LEND Trainee Photo of Nick Hoffman

Hoffman receives prestigious Kevin Burberry Award

Kevin Burberry was a trailblazer. A tireless self-advocate, a gifted academic, and a dedicated leader.

Every year, HDI recognizes someone who demonstrates these qualities with the Kevin Burberry Award. This year, HDI is pleased to present it to Nick Hoffmann, who worked with the LEND program.

“The biggest thing that impressed me about him was his self-awareness about how he came into the LEND program thinking that he knew a lot about disability and realized that a lot of what he thought he knew wasn’t the best way to approach it and was willing to change the way he viewed disability,” said Dr. Tony Lobianco, chair of the Burberry Award Selection Committee. “The work that he’s doing providing supports for people who are on waiting lists is pretty awesome too.”

Hoffmann became involved with HDI’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program during his practicum work. He saw the opportunity to work with LEND and took an interest since focused on a multi-disciplinary treatment approach, something in which he had a significant interest.

“Learning about all the different ways that all these different fields can come together and provide supports…It was, I guess, a little humbling,” Hoffmann said. “I had to sit back and think about how I could be just a piece of this person’s support.”

He came away with a whole new perspective.

“I learned about the value and validity of self-advocate perspectives,” Hoffmann said. “In all of my training, in all of my schooling, we never at any point talked about self-advocates and their very valid argument of nothing about us without us, that if you want to be a member of a support team, you really do need to take our perspectives into account and you need to hear what we have to say about them…Neurodivergence is something to be celebrated, not something to be changed.”

It opened Hoffmann’s eyes to how even well-intentioned practices can be harmful.

“It was a little shocking, but it also taught me how to be humble. It taught me how to sit and listen and truly take those perspectives and learn from them rather than become defensive,” he said.

But he did listen, and since then, he’s updated his approach to reflect his new learning.

“In my training, there’s a lot of emphasis on parent perspectives within the family. And I think parent perspectives are valid and I think they’re important,” he said. “But most of the treatment approaches I was taught saw parent perspectives as the one perspective to follow in your treatment. Treatment targets didn’t necessarily reflect self-determination. A focus of mine this year…has been trying to check in with the client and make sure their voices are heard. Trying to make sure that if we’re looking at something as a target for change, that it’s a goal that the client has, it’s not something being forced on them.”

When asked about receiving the award, Hoffmann expressed that he learned a lot from and greatly enjoyed working with HDI and said that receiving the award left him feeling “humbled.”

“I just feel like I’m doing what somebody in my position should be doing. I’m really excited and have a lot of gratitude towards HDI for recognizing me,” he said. “I wish that there were other people focused on humanistic approaches so that it wouldn’t be award-worthy to have this kind of focus, but it feels good to be recognized.”

KY LEND Trainee Spotlight: Meet Nathan French

KYLEND Trainee Spotlight: Nathan French

Nathan French is currently pursuing a Master’s in Social Work while participating in the LEND program to enact cultural and policy changes for the betterment of the disability community. 

Inspired by their experience as a person with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in the LGBTQIA+ community, French’s interests and research focuses on marriage equality, attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ disabled people, education, and accessibility. 

French 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.

HDI is currently accepting applications across disciplines for the 2022—2023 academic year. A total of nine trainees will be accepted in the LEND fellowship. The fellowship includes leadership coursework and an array of clinical and community placements each semester. Trainees commit to 15 hours of LEND activities each week.

Applications for the 2022—2023 academic year must be submitted on or before March 4th, 2022. Complete the online application here: www.tinyurl.com/lend2223 

Finalists will be interviewed before the selection of nine trainees for a nine-month fellowship. All applicants will be notified by April 15th, 2022. Trainees must be one of the following: 

  • Enrolled in a graduate or post-graduate training program in a LEND discipline
  • A family member of an individual with an intellectual/developmental disability
  • An individual with an intellectual or developmental disability

Visit www.hdi.uky.edu/kylend2 to learn more and apply online. 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!

