Category: News

A legacy of support: Connie Stevens retires after decades of advocacy for families of children with hearing differences

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After more than two decades of advocacy, collaboration, and compassionate support for families of children with hearing differences, Connie Stevens, MA, retired at the end of June 2026. A veteran support parent with Parents Reaching Out, a longtime collaborator with Wisconsin Sound Beginnings, and trusted voice for families across the state, Stevens leaves behind a legacy defined by connection, empathy, and impact.

Students are the lifeblood of science: How students contribute to and shape research

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Science is not static. It constantly grows through curiosity, experimentation, and the continuous pursuit of new knowledge. Every question asked, every experiment conducted, and every discovery made build upon what came before it—moving science forward step by step. Students play a critical role in that process. They are not passive learners observing from the sidelines, but active contributors to research.

Family-Led Academic Grand (FLAG) Rounds: Family stories as a tool for teaching patient and family-centered care to medical trainees

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FLAG Rounds were developed by Coleman and Danielle Gerber to use family faculty, or family members of children with complex medical needs as lecturers, and storytelling as a strategy to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitude in medical students and providers to dismantle ableism in pediatric care and partner with families in the care of their children.

Postdoc Excellence Awards highlight outstanding postdocs and faculty mentors

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Link to the original article. The UW–Madison Postdoctoral Association recognized six postdocs and three faculty with Postdoc Excellence Awards to acknowledge their excellence in mentoring, teaching, and service. The association, a volunteer-led advocacy group for UW–Madison postdocs supported by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, launched the Postdoc Excellence Awards in 2021 to reward postdocs for …

Changes in walking patterns could be an important new screening tool for Alzheimer’s in individuals with Down syndrome

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Individuals with Down syndrome have a 90% lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Typing, tapping, and eye-gaze tracking: Augmentative and alternative communication provides crucial access to communication when speech is out of reach

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For many, talking is as easy as breathing. A few words to tell your friend that you are hungry and ready for lunch. A long rant to your partner about frustrations at work. A description of what hurts to your doctor. A quiet, ‘I love you,’ to a close family member. Being able to talk helps to make communicating efficient and effective. But not everyone has access to speech.

New book shares the experiences of individuals with disabilities through the COVID-19 pandemic using photos

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The Pandemic Cancelled It, and They Never Brought It Back takes readers into the daily lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID‑19 pandemic, using their own photographs and words to reveal moments of loss, adaptation, resilience, and connection. Created by researchers at the Waisman Center, the book offers an intimate portrait of a community whose experiences are too often overlooked.

Waisman Center to pilot Adult Autism Program this summer

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This summer, the Waisman Center’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) will launch the Adult Autism Program, with services focused on mental health, life skills, and social connections for supporting quality of life in autistic adults and their families.

Earliest signs of neurodegeneration in Down syndrome detected shortly after birth, new Waisman study shows

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Signs of neurodegeneration in individuals with Down syndrome may start as early as birth, a critical stage of brain development, a new study shows. The research, from investigators at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides an atlas of early brain development in Down syndrome that could inform potential targeted treatments to address the developmental and degenerative aspects of the condition.

Ability, not disability: UW allies highlight advocacy in light of Autism Acceptance Month

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April is Autism Acceptance Month — a time to recognize those on the autism spectrum, provide support, improve access to services and celebrate neurodiverse identities. Autism is a developmental disability, meaning it displays itself during the pediatric period, according to senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin Waisman Center and director of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Leann DaWalt.