Meet one of the LEND Trainees, Abby Wrightson!
Abby is currently a third-year student in the University of Kentucky’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Living alongside an aunt with Down Syndrome, she was able to witness some challenges of life with a disability and life as a caregiver. This led her to an interest in working with children and adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Since middle school, it has been a goal of Abby’s to help people with disabilities function to their fullest capacity as children and through their transition into adulthood. She is also very passionate about providing better support to family members and caregivers of people with disabilities.
As a LEND Trainee, she hopes to grow the knowledge and skills to allow her to act as a provider and advocate for people with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Abby is currently enrolled as a trainee in the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute’s (HDI) Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program. LEND is a five-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau in partnership with the University of Louisville and Eastern Kentucky University.
These programs share the overall mission of improving the health of infants, children, and adolescents with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. LEND aims to increase the number of professionals with the knowledge and skills to provide evidence-based screening and diagnosis, as well as support to individuals and families.Visit www.hdi.uky.edu/kylend to learn more. Contact the Kentucky LEND Project Director caroline.gooden@uky.edu with any questions or to schedule an informational session for your department and interested students!
