GNO

Our friends at the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities are having a conference for Self-Advocates. This is a great opportunity! Check it out below!

🎤 Your voice matters! Don’t miss the chance to connect, learn, and lead at the SPEAK Up Conference. Together, we self-advocates can break barriers and ignite change! 📅 10/4/24 in Mission, KS.

https://kcdd.org/speak

CCHD-LEND Family Immersion Survey

Are you a Kansan living with a disability or chronic health condition? Want to learn more about services and supports available to you? Take a brief survey about your needs and find out about services in your area. Visit this link: https://bit.ly/kudisability

This project is being conducted by the University of Kansas Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies and the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK).

[image descriptions: photo of white man wheeling onto a bus; photo of three dark-skinned women talking, one has pink hair and is using a cane, one is sitting in a wheelchair and the other is leaning against a wall; KU Jayhawk logo; SILCK sunflower logo]

In partnership with Exchange Programs - U.S. Department of State, Institute for Community Inclusion, and Humanity & Inclusion - East African Region Programme, we are pleased to welcome Ombati Elizabeth Nyabiage from Kenya to KUCDD!

Elizabeth, a Program Assistant at the Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities, will be a at KUCDD for four weeks, engaging with US colleagues and exchanging best practices for disability-inclusive civic engagement.

Collaborating with KUCDD’s Dr. Evan Dean, Elizabeth, through her Fellowship project, aims to empower and inspire women with disabilities to participate in local governance to advocate for the rights of women and girls with disabilities in Kenya.

Gratitude overflowing for Graycee!! A heartfelt thank you for kindly sharing your GNO journey with Kansas LEND. Your time, support, patience, and thoughtful ideas have made a world of difference. GNO is lucky to know you! ❤️

Emerging Leaders of Kansas LEND...

Graycee Meyer. I am in my second and final year of graduate school studying speech-language pathology. I graduated with my B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Kansas State in December 2021. My family currently lives in Lawrence, but I have lived in various places in Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado. My mom calls it the ”Midwest Tour.” I am so excited to enter my field because I am interested in so many things! I particularly love play-based therapy with pediatrics, and my special interests include early intervention, AAC, feeding, and autism spectrum disorder. Outside of school, I love spending time with my dog, Daisy, and my fiancé, Noah, buying and reading lots of books, and doing yoga!

My favorite experience with LEND has hands down been Girls Night Out! This group focuses on building confidence and connections through community outings for teen girls with and without autism. Facilitating this group has continuously been a highlight of my week each week, and the girls have inspired me, taught me so much, and helped me build MY confidence too.

In addition to GNO, I have been involved in Susan Koerner's research project to enhance evidence-based strategies for SLPs providing treatment to AAC (Augmentative and Alternative communication) users through virtual coaching. I have grown in so many ways through LEND as I prepare to enter my field as a professional including advocacy, research methods, leadership, and policy.

Picture description: young woman with long wavy blonde hair wearing white shirt and black jacket standing outside.

🚨🚨 Next Week – the ABLE Roadshow with Kansas State Treasurer Steven Johnson, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, and KCDD is headed to East Kansas and we still have scholarship opportunities available!

Upcoming Dates
May 28 from 12-1pm – Leavenworth
May 28 from 7-9pm – Kansas City
May 30 from 12-1pm – Lawrence
May 30 from 6:30-7:30pm – Overland Park
May 31 from 12-1pm – Paola

Check out the ABLE Roadshow website for June dates and locations: https://buff.ly/3Q21dXv

From our partners in Chicago.

Virtual Future is Now (VFIN) Research Study: Online future planning for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) & their families in Kansas.

Are you worried about what will happen to your loved one as you get older? Do you find the process of planning for the future overwhelming?

If yes, you might be eligible to join the VFIN research study, which is testing the effectiveness of an online future planning training at the University of Illinois Chicago for adults with IDD & their families in Kansas.

The VFIN research study will randomly assign families to be part of the intervention or control group. All family caregivers and adults with IDD will complete pre- and post- tests.
- Families assigned to the intervention group will receive a 6-week training with weekly 1.5 hour Zoom classes from June 11-July 16 on Mondays and two Wednesdays from 6-7:30 pm CT.
- Families assigned to the control group will receive access to the self-paced materials after the post-test is completed.
To participate, please fill out the form: https://go.uic.edu/KN4 or contact Katie at: 312-996-1002 or [email protected]

Social Media Disclosure Statement: “Please remember that although the social media will not have access to information you provide once you click on the link to the eligibility screener below, the social media site does collects information regarding your online activities, as per the usage agreement you accepted, and will share this information with others, including advertisers.”

