Acknowledgements
Ann Smith, MSN, RN, CDDN, Editor
It would never have been possible to produce this new electronic International Journal of Nursing in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities without the support of countless individuals. First and foremost, I wish to acknowledge the significant contribution made by children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. They have inspired me to continue the pursuit of excellence in education for all nurses in the area of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A special thank you is extended to the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) faculty at the Shriver Center, particularly to Charlane Pehoski, Sc.D, OTR/L, who helped to spark my interest in undertaking such a daunting project and to the Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association for their support from the very beginning when the idea was first introduced.
My heartfelt gratitude is extended to the volunteer Editorial Board members from around the world for their dedication, precious time, and collaborative efforts, which contributed significantly to this final production.
It has also been a pleasure working with the international authors, peer reviewers and copy editors. I am especially grateful to the authors for sharing their expertise, for their patience and understanding during the production process of this first issue.
I am indebted to Robert F. Littleton, Jr., Ed.D for his confidence in this challenging pursuit and the commitment of the Evergreen Center and Professional Education Resources and Conference Services (PERCS). Their staff has worked tirelessly to ensure the production of a quality publication.
Financial contributions from the following Developmental Disabilities Nurse Networks are gratefully acknowledged: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mid-Florida, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Their contributions helped support the work of the journal that cannot be provided by the volunteer Editorial Board.
The development of the International Journal of Nursing in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is finally a reality, but the undertaking has not always been easy. Very special thanks are extended to my family, colleagues and all other supporters who have offered encouragement all along the way in helping to make this possible.