Virginia LEND

Alyssa and Chelsea, Long-Term Academic Va-LEND Trainees and 3rd year VCU Occupational Therapy students, at Disability Policy Seminar on 3/23/2026!

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/peatc/2111598

Va-LEND is excited to announce that we are recruiting our next cohort of trainees! Learn more at the link below! https://virginialend.partnership.vcu.edu/curriculum/

Va-LEND represents at the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting in Anaheim, California! Connie Johnson, PT, DScPT, Aleynaa Allibhai-Mawani, SPT, and Ayanna Millner, SPT attended educational sessions, collaborated with colleagues, and are pictured here at the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Business Dinner. Dr. Johnson also presented a poster, Unleashing the Ripple Effect: Interprofessional Practicum Bridges Employment for Youth with Disabilities. Connie Collins Johnson Check Dr. Johnson's poster here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAG9xtdjUFM/CYcNX1LFqPh1BjPASdYpJw/view?utm_content=DAG9xtdjUFM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h4da4c9d212

Help Va-LEND Trainee Piumini with their leadership project. More details below!

As part of a LEND trainee leadership project, self-advocates and families are invited to complete a short (2–3 minute) survey sharing experiences navigating community spaces. This input will guide the listening phase of the project and ensure future work reflects lived experience.

🔗 Survey link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedEjjJR5FNu2VrZ5fyCl_A1tXs4aKNLdzGhFi5gnGj1gXr-g/viewform?usp=header

📱 Or scan the QR code below to participate

image.png
Thank you for contributing your voice to this LEND learning and leadership effort.

Navigating Community Spaces: Quick Survey We’re exploring a new online hub to support neurodivergent individuals and families in community settings. This short survey helps us understand what’s most needed. Thank you for sharing your experience.

https://virginiadsa.networkforgood.com/events/96302-adaptive-storytime

Adaptive Storytime You’re invited

forms.gle/jK9GXn21XbDUKuSC8

Va-LEND Faculty Connie Collins Johnson published this book! Check it out! https://www.instagram.com/p/DS-OkukkaC-/

2026 is the year that Fit4Work in the Garden is born! Liz Anderson, OT, Tammy Blake and I spent 2025 combining the work from “Growing…Plants, Functional Skills and Communication Skills in School Gardens” and Fit4Work. In 2020, Tammy said to me, Connie, help me update this book and I said Tammy, NOOOOO. No time and too many competing projects. But 2025 was the year and we decided to combine our work. Using gardening as the modality and practical ideas for implementation, we have created a way for educators, therapists and community stake holders to build programs that will increase vocational skills to ultimately impact employment outcomes. In Fit4Work in the Garden, students with developmental disabilities can move from being passive observers to active participants in real-world tasks like digging, planting, and harvesting and considering employment opportunities that could include established businesses or building their own. Why you’ll love this book: 🌻 Evidence-Based Outcomes: Supports gains in physical strength, coordination, and social-emotional skills through nature-based engagement. 📊 Professional Alignment: Learn how to map gardening tasks directly to IEP goals, MTSS frameworks, and the ICF model. 🛠️ Includes QR code with Ready-to-Use Resources: Includes over 30 hands-on activities, task analyses, and garden participation checklists to save you planning time. 💼 Vocational Focus: Considers skill preparation across personal skills, communication and Physical. ⏳We know your time is precious, so we’ve designed this program to be accessible and easy to bring to life in any school setting. The book includes a QR code linking to a digital drive filled with downloadable implementation materials to help you get started immediately. 📲 Help your students grow independence, confidence, and a lasting connection to meaningful work. Are you ready to cultivate a foundation for a fulfilling future? Link is in the bio #Fit4Work #SchoolBasedOT #SchoolBasedPT #SpecialEducation #VocationalTraining #SchoolGarden #InclusiveEducation #therapeutichorticulture

CFI Central VA Regional Coordinator Summary:The Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University celebrates 40 years as Virginia's University Center for Excel...

: What is "Hand Under Hand"? Hand-Under-Hand is a type of physical prompting where the individual who is DeafBlind is on top of their communication partner's hands. Its a great way to introduce a new activity or object, share a joint experience or its the ideal hand placement needed if you are a tactile signer. Here is a great factsheet that talks about the importance of "Hand Under Hand".



https://www.nationaldb.org/info-center/talking-hands-to-hands-factsheet/