GNO is proud to celebrate Jessie Rood Kiblen, a former GNO facilitator turned amazing community partner!!! 👏🏆

making connections, sharing thoughtful compliments, and intentional conversations during teen week 10: blooming into spring with big confidence 🌸 positive self talk 🌼 and support from GNO friends 🐞🦋🦎🪿🦆🤍

looking back on our spring semester with the teen group: week 5 was all about ordering & eating dinner at the famous in KC! We enjoyed skyscrapers, burgers, onion rings & fries!🍦🍔🍟

Our teens had a fun opportunity to gain independence and practicing important skills like ordering, confidently speaking up, and tipping - together.🤍🧾✍️💵

heading into week 10 of our 12-week GNO Teen Group stronger than ever! 🏆 we are wrapping up the spring semester and we’re hyped up to highlight the incredible growth and connections this group has experienced.

stay tuned for a trip down memory lane! 🌈

Visit our website to sign up for email updates from KCDD to receive our monthly update, as well as other important news and information concerning the IDD community. The link is https://buff.ly/44T0ptD

T Minus THREE days until the World Premiere of Rubik at Spinning Tree Theatre! Have you scored your tickets for this and/or next weekend?

To learn more about the play, please visit https://spinningtreetheatre.com/rubik.

To purchase a ticket, please visit https://tinyurl.com/RubikKC

From our friends at Kansas Family Support Center:

KCART’s KFSC project is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, May 7th from 6-7pm CST with Stephanie Coleman and Sean Swindler. They will be presenting ‘Transitioning for Young Adults with I/DD’. In this presentation, attendees will focus on milestones to prepare for services you may need, along with discussing I/DD waiver information, vocational rehabilitation/employment, and supported decision making.

Register for our event here: https://redcap.kumc.edu/surveys/?s=49TTPL4KDKKKR78P

To get updated on all our events sign up for our newsletter: https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1992227/1968696/

You won't want to miss this! Be sure to secure your tickets for Spinning Tree Theatre's upcoming production: RUBIK by Vanessa Severo. April 26 - May 5! Some of our campers are even in the cast (as nearly all actors are autistic / individuals on the autism spectrum)! 🤩

🎟 Tickets: https://www.simpletix.com/e/rubik-at-spinning-tree-theatre-tickets-141314 🎟

team positive affirmations ☀️

This month, the Kansas City League of Autistics (KCLA) is holding an autistic adults panel in honor of Autism Acceptance Month.

The panel will be on Saturday, April 20th, 2PM at Colonial Church in Prairie Village. Keep checking back for more information on how to attend and register!

It’s not too late to sign up and walk with GNO!!!!

LESS THAN 48 HOURS TILL THE 2024 ASH 5K/1K FUN RUN AND RESOURCE FAIR!!!

Gather your friends and sign up today!!!

Use this link to sign up:
https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/OverlandPark/AutismSocietyTheHeartland5K1KFunRun2021

GNO loves !! 🤍

A unique opportunity for our spring 2024 12-week teen group🌟 we had this incredible opportunity to practice daily hair care steps independently, fostering confidence as they master styles one step at a time.

A heartfelt thank you to one of our longest and most loyal community partners! 💇‍♀️✨

GNO loves Paul Mitchell The School Overland Park!

A unique opportunity for our spring 2024 12-week teen group 🌟 we had this incredible opportunity to practice daily hair care steps independently, fostering confidence as they master one step at a time. A heartfelt thank you to one of our longest and most loyal community partners! 💇‍♀️✨

February recap part ✌🏻!! Thank you to everyone who was a part of our February! 🫶🏼 🫶🏼

February!! 🫶🏼 Thank you for the opportunity to keep working towards providing more community connections, pushing boundaries to deliver more social opportunities, fostering deeper connections, and lighting up confidence within our community.

We welcomed a wave of new families, facilitators, pilot groups spanning across the nation, and solidified exciting new partnerships along the way. BIG appreciation to all who fueled our February triumphs and contributed to our GNO community-wide impact!🚀💫

🦓 show your stripes for Rare Disease Day! 🦓 today, we spread hope and stand in solidarity with those living with rare diseases. 📣📣 let’s raise awareness and support for the rarest day of the year!

📣 visit rarediseaseday.org

K-HARP.
Kansas Health and Research Partnership.
Sign up for the Kansas Health and Research Partnership (K-HARP) World Café!

What Is a World Café? A World Café is a onetime event that brings people together in both large and small-group settings to share their experiences and engage in problem solving.

We’re looking for: People with disabilities who have experience with college, work, living in the community, and accessing supports and services to participate in our World Café. You will receive $20 for participating.

What will you be asked? During the World Café, you will be asked about your experiences with effective supports in college, at work, in the community, and when accessing services or supports.

Are you interested in participating In the World Café or learning more?
E-mail [email protected],
SIGN UP here,
or scan the QR code.

We want to hear from you!
KU Center on Developmental Disabilities.
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12-week GNO teen group spreading holiday cheer!🎄crafting connections and festive gratitude ornaments🌟✨ getting together to talk about the power of making connections and the joy of staying connected.❤️