Lifespan Care
Composition and Appointment
Members: In addition to the Chair, Chair-Elect and Past Chair, the number of members is variable (and between 3 and 17), subject to the needs and recommendations of the Chairperson with the approval of the responsible Board Liaison.
Terms
| Chairperson: | 1 year progressing from Chair-Elect. |
| Chair-Elect: | 1 year, appointed by consensus of Committee in conjunction with and approval of the responsible Board Director and Second VP. |
| Past Chair: | 1 year progressing from Chair. Position holds full voting privileges. |
| Members: | 3 years, which may be renewed for one additional 3-year term. No member may serve more than 6 years on the Committee unless progressing through a leadership role on the committee. |
Responsibilities
- Encourage and provide leadership in developing interdisciplinary educational programs for the membership of the AACPDM on lifespan care issues including the transition to adulthood, aging, and adult outcomes.
- Foster attitudinal changes so that preparation for transition can begin in infancy and early childhood, recognizing that there are transitions throughout development and the whole lifespan that require attention and preparation.
- Promote recognition of the need for consumer input and dialogue in planning educational, clinical, and research programs.
- Address the need for formal study and research in adult outcomes of interventions for children with developmental disabilities.
- Provide leadership in exploring and advocating for models of care and service provision which meet the medical, psychosocial, emotional, educational, vocational, and housing needs of adolescence and adults with developmental disabilities.
- Submit committee member updates (regarding vacancies and new member names) after discussion with and through the Board Liaison who then provides to the AACPDM office. All Committee rosters will be then updated automatically through the database.
Other Ways To Participate:
If you're interested in the care of adults with childhood-onset disabilities, you may also be interested in participating in our Adults and Aging Special Interest Group. The group meets several times per year to discuss topics and learn together about advancing care for this unique population. To join our SIG, please send an email to AdultAgingSIG@aacpdm.org and include your full name in the body of the message with the word “join” in the subject line.
Lifespan Journal Digest
Part of the mandate of the Lifespan Committee of the AACPDM is to promote and share evidence-based information about aging with childhood-onset disabilities. With this in mind, the Committee set out to establish a way to routinely spotlight recent literature focusing on lifespan care issues, including the transition to adult care, aging with a disability, and adult outcomes.
Read the available reviews here.