Build your leadership skills and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through this free training program for graduate students, self-advocates and family members.

The University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities Program (IL LEND) training program is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 school year.

IL LEND is housed in the Department of Disability and Human Development at UIC. It is part of LEND’s nationwide network providing interdisciplinary training to improve the health and well-being of individuals with disabilities.

LEND focuses on providing individuals with the skills necessary to create positive change on all levels, from the individual to systems.

The IL LEND fellowship program brings together trainees from diverse backgrounds. The interdisciplinary leadership training includes 15 disciplines (see the IL LEND brochure for a complete list). Classroom and hands-on learning experiences focus on seven key areas:

• Leadership
• Public health
• Interdisciplinary clinical training and practice
• Cultural competence
• Family-centered care
• Emerging issues
• Research

Sessions take place over two semesters starting August 2025 and ending May 2026.

The training will focus on serving individuals with disabilities and their families through coordinated, culturally competent and family-centered care. It will also focus on gaining a deeper understanding of public health services and policy systems change.

Training will include:

• An individually tailored mentorship
• Weekly didactic (classroom) sessions
• Research or leadership projects
• Community outreach
• Policy and advocacy training
• Clinical training with a focus on Autism

There is no cost to participate in the fellowship program. Eligible trainees can receive a stipend.

This program is open to graduate students, adults with developmental disabilities, and parents and/or siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities. All trainees complete 300-plus hours of leadership and discipline-specific classroom (didactic), clinical and community training.

IL LEND trainees from the Chicago metropolitan area meet in person at UIC for their LEND training. Trainees can also join remotely through training sites at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The program gives priority to the following applicants:

• Family members
• Self-advocates
• Graduate students in the represented disciplines, which include nursing, social work, developmental pediatrics, disability studies and public health.

See the IL LEND graduate program brochure for more details and a complete list of study areas.

Read more about applying on the IL LEND website. You can also click on the links below to download the:

• Self-advocate application
• Family member application
• Graduate student application

The deadline to apply is March 1.

DSCC partners with IL LEND to offer an online space for parents to learn about important topics, gain resources and discuss strategies

A new webinar series provides an online space for parents and caregivers to access educational workshops, learn about resources and discuss strategies and support needs.

The series is open to all parents and caregivers of children enrolled with the University of Illinois Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC).

It’s the result of a partnership between DSCC and UIC’s Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities Program (IL LEND).

There is no cost for families to participate.

Please note this workshop series now has a parent education focus rather than a traditional support group.

The virtual workshops will take place via Zoom on the third Wednesday of the month through April.

Workshops topics may include:

• Respite care
• Feeding
• Ventilator maintenance/cleaning
• Transportation
• Navigating relationships with staff

The workshop schedule is for the following dates from 7 to 8 p.m.:

• Feb. 16
• March 16
• April 20

The topic for the Feb.16 session is Early Intervention. The guest speaker is Maria Kastanis, assistant director of the Early Intervention Training Program (EITP) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The details and registration information for the next meeting are below:

• WHAT: Educational workshop series for parents/caregivers of children and youth enrolled in DSCC’s programs
• WHEN: Feb. 16, 7 to 8 p.m.
• TOPIC: Early Intervention (Note: the discussion part of the workshop will include a facilitator for Spanish-speaking families.)
• WHERE: Virtual via Zoom
• Registration link

Visit the workshop series website for more details about the series and individual meetings.

We’ll also post details about upcoming meetings in the Events section of our website.

If you have questions about the series or an individual meeting, please fill out the Contact Us section of the workshop series website.