Kansas LEND

11/25/2025

Sometimes learning is all about having fun... a few weeks ago Kansas LEND faculty and emerging leaders spent a day in Wichita to train an amazing group of Kansas Parents as Teachers.

11/21/2025

Emerging Leaders of Kansas LEND...

Taj Lara has lived in Kansas City for most of her life and is currently enrolled in KUMC’s Genetic Counseling Training Program. She holds two undergraduate degrees – the first in Geography with a focus on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and a minor in Urban Studies, and the second in Biology. Her academic background has shaped her passion for genetics, the environment, and how both intersect to influence health.

Outside of school, she enjoys antiquing, visiting farmers markets, homesteading, urban foraging, and finding interesting ways to live more sustainably. She’s a lover of all things odd, curious, and macabre, and lives by her personal “3 Cs of life” philosophy: coffee, chocolate, and cheese. Taj and her spouse run a tiny homestead with their three fur children – two dogs and a cat – plus a few other curious critters.

I’ve really loved meeting and building meaningful connections with my cohort - especially getting to learn from others across different disciplines, abilities, and lived experiences. The family immersion experience has definitely been one of my favorites so far; it’s been such a powerful reminder of why I wanted to be part of LEND in the first place. I’m also really looking forward to learning how to better understand and implement policy.

For my project, I’m focusing on helping other providers better understand the fascinating world of genetics - specifically, how to incorporate genetic counselors into different hospital settings, with a particular emphasis on pediatrics. My goal is to make genetics more approachable and show how integrating GCs can strengthen patient care across disciplines.

Picture description: a smiling Black woman with dark, loc'd hair, septum and nostril jewelry, in a green dress with pinkish red flowers, standing outdoors with a lake and willow tree in the background.

Picture description: a smiling Black woman with a gray hat, septum and nostril jewelry, in a white beekeeper suite that has yellow gloves, holding up a hive frame outdoors next to a beehive.

11/19/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Kansas LEND alum Elizabeth Boresow (EB)! 🎉

EB was honored with the Champion Award at the 2025 Direct Support Worker (DSW) Awards for her outstanding advocacy and leadership in advancing the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities.

We’re so proud of you, EB!

For more information about the DSW Awards and to see all 2025 recipients:

The Kansas Direct Support Workforce Initiative has announced the recipients of the 2025 Direct Support Worker (DSW) Awards, recognizing exceptional Kansans who provide critical, person-centered care and support to individuals with disabilities across the state.

11/17/2025

Check out this parent book club with Families Together, Inc.!

Join us for a special early childhood Families Together, Inc. Parent-to-Parent Book Club. After the New Year, we'll begin reading Good Inside, by Dr. Becky Kennedy. This book club is especially for our birth-5 parents!

The Book Club will meet over Zoom on Tuesday mornings from 9:30-10:30 for six weeks, beginning January 20th. Good Inside is a compassionate, practical guide to parenting (and living) with connection, confidence, and grace. Together we’ll explore how to see ourselves and our kids as “good inside,” even when things get messy.

Space is limited! Each book cub member will receive their free book and Parent-to-Parent book club swag.
Book Club will meet for 6 weeks; January 20-February 24. RSVP deadline to attend is December 11. Email kristinam@familiestogetherinc.org today to secure your spot!

Thank you! Happy reading!

11/14/2025

Emerging Leaders of Kansas LEND...

Hi! My name is Suzanne Martell, and I am living life from Topeka, KS. I completed my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in Special Education at Washburn University and earned my master’s degree in special education from Baker University. I am a mom to 4 amazing people (21, 20, 16, and 12) and ‘Nona’ to the sweetest baby boy.

My work with children with neurodevelopmental differences started in 2006, when I became a para in an Intensive Instruction Classroom. Little did I know that 15 years later, I would be teaching in that very same classroom! I taught special education for 5 years, then moved into autism research at KU. Throughout my bachelor’s degree, my middle son was diagnosed with autism, and I learned A LOT about advocating for him in the school setting. That (ongoing) advocacy ignited a passion inside of me to help other parents in like situations. Sometimes, being the parent of a neurodivergent child can feel like we are on a deserted island. I want to find ways to connect those islands; to help those families find community and a voice.

