Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
at UCLA and UCR
About Us
We are a collaborative and interdisciplinary program comprised of health professionals and graduate-level trainees with a focus on understanding the impact of neurodevelopmental disabilities (ND) on individuals and families in order to improve the care & outcomes for these individuals over the lifespan.
In continuing our mission, we train future health professionals in both didactic and experiential instruction. In addition, we serve our communities, locally and via telehealth, through our UC-LEND clinic.
The University of California Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (UC-LEND) was established in 2016 as a collaboration between the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Riverside (UCR) with following four priorities in mind: 1) foster inter-campus collaboration between two UC campuses and support the development of pediatric clinical services at UCR Health; 2) address the developmental needs of immigrant and underserved children and adults in the Inland Empire; 3) focus on transitions to adulthood and the needs of autistic young adults; and 4) improve the ability of primary care pediatric providers and adult health providers to better care for autistic individuals.
Our program aims to train and develop skills in leadership, advocacy, policy, research, and education in neurodiversity. Our trainees are granted the opportunity to engage and be part of the AUCD network of trainees, which is a national network of various LEND trainees across all 60 programs.