A State of the Science conference on accessing services for children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs from traditionally underserved communities.
A State of the Science Conference on accessing services for children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs from traditionally underserved communities.
November 10-11, 2008
Bethesda, Maryland
For practitioners and researchers in rehabilitation, education and public policy; community-based organizations; and families and youth
This conference examines the state of the science related to early screening, community inclusion and transition for children and youth from underserved populations, including new immigrant communities. The conference is designed to optimize interaction among all participants. There will be many opportunities for discussion among researchers, clinicians, policy makers, parents, youth and community based organization leaders. We will share the lessons we are learning with the Opening Doors project in Boston as an example of community based participatory research.
Sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, US Department of Education, the HSC Foundation, the U.S Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and the American Academy of Pediatrics
Hyatt Regency Bethesda
One Bethesda Metro Center
(7400 Wisconsin Ave.)
Bethesda MD 20814
(301) 657-1234 voice
(301) 657-6453 fax
Metro Red Line at Bethesda Metro Center
From Washington/National Airport: Take George Washington Parkway to I-495 North, to Wisconsin Avenue South, exit 34 South.
From Dulles International Airport: Take Dulles Access Road East to I495, to Wisconsin Avenue South, exit 34 South.
Day rates: $5 up to one hour, $10 full day.
Reservations: Please reserve rooms by calling the hotel reservations line (800) 233-1234. The special conference rates (excluding taxes) are:
Single: $159
Double: $184
Triple: $209
Rooms are held at these rates until October 19, 2008. Participants are responsible for all room and related charges unless otherwise notified
For further hotel information go to the Hyatt Regency Bethesda web site.
Registration (deadline October 24, 2008)
Stephen Blumberg, PhD—Senior Scientist, Centers for Disease Control
Penny Hauser-Cram, PhD—Graduate School of Education, Boston College
Renee Jenkins, MD—President, American Academy of Pediatrics
Dot Nary, MA—Project Workout on Wheels; Research and Training Center on Independent Living, University of Kansas.
Greg Smith—Disability Advocate, Radio Host, and Motivational Speaker
Opening Doors, a project funded by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research, was started in Boston in 2006. The focus of this project is research and training on how to give youth with disabilities and special health care needs from underserved communities a better future.
According to the US Maternal and Child Health Bureau, about 10 million US children have special health care needs. Children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs from immigrant communities, linguistic minorities and poor urban areas often face great obstacles to obtaining needed health, education, recreation and vocational services. The Opening Doors Project brings together national experts in pediatrics, public policy, education, family advocacy, and rehabilitation to help children from birth through young adulthood to study how to improve the opportunities for these children and youth and their families.
The project is a collaboration of these institutions:
Children from diverse backgrounds do not always have their needs recognized early. Opening Doors reaches out to linguistic minority children and families in neighborhood health centers, using improved screening methodology that involves the entire clinic staff and input from families about their satisfaction with the process.
Finding a supportive inclusive environment for recreation can be difficult for children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs. This project is designed to study how trained community volunteers can help children have fun and get fit at local recreational facilities. The project is also exploring the best ways to engage coaches (mentors) from the communities. The goal is to recruit 18-24 year olds from the communities and use this opportunity to introduce them to health and education careers through their experience mentoring a child with a disability or special health care need.
More youth with disabilities and special health care needs are entering and graduating from college. However, many teens still don’t see college in their future. Opening Doors helps graduating high school students with disabilities plan for college and career. This project is testing a new internet based curriculum that introduces high school age students to the college entrance process in a youth friendly, compelling and practical fashion.
Opening Doors is a five-year Rehabilitation Research and Training Center funded by
NIDRR/U.S. DOE. Partners: ICI, Children’s Hospital Boston, UMass Boston, Mass.
Consortium for Children with Special Health Care Needs, PACER, and Opening
Doors community partners. The conference is sponsored by NIDRR, the HSC
Foundation, MCHB, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.