A Fact Sheet on “Advancing Racial Equity in Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education” was developed by the UNC Equity Research Action Coalition and the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partnership with the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Read More
Catherine Citta
Catherine Citta, a 2021 alumna of the Georgia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (GaLEND) program, has been selected as the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation’s Public Policy Fellow for 2023. After a rigorous application and interview process, one public policy fellow from across the nation is selected each year. Read More
Lupe Arteaga is pursuing an MPH with a concentration in Health Promotion and Behavior because she has always been interested in finding ways to improve community health, especially among children with disabilities. I am the president of the Georgia State University Maternal and Child Health Student Association. and a graduate research assistant (GRA) for the Center for Leadership in Disability. Read More
The Georgia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (GaLEND) program at Georgia State University addresses many of today’s healthcare shortages through the interdisciplinary training of healthcare professionals. GaLEND is a one-year interdisciplinary training experience that prepares tomorrow’s leaders to provide coordinated, culturally competent, and family-centered care to children and their families. Read More
Project Updates
Leaders throughout the United States attended The 2023 AUCD Leadership Academy at GSU in June. It was a week-long program designed to enhance the skills of current and emerging leaders from the disability network to build coalitions to improve systems of support and services. Learn more about the AUCD Leadership Academy.
CLD staff members Sydnie Smith and Ellen Lopez representing the Georgia Statewide Disability & Health Program at the Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games. In attendance but not in picture is Erin Vinoski Thomas.
The 2023 Autism Conference & Expo of Georgia on May 17 provided an opportunity for sharing knowledge and resources about support for individuals with autism and their families in Georgia to 150 attendees. The Autism Conference & Expo represented a collaboration and contributions of an alliance of leading self-advocates, family members, community partners, state agencies, and other stakeholders.
University Programs
Angad Sahgal, an undergrad in CLD's Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy (IDEAL) Program, was selected for the new Main Street Entrepreneurs Seed Fund Cohort. Angad's company was one of twelve companies selected to be part of this cohort. Read about his innovative app, "Let Me Do It," which he and his dad Amit Sahgal developed. "Let Me Do It" is an app that enables people with disabilities to manage and navigate their daily choices.
The GaLEND Audiology program is working to increase the number of pediatric audiologists with clinical skills, leadership skills and expertise in delivering care to deaf or hard-of-hearing children & children with autism or other developmental disability. Read More.
Faculty & Staff Updates
Erin Vinoski Thomas, Ph.D. has been promoted to Research Associate Professor! This promotion recognizes Erin's accomplishments in the areas of university teaching, research productivity, and service to the field. Erin was promoted a year early because of her incredible productivity as a scholar! Congratulations to one of Georgia's leading experts in the area of disability and health!

Dr. Vinoski Thomas also won the GSU School of Public Health's Exceptional Mentorship Award!
Congratulations to CLD's Raynell Washington! Raynell has been promoted to Project Manager for the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health (GA-AIMH)! Raynell has successfully established cross-sector partnerships with Georgia's early childhood agencies and stakeholders. She is also helping to bridge those partnerships to help lead Georgia's infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) movement!
Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) Making a Difference magazine interviewed our Community Advocate Specialist and GaLEND alumnus Darien Todd. GCDD asked Todd about his advocacy journey, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), leadership, changing policies on disability, and the future of this generation with a disability.
Darien Todd
Congratulations to Center for Leadership in Disability's Director and Maternal Child Health (MCH) Director Dr. Emily Graybill on being named one of AUCD's Children's Mental Health Champions.
CLD's New Staff
We are pleased to announce that our team is growing. Here is the new addition to the CLD family in 2023: Andrew Abrams, UCEDD Operations Specialist.
The 2023 AUCD Leadership Academy visited The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. It is a museum dedicated to the achievements of the civil rights movement in the U.S. and the broader worldwide human rights movement. Our AUCD leaders participated in immersive exhibitions, engagement, and conversation at the center.
Save the Dates
AUGUST 16 - 17, 2023
8:00AM-5:00PM
Babies Can't Wait Conference
Georgia State University

The Babies Can’t Wait conference will celebrate and acknowledge the valuable early intervention work in Georgia while looking ahead toward evolving to more accessible, inclusive, and culturally relevant practices and services.
NOVEMBER 2, 2023
8:00AM-5:00PM
GA-AIMH 2023 Annual Conference
Georgia State University

Join Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health (GA-AIMH) for a day of full of events including keynote speakers, breakout sessions focused across the continuum of care, panels of family and professionals with expertise in IECMH, and important updates about IECMH in Georgia!
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For more information on the Center for Leadership in Disability visit cld.gsu.edu.
Center for Leadership in Disability
140 Decatur Street, Suite 140
Atlanta, GA 30303
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