June 2021

New Team Newsletter and Website

The Act Early State Team members now have two new ways to stay connected and up-to-date on team activities. The first is this newsletter. The Act Early State Team Newsletter will be sent to team members bimonthly to provide updates between meetings.

Members can also get updates and information related to State Team activities on the new Act Early State Team website. The site includes a calendar of upcoming events, information on previous and upcoming meetings, recordings of past Bright Spots webinars, and updates on State Team and workgroup activities. Take a look at: https://actearly.waisman.wisc.edu/.

Team Updates

May 13, 2021 Meeting

The Team piloted a new meeting format in May - shorter 90-minute meetings focused on one of the goals of the Act Early State Plan. The May meeting focused on the first State Plan goal related to family engagement.

As part of the new meeting format, "lightning round" presentations provide updates on members' progress toward the meeting's goal focus.At the May meeting, Kaitlin McNamara of the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities presented on the organization's Living Well initiative. Hugh Davis of Wisconsin Family Ties presented on his organization's engagement model, WI PLAN. Finally, Brigit Frank of Family Voices of Wisconsin presented on her organization's effort to make information more accessible to families by making video versions of their fact sheets provided in English and Spanish. Learn more on the Act Early State Team website.

Each meeting also includes a main presentation that highlights exemplary work being done by state or national partners relevant to State Team goals. At the May meeting, Sarah Esmond and April Kigeya presented on their community engagement work at the UW Collaborative Center for Health Equity and the All of Us Wisconsin research program.

All meeting materials and recordings can be found on the Act Early State Team website.

Upcoming Meetings

Wednesday, July 14, 12 - 1:30 pm - Goal 2: Early Identification & Referrals
Wednesday, October 27, 9 - 10:30 am - Goal 3: Assessment, Evaluation, & Diagnosis

Workgroups

Act Early workgroups convene team members and other stakeholders to engage in important shared work. Click on the links below for more information about workgroup purpose and past and future meetings.

Data & Measurement - Coordinates and improves efforts to track developmental screening, referrals, and follow-up in Wisconsin.

Family Outreach & Education - Identifies, develops, and refines strategies to connect with and provide information to all families in ways that are culturally and linguistically appropriate.

Provider Education - Builds the capacity of Wisconsin primary care providers have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide best practice screening, referrals, and care related to autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.

Upcoming Bright Spots Webinar

Bright Spots webinars are 30-minute interactive sessions that highlight innovative work relevant to Act Early State Plan goals.

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2-2:30pm - Nicole Miller and Regena Floyd-Sambou will present on Wisconsin Department of Health Services' (DHS) public service announcement (PSA) campaign regarding the State's Birth to 3 Program. Invites were sent to members. Bright Spots webinars are open to non-Act Early members - forward your meeting invite or contact Nicole Brys for virtual meeting details.

Ambassador Updates

Kris Barnekow, Wisconsin Act Early Ambassador

Take a look at Kris' June updates to find out more about:

Partner News

Updates: Maximizing Child Development in Primary Care

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021 - 12:30 – 1:30p

Updates: Maximizing Child Development in Primary Care is a quarterly, online interprofessional education series designed to improve primary care providers’ ability to promote optimal development in the pediatric patients within their practices. This series is offered by the UW-Madison Waisman Center in partnership with the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (WIAAP). Sessions are eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, ANCC Contact Hours, AAPA Category 1 CME, and MOC part 2 credits.

In the June session, Drs. Danielle Scholze and Diane Gerlach will provide updates on the current guidelines for developmental and autism surveillance and screening. In addition, they will share practical guidance and advice on implementing the guidelines within a primary care practice. Dr. Scholze is a developmental behavioral pediatrician in the UW-Madison Waisman Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic and an associate professor in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Gerlach is a pediatrician with the Aurora Health Care Medical Group.

Register for the session on June 23rd.

ECHO Autism WI

ECHO Autism WI  is recruiting primary care providers for our next session July 15 to December 16, 2021. 

Virtual sessions run every other Thursday from 12pm-1:30pm on Zoom.  

Learn best practices and evidence-based care for children with autism and developmental behavioral concerns while getting your questions answered by UW-Madison Waisman Center autism experts. 

University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities  |   Privacy Policy
Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705