Special Needs and Early Childhood Outreach, Injury Free Coalition for Kids of
Melanie Tyner-Wilson
Melanie Tyner-Wilson comes to the Injury Free Kids Coalition with experience from a variety of backgrounds. She received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Exercise Physiology/Cardiac Rehabilitation/ Wellness and Dance). She has taken coursework in Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky and has recently completed a certificate program in Developmental Disabilities through the Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute.
Ms. Tyner-Wilson, a biological parent of a special needs child with autism and a foster/adoptive parent of a special needs child, has focused her advocacy efforts for all Kentucky children in promoting educational policy and legislation related to enhancing quality of family life. Melanie and her husband Steve serve as parent liaisons for the Adoption Support of Kentucky. She is a member of the Autism Society of the Bluegrass, advisory board member of Kentucky Autism Training Center, the National Early Childhood Transition Center, and the Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children. She serves on several state level committees that work on behalf of children by building coalitions between agencies, families, educators, policy makers, and providers. She serves as an educational mediator for the Division of Exceptional Children Services with the Kentucky Department of Education.
In previous positions she has worked in Student Affairs at the University of Kentucky in leadership development, collaborated with academic affairs to find ways to infuse opportunities for academic support programming in the residence halls and enhanced health/wellness opportunities for students. She has worked for the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute University Center for Excellence as a project coordinator/family involvement specialist for the Kentucky Early Childhood Transition Project. The mission of this project is to work with all stakeholders in the transition process to create system change policies and practice that impact the positive transition of children and families from 0-8 years of age.
Systems of care that focus on community collaboration, that are child centered and family focused are basic outcomes in any type of advocacy. The opportunity to work in injury prevention efforts for young children will provide an opportunity to connect these areas of focus: injury prevention for children, disability policy and educational advocacy. The very young child with special needs and injury prevention will be a focus of her efforts in the grant.
Email Address:
mtyner@uky.edu
Phone Number:
(859)323-6194
Mailing Address:
Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Lexington
333 Waller Suite 202
Lexington, KY 40504
