In the Child Neurodevelopment Research Lab, the research we conduct is fundamentally related to diversity, equity and inclusion by focusing on children with rare neurodevelopmental conditions and their families. Children with rare neurogenetic conditions may be particularly vulnerable to inequities in care related to their needs for specialized services and professional expertise.

Further, we recognize that our field has not prioritized equitable representation and cultural responsivity within clinical research activities, and commit to moving our field forward.

We are committed to being deliberate about promoting inclusion, equity, and diversity in our work by:

• Aiming to collaboratively include families from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in our research, including but not limited to representation and cultural responsivity related to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, linguistic origin, religious affiliation, spirituality, family structure, and geographic location
• Identifying methods to make our services more accessible to underserved families
• Increasing engagement with parent organizations and facilitating their efforts to connect with diverse families
• Involving trainees at all levels (undergraduate and graduate students) from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds

Although these are the ways we are currently working to be more inclusive, we acknowledge that there is much work to be done within our lab as well as in the field more broadly. We have identified the following as our goals for the upcoming year:

• Engage in community presentations that highlight our current research and allow for opportunities to tailor our research foci to the needs of families of children with Williams syndrome, 7q11 duplication syndrome,  or neurofibromatosis type 1
• Identify needs of parents, caregivers and families of diverse backgrounds to work toward reducing health disparities and inform culturally conscious assessment and intervention practices
• Integrate empirical evidence with lived experiences to optimize our approach to understanding individual children within the context of early identification of developmental challenges, process of diagnosis, and intervention approaches

The Child Neurodevelopment Research Lab team recognizes that improving our methods and practices regarding diversity, inclusion and equity is an ongoing journey. We commit to engaging in continuous professional and personal growth, cultural humility, education and accountability as we strive to best support the needs of the families with whom we have the privilege to work.

We acknowledge that Milwaukee, Wisconsin is on Native land of the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, Odawa (Ottawa), Fox, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sauk, and Oneida people. We also recognize the Stockbridge-Munsee and Brothertown Nation, Lakota and Dakota (Sioux), First Nations, Creek, Chickasaw, Sac, Meskwaki, Miami, Kickapoo, Micmac, and Cherokee groups native to Milwaukee and Wisconsin more broadly.