Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences and University of Iowa Health Care have partnered to welcome the first student from a doctor of occupational therapy program to the Iowa Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program, also known as the ILEND Program. One Des Moines University doctor of occupational therapy student per year will be selected for the ILEND program, which trains leaders in various fields to become advocates for patients with disabilities and their families. Each trainee completes 300 hours of didactic instruction and experiential activities, clinic observations, practicums, a research project and more. The ILEND program is part of a national network of 60 LEND programs and is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The program’s goal is to offer interdisciplinary training to grow leadership in family-oriented care, focusing especially on those with disabilities.