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We’re here to help.

Our compassionate and knowledgeable team is here to address your unique needs and provide the best possible care for your child’s neurodevelopmental journey.

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Teaching for a stronger community.

We are here to equip learners with the essentials skills needed to create positive change in the lives of people with developmental differences.

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Researching for a better tomorrow.

Our goal is to unlock discoveries that will revolutionize the lives of individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental diagnoses.

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We’re here to help.

Our compassionate and knowledgeable team is here to address your unique needs and provide the best possible care for your child’s neurodevelopmental journey.

Learn more

Teaching for a stronger community.

We are here to equip learners with the essentials skills needed to create positive change in the lives of people with developmental differences.

Learn more

Researching for a better tomorrow.

Our goal is to unlock discoveries that will revolutionize the lives of individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental diagnoses.

Learn more

Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment

205 Portland Street, Columbia, MO 65211

573-884-6052

TIPS for Kids

Training in Interdisciplinary Partnerships and Services (TIPS) for Kids is the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) training program in Missouri. The LEND program provides intensive training for advanced graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the field of neurodevelopmental disabilities, particularly autism. The core training consists of 300 hours over the course of an academic year.

TIPS for Kids trainees come from the following disciplines:

  • Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Physical Therapy
  • Psychology
  • Social Work
  • Special Education
  • Speech-Language Pathology

TIPS for Kids also includes additional trainees focusing on advocacy efforts: a parent of a child with a special healthcare need and a self-advocate who identifies as having a disability. Our family and self-advocate trainees participate in all training activities to learn more about policy and advocacy as well as to enrich the training experience by providing family and individual perspectives as part of an interdisciplinary team.

About TIPS for Kids

The core training consists of 300 hours over the course of an academic year. These hours include didactic lectures by experts in their fields, interdisciplinary clinical activities, family shadowing, observations of policy meetings or advocacy events, and observations of clinical team meetings. Trainees also engage in interviews with policy/advocacy personnel and complete a year-long leadership project in partnership with local agencies who serve children and families.

The training program is funded by a grant through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, which includes stipend support for trainees. TIPS for Kids is a partnership between the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Institute for Human Development at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Training activities take place at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment over the course of an academic year (two semesters). Trainees are required to participate in all training activities, which are held all day on Fridays. Many students complete the program as a component of full-time fellowships.

The goals of the training program are two-fold. Firstly, TIPS for Kids training aims to produce leaders in various healthcare professions that serve children with autism and other special healthcare needs. Secondly, TIPS for Kids training also provides interdisciplinary, family-centered evaluation and assessment services to children with special healthcare needs and their families through a training clinic held every spring semester.

TIPS for Kids Clinic

The TIPS for Kids Clinic provides a limited number of interdisciplinary evaluations for children with developmental, genetic, and/or neurological disabilities or concerns. In addition, we provide the family with resources including information, community resources, and the opportunity to meet with other parents or family members of a child with a developmental disability. These clinics provide our trainees with opportunities to gain clinical experiences in the evaluation process under the supervision of our faculty mentors. The TIPS for Kids clinics are designed to assess a child’s current skills and abilities across a range of domains. The team then uses this information to identify or enhance interventions and therapies as well as to promote coordinated care between all professionals involved in the child’s care.


Interested?

For more information about TIPS for Kids, contact Jaclyn Benigno at
benignoj@health.missouri.edu.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under #T73MC00022 Missouri Partnership for Leadership Training. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.