by the supervisor of training for the respective discipline.

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