KYLEND Trainee Spotlight: Tanya Torp

Tanya Torp is an agent for social change and has spent her career engaging in community-based initiatives as a convener, speaker, trainer, facilitator, writer, and consultant. 

She currently serves as Executive Director at Step by Step, Inc., an organization that encourages and equips young single mothers, ages 12–24, through an empowerment model which includes mentoring, deep listening, case management, Support Groups, leadership development, and walking alongside them towards their own definitions of success. She is also Associate Pastor at Embrace United Methodist Church working in the areas of discipleship, leadership development, and women’s ministry.

Torp 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. 

HDI is currently accepting applications across disciplines for the 2022—2023 academic year. A total of nine trainees will be accepted in the LEND fellowship. The fellowship includes leadership coursework and an array of clinical and community placements each semester. Trainees commit to 15 hours of LEND activities each week.

Applications for the 2022—2023 academic year must be submitted on or before March 4th, 2022. Complete the online application here: www.tinyurl.com/lend2223 

Finalists will be interviewed before the selection of nine trainees for a nine-month fellowship. All applicants will be notified by April 15th, 2022. Trainees must be one of the following: 

  • Enrolled in a graduate or post-graduate training program in a LEND discipline
  • A family member of an individual with an intellectual/developmental disability
  • An individual with an intellectual or developmental disability

Visit www.hdi.uky.edu/kylend2 to learn more and apply online. 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!

KYLEND Student Spotlight: Stephanie Battistini

Stephanie Battistini is a third-year Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Fellow at the University of Louisville. Originally from Florida, she graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. She obtained her Medical Degree and Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Florida State University in May 2015.

She was inspired by the differences in services her two cousins with disabilities received: one had an involved medical team and appropriate resources, while the other did not. After witnessing these differences, she developed a passion for quality improvement, where her current research focus remains. 

Battistini 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. 

HDI is currently accepting applications across disciplines for the 2022—2023 academic year. A total of nine trainees will be accepted in the LEND fellowship. The fellowship includes leadership coursework and an array of clinical and community placements each semester. Trainees commit to 15 hours of LEND activities each week.

Applications for the 2022—2023 academic year must be submitted on or before March 4th, 2022. Complete the online application here: www.tinyurl.com/lend2223 

Finalists will be interviewed before the selection of nine trainees for a nine month fellowship. All applicants will be notified by April 15th, 2022. Trainees must be one of the following: 

  • Enrolled in a graduate or post-graduate training program in a LEND discipline
  • A family member of an individual with an intellectual/developmental disability
  • An individual with an intellectual or developmental disability

Visit www.hdi.uky.edu/kylend to learn more and apply online. 

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!

KYLEND Trainee Spotlight: Gabriella Martin

Martin is in her fourth year of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Eastern Kentucky University with a goal of becoming a licensed Psychologist. She has a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and is currently a Temporary Licensed Psychological Associate for the state of Kentucky, providing therapeutic and assessment services. She has extensive history working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, particularly those with a diagnosis of autism. 

She has a passion for conducting neuropsychological assessments with medically complex individuals who have or are suspected of having autism or related neurodevelopmental disorders.

Martin 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. 

HDI is currently accepting applications across disciplines for the 2022—2023 academic year. A total of nine trainees will be accepted in the LEND fellowship. The fellowship includes leadership coursework and an array of clinical and community placements each semester. Trainees commit to 15 hours of LEND activities each week.

Applications for the 2022—2023 academic year must be submitted on or before March 4th, 2022. Complete the online application here: www.uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5vAMf2dLWxdaRV4 

Finalists will be interviewed before the selection of nine trainees for a nine month fellowship. All applicants will be notified by April 15th, 2022. Trainees must be one of the following: 

  • Enrolled in a graduate or post-graduate training program in a LEND discipline
  • A family member of an individual with an intellectual/developmental disability
  • An individual with an intellectual or developmental disability

Visit www.hdi.uky.edu/kylend to learn more and apply online. 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!