Vanderbilt Consortium LEND Trainees Reflect on Their Experiences as the Program Turns 25
By Evon Batey Lee, Ph.D., Vanderbilt Consortium LEND Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human DevelopmentThe Vanderbilt Consortium Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program is one of 60 LEND programs nationwide. The goal of LEND training is to improve the lives of infants, children, and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. These programs provide training to graduate and postgraduate students in healthcare and educational fields, as well as family- and self-advocates. LEND programs are administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and funded under the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act.
Each LEND program is unique, but all focus on developing interprofessional and leadership skills. The Vanderbilt program was initially funded in 1999, with the first cohort of trainees joining in 2000. Over the years, we added “consortium” to our name because we have faculty and trainees from multiple institutions of higher education, including Belmont University, East TN State University (ETSU), Meharry Medical College, TN State University (TSU), Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as well as Family Voices of TN.
We currently have faculty and trainees from approximately 17 healthcare and educational specialties, as well as family- and self-advocates, who provide invaluable perspectives from their lived experience. Our 30 long-term trainees devote 300+ hours to LEND during the academic year – in addition to their specific program’s training requirements. The rigorous LEND curriculum includes:
- weekly online modules on neurodevelopmental disability topics,
- monthly leadership seminars,
- care navigation practicum,
- interprofessional group projects,
- and disability agency visits.
About every two weeks, we meet together virtually for evening sessions to discuss disability topics, share perspectives, and build relationships among the faculty and trainees. Within our LEND, we try to promote a culture that supports interprofessional, patient- and family-centered care, cultural sensitivity, and community partnerships. Our hope is that in their future careers, our LEND trainees will have a positive impact on the lives of individuals touched by developmental disabilities - as well as community systems and national policy.

Trainee Reflections
The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program helps create leaders who understand disability from many angles. LEND brings together people from different backgrounds - doctors, teachers, therapists, and family members - to learn from each other.
Several past and current LEND trainees shared how the program has shaped their work. Many trainees describe their LEND experience as life-changing.
For Amy Weitlauf, who joined LEND during an important time in her career as a clinical psychology postdoctoral fellow, the program gave her a special place to explore her new role as a professional. "LEND provided a shared space to explore what it means to be a professional who supports patients with neurodevelopmental differences in an evidence-based and family-informed way." The connections she made through LEND have had lasting effects, such as the time she walked into her son's audiologist appointment only to find that his care provider was a former LEND colleague. "It was such a surprise to walk into her office with him! But a wonderful surprise," she recalls. This kind of interconnectedness and community support runs through many LEND stories.
Tonya Bowman, who was part of LEND in 2019-2020, loved the feeling of being surrounded by others who were just as passionate about making a difference. She says, "I loved working with my LEND cohort. I learned from them and got to share my personal and professional experiences with them." The sense of community Tonya experienced was about more than learning—it was about growing together, with everyone supporting each other's journeys. That’s part of why she remains involved with LEND today- using her skills to make a difference as part of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Community Advisory Council.
The value of collaboration and learning from multiple perspectives is a common theme. Katelyn Rossow wanted to understand developmental disabilities beyond her medical training, saying, "I wanted to learn more about developmental disabilities from perspectives outside of medicine." The insights she gained during her time as a LEND trainee in 2017-2018 still shape her work today, as she supports teenagers and their families during the transition to adulthood. Working with other professionals taught her to see the whole person, not just the medical side.
Similarly, current trainee Emily Gard emphasizes how much she's gained from working with people from different disciplines. "Learning alongside trainees from other disciplines has been very helpful, as it has expanded my knowledge beyond my own discipline’s scope of practice." The program has deepened her understanding of the real-life experiences of the families she will be helping. "Opportunities to hear and learn from the perspectives of family- and self-advocates have been extremely valuable," Emily says. It’s this kind of learning—beyond textbooks and lectures—that gives LEND its impact.
Allie Green’s journey into LEND began with encouragement from her professors, who saw her potential as a leader in special education. "I was encouraged to join the LEND program by two faculty members... I believe in the importance of promoting interdisciplinary teams to better meet the needs of individuals with neurodevelopmental and related disabilities." What has struck Allie the most is the power of hearing directly from family and self-advocates during meetings. "Their input is unmatched," she says, highlighting how important it is to include these voices in every conversation.
For Sara Francis, who completed her LEND training in 2017-2018, the relationships she built have been just as important as the lessons she learned. "Though I no longer work full-time with Developmental Medicine or VKC, I still reach out to key faculty from LEND for resources for families I serve now." LEND isn’t just about the time spent in training—it’s about building a lifelong community. As a clinical psychologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Sara knows that her LEND network is always there to support her and the families she works with.
Daniel Scherer-Emunds, who now works in Tanzania as a Mosaic International Fellow, talks about how LEND helped him see the value of a team-based approach. "Our capitalist culture in America often encourages us to work in silos and think individualistically regarding our careers. However, the work I aim to do and impact I aim to have is inherently rooted in community values." For Daniel, the lessons from LEND on working together continue to guide his efforts to support young adults with developmental disabilities.
Jillian Hamilton’s journey with LEND started years before her current postdoctoral fellowship. During an undergraduate internship, she saw how providers came together to help individuals with developmental differences. Now, as a trainee, she enjoys the chance to collaborate on meaningful projects and hear from family advocates. "I’ve really enjoyed participating in rich discussions with family advocates and sharing interdisciplinary perspectives on relevant cases," she says. The experience has strengthened her belief in the power of teamwork.

A Legacy of Collaboration and Growth
The reflections of these LEND trainees show how the program shapes leaders who are committed to improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities. Across their stories, it’s clear that LEND is more than just a training program—it’s a community of support, learning, and growth. The focus on interdisciplinary learning, advocacy, and family-centered care builds not only skills but also lasting connections. As Daniel put it, "As humans, we are inherently interdependent and need each other." LEND embraces that interdependence, helping trainees grow together and work towards a future where all individuals with disabilities have the support they need to thrive.