Program Areas

Vulnerable Populations

Many people face physical, cognitive, or environmental challenges that make them vulnerable to low economic, social, and health outcomes. Such challenges can range from living with disabilities to facing barriers to accessing health services. Without effective mechanisms to effectively address these challenges, people may suffer multiple deleterious results, such as high rates of unemployment and poverty, substantial medical problems, poor educational outcomes, or social isolation.

The KDHRC program on Vulnerable Populations works to mitigate the negative impact of these challenges through program development and research to help people who face them live healthy and successful lives.

Current Initiatives

Navigate Autism: Supporting Caregivers of People with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

With funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), KDHRC is constructing and evaluating Navigate Autism, a comprehensive, customizable web-based support system for caregivers of people with ASD.
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CI School Toolkit: Helping Children with Cochlear Implants Enter Mainstream Classrooms

With funding from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), KDHRC is constructing the CI School Toolkit, a comprehensive set of materials that will help parents, teachers, and classmates of a child with a cochlear implant support learning.
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Familias Fuertes/Strong Families: Helping Latino Families with a Child Coping with Cancer

With funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), KDHRC is developing Familias Fuertes, a culturally relevant outreach program to provide education and support for Latino families coping with two different health situations: Latino families with a child diagnosed with pediatric cancer, and Latino families with a child who has a parent, caregiver, or other close family member with cancer.
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Key Staff

Publications

Working Papers

Evaluation of a peer-focused intervention to increase knowledge and foster positive attitudes toward children with Tourette Syndrome

Kristen D. Holtz, KDHRC & Greta K. Tessman, Emerson College and Tufts University
August 2007: Working Paper 07-002
(Download PDF)

The impact of peer education on classroom outcomes for children with Tourette Syndrome

Kristen D. Holtz, KDHRC & Sid J. Schneider, Westat
December 2006: Working paper 06-002
(Download PDF)

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