Quality Assurance

• Training in guardianship alternatives: Supported decision making
• Increase awareness of best practices for competency evaluations
• Promote personal safety of individuals with DD through behavioral self-monitoring
• Document baseline quality of long term care programs

Our Programs

Autism Treatment Programs
The Waisman Center Autism Treatment Programs are provided through a partnership with the University of Wisconsin (UW) Medical Foundation. Starting Together (comprehensive and focused treatment based on Applied Behavior Analysis and the Early Start Denver Model, ages 2-6 at the Waisman Early Childhood Program (WECP)); Growing Together (focused treatment for parent and child to learn positive behavior, ages 6-14); Transitioning Together (focused treatment for parent and teen to support skill, resources and strategies for a successful transition to adult life).

Children’s Resource Center-South
Provides information, referral and follow up services so that all families with children with special health care needs, and providers residing in the service area will have access to complete and accurate information related to the needs of their special needs child.

Developmental Disabilities Community Training and Consultation
Provides service to family members, volunteers, direct care providers, special education teachers, transportation providers, para-professional and professional service providers from all settings providing services in Dane County for people with developmental disabilities.

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND)
The purpose of this program is to provide graduate education to interdisciplinary maternal and child health trainees, to prepare them to assume key leadership positions in education, service, research, administration and advocacy to improve the health and well-being of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) population.

Wisconsin Care Integration Initiative
The Wisconsin Care Integration Initiative (WiCII) project aims to increase family-centered, integrated systems of care for children with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities.

Build Your Bridge : Moving from Child to Adult Health Care

Launching Inclusive Efforts Through Community Conversations A Practical Guide for Families, Service Providers and Communities
PDF Document | 40 Pages | 8.5 MB

Completed Projects

• Family Action Network
  The Family Action Network provides information about opportunities for education, training and leadership development to members who would like to contribute their voice to improve systems for people with disabilities and special health care needs in Wisconsin. Members are encouraged to share their ideas as informed, effective and knowledgeable participants in policy and systems change to help achieve family/self-determination, independence, productivity, integration and inclusion in all facets of community life. Systems change happens when family members are partners in the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and systems of supports and services. Information shared on this list does not represent a position or endorsement of specific positions by the listserv host. This listserv is collaboration between the Waisman Center, University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, Family Voices of Wisconsin, Disability Rights Wisconsin and the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities.
• Family Network Project
  A Family Network is group of families committed to working together to learn and increase the quality of life for their family members with disabilities. Family Networks facilitate and connect families to do together what no one family can do alone. Well informed and supported family networks can solve challenges by developing creative solutions to shared problems such as transportation, community living, community integration, community employment. The Family Network Project will assist a total of 9 new family-led groups around the state of Wisconsin over the next three years. This is a partnership with Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD) in which Living Our Visions (LOV) will provide coordination, technical assistance, facilitation and training to these groups.
  The Family Action Network provides information about opportunities for education, training and leadership development to members who would like to contribute their voice to improve systems for people with disabilities and special health care needs in Wisconsin.
• Family Support 360
  Family Support 360 was a 5-year project funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and located at the Harambee Center, in collaboration with the Waisman Center, Exchange Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, Dane County Human Services, and the Department of Health Services.
• Healthy and Ready to Work
  This was an asset-based community development project which explored ways to support youth with special health care needs and disabilities as they transition from pediatric health care and high school to adult health care, higher education, working and living within their communities.
• Let’s Get to Work Project Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (WI BPDD)
  As a collaboration with the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (WI BPDD) as the lead, the project will develop and implement policies and practices that elevate community expectations and overall employment outcomes for youth with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
• Natural Supports
  The goal of the Pathways to Independence Natural Supports project was to discover and disseminate creative and promising approaches for supporting youth with disabilities to participate more fully and naturally in their communities.
• Policy and Systems Change
  The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD) supports a variety of efforts at the state level that provide input to policy makers on a wide range of topics that impact the lives of people with disabilities and their families. We do this primarily through participation on coalitions, advisory committees and state councils.
• Project Summer
  The purpose of this project was to identify the skills, experiences, supports, and connections that youth with disabilities need—both during the school year and summer months—to transition successfully into adulthood.
• Systems Change for Children with Disabilities
  For more information on policy with children with disabilities go to Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations.
• Systems Change for  Children with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs
  The purpose of this project is to document needs that individuals with disabilities and families experience as they navigate health and community-based long-term support services (LTSS).
• Wisconsin Family Leadership Institute (WiFLI)
  Wisconsin Family Leadership Institute (WiFLI) is an opportunity for Wisconsin families to participate in an intensive leadership development experience.
• Wisconsin PROMISE Grant
  The PROMISE (Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security) initiative is intended to improve services for youth SSI (Social Security Supplemental Security Income) recipients and their families to help youth recipients achieve better outcomes, including graduating from high school ready for college and a career, completing postsecondary education and job training, and obtaining competitive employment in an integrated setting.
• Wisconsin Self-Determination Conference
  In collaboration with Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (WI BPDD), Waisman is helping coordinate this 2 ½ day conference with an emphasis on self-determination and self-advocacy skill development.