In my free time, I like to read, volunteer, visit coffee shops, and listen to true crime podcasts.

I cannot wait to experience the Advocacy Day at the capital; the more I learn, the more I want to be a part of the processes that are creating policies that impact some of the most important and worthy people in our world.

I am working on the Family Education Series with Stephanie Coleman and I am helping Chandra Gordon put together a series of webinars on IEPs (Individualized Education Programs).


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11/13/2025

Do you know someone with a talent they want to show off? Share our partners at Community Health Improvement Program for Intellectual Disabilities post about their upcoming talent show in 2026!!

🌟 Community Talent Showcase – Calling All Performers! 🌟
Do you sing, dance, act, paint, or have a unique talent to share?
We’re inviting individuals with intellectual disabilities to shine on stage or display their artwork at our 2026 February Talent Showcase!

This is a give-back event for the community celebrating creativity, confidence, and joy.

To sign up to perform click here: kuadrc.org/bold-talentform

11/12/2025

Kansas LEND Faculty along with current and past trainees enjoyed a great day of advocacy and networking at the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities Speak UP Conference this past weekend at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus!

11/05/2025

If you missed last month's Kansas LEND Family Education Session on Transitional Resources in Kansas... you can check it out here!

As a parent with a child who has been diagnosed with autism or a related disability you don't know what you don't know. The Kansas Leadership Education in Ne...

10/31/2025

Emerging Leaders of Kansas LEND...

Madeline Guizar. I’m a postdoctoral fellow at KU Medical Center and recently completed my PsyD at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington. I’m originally from Michigan and love being outdoors, exploring new coffee shops, and spending time with friends and my dog, Frankie. I also started playing pickleball, which has been fun! My clinical experience includes therapy and assessment with kids, teens, and adults in a variety of settings.

Since joining LEND, I’ve already had so many meaningful opportunities to expand my skills and get involved. I’ve been able to connect with other trainees, support local childcare providers and clinicians through the Childcare and CARE Projects, and complete trainings in Girls Night Out (GNO) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). I’m especially excited about the Family Immersion Experience and meeting with the Policy and Advocacy Committee, where I can deepen my understanding of advocacy and legislative efforts while supporting children and families.

I’m looking forward to continuing to learn and grow in LEND this year!



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10/29/2025

Did you know that October is AAC Awareness Month?

Wait…what is AAC? AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. AAC is basically any way that a person communicates that is not speaking. For some people, AAC is critical for them to be able to express their thoughts, ideas, needs, and feelings.

At Kansas LEND, we believe that the best communication is successful communication, no matter what it looks like! LEND Trainees will participate in a class about AAC later this semester, and they also have the opportunity to observe AAC Evaluations through the Hearing and Speech Clinic.

Let’s go communicate!

10/27/2025

This week October 30th CST 1pm, Justin Black will be presenting "Foster Youth Community and Redefining Normal: Building The Pathway"
Attendees of this webinar will:
- Explore how family, community, and culture have shaped foster youth’s current sense of “normal.”
- Identify ways to reclaim the narrative and strengthen the image youth hold of themselves.
- Practice tools and reflections that transform challenges into strengths and support building their own vision for the future.

Register for this event here:
https://ow.ly/XG9n50XfBZG

Please note if you cannot make the events you can find the recordings on our YouTube channel to watch as you can!

10/27/2025

Emerging Leaders of Kansas LEND...

My name is Kinley Rex. I am a current second year audiology student from Denver, Colorado. In undergrad, I double majored in speech language hearing science and linguistics at the University of Colorado Boulder. After undergrad, I had the opportunity to work full time at a research lab that analyzed the language acquisition of deaf and hard of hearing children. This solidified my passion for audiology and advocacy. In my free time I love to hike, do pilates, and explore new places in KC!

I am so excited to be part of this year's LEND trainee class. I am looking forward to learning more about advocacy, the implementation of policy, and the family immersion experience. In my research project I hope to explore the implementation of accessible audiology testing for neurodivergent children in a pediatric setting. I hope to create a resource that allows this type of testing to be more easily implemented into other clinics nationally.

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