Presenter
Sandra Vanegas
University of Texas
Sandra Vanegas has a PhD in developmental psychology and an MS in human development and early childhood disorders. She has more than 18 years of experience in working with children with disabilities and families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. She is currently a research assistant professor and director of research for the Texas Center for Disability Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. In this role, she leads a program of research that seeks to identify and address health disparities that disproportionately affect children and youth with developmental disabilities and their families. She currently serves as a principal investigator (PI) for a culturally adapted, parent-mediated intervention program designed for children with autism and their families who reside in low-resource households (funded by NIDILRR) and as a co-PI for an autism surveillance project (funded by the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention). She also serves as the clinical training director for the Autism Consortium of Texas LEND program, where she oversees the clinical training of LEND trainees on screening, assessment, interventions, and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities.