Welcome to The Boggs Center
About The CenterNew Jersey's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service
New Jersey's Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program
Our Mission
The Boggs Center values uniqueness and individuality and promotes the self-determination and full participation of people with disabilities and their families in all aspects of community life. As a catalyst and resource, The Boggs Center, through partnerships and collaborations, builds capacity in organizations, systems, and communities in a culturally competent manner. The Boggs Center prepares students through interdisciplinary programs, provides community training and technical assistance, conducts research, and disseminates information and educational materials.
News
Colleen McLaughlin, MEd, Co-Authors Book Chapter on DSP Competencies
Colleen McLaughlin, MEd, Co-Director of The Boggs Center, together with Carol Britton Laws, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor of the Institute on Human Development and Disability at the University of Georgia, and Susan O’Nell, Director of Curriculum Development for the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota, co-authored a chapter for “Direct Support Workforce Solutions: A Guidebook of Strategies for Individual and Collective Action Toward Workforce Stability,” published by AAIDD. Read more about the book chapter
Registration is Open for the Facing the Future 2025 Conference
Conference and exhibitor registration is open for Facing the Future 2025 to be held on Friday, October 10, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick. Sponsored by The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development and NJ APSE, the Facing the Future annual conference highlights best practices in supporting people with disabilities in career planning, supported and customized employment, and transition from school to work.
How Has Our Work Impacted You? Share Your Story!
The Boggs Center is part of a national network of federally designated University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related (LEND) Disabilities programs. Proposed federal funding cuts threaten the work of UCEDDs and LENDs across the country.
Colleen McLaughlin, MEd & Carrie Coffield, PhD Appointed Co-Directors of The Boggs Center
Colleen McLaughlin, MEd, and Carrie Coffield, PhD, have been appointed as Co-Directors of The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development. As the Center's Co-Directors, they also serve as Division Chiefs within the Department of Pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Colleen will continue to serve as the Director of New Jersey’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), leading strategic efforts and work guided by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act and overseeing our external work with communities and systems in collaboration with project directors and teams. Carrie will continue to serve as Director of New Jersey's Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NJLEND) program, taking the lead on pursuits related to our work within the University, interdisciplinary training, and student experiences. Read more about the Center’s Co-Directors
The Boggs Center Celebrates Graduation of 2024-2025 NJLEND Fellows
The Boggs Center celebrated the graduation of the 2024-2025 NJLEND Fellows during the New Jersey Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NJLEND) program’s 9th annual Maternal and Child Health Leadership Symposium held on May 2, 2025, in New Brunswick. NJLEND provides graduate-level interdisciplinary training aimed at preparing the next generation of health leaders to address the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), related developmental disabilities, and other maternal and child health populations. Read more about the event
Episode 37 of BoggsCast Now Available: Advancing Advocacy with Partners in Policymaking Graduates
In our season finale, New Jersey Partners in Policymaking graduates Fanny Ochoa, Millie Gonzalez, Colleen Roche, Nicky Samuels, and Jenn Boyle discuss their advocacy journeys and the transformative impact of the program. Listeners will learn about the importance of advocacy at every level, pressing issues facing the disability community, and the pursuit of systemic change in building a more inclusive future from the perspectives of these passionate advocates. Read more about Episode 37 of BoggsCast
Publications
Pre-IEP Family Workbook Series
The Pre-IEP Family Workbook Series was developed by the Person-Centered Approaches in Schools and Transition project (PCAST) at The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Education. The workbooks in this series promote age-appropriate development of self-advocacy and self-determination skills. Read More About the Pre-IEP Family Workbook Series
Sharing Your Story: A Guide to Medicaid Advocacy
Medicaid provides funding for services that help millions of people with disabilities and their families across the country. “Sharing Your Story: A Guide to Medicaid Advocacy” has information to help you share your lived experience with policymakers so they understand the importance of Medicaid and the services it provides to people with disabilities. Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Gujarati, Japanese, Portuguese, and Tagalog, this guide explains how Medicaid works and commonly proposed threats, and offers tips for sharing your story along with a worksheet to help you plan your advocacy message. Read More About Sharing Your Story: A Guide to Medicaid Advocacy
The Next Steps: Addressing Concerns about Your Child’s Development
Are you concerned about your child’s development? Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Gujarati, Portuguese, and Tagalog, this quick guide provides information to connect families of young children in New Jersey with resources for developmental evaluation, services, and support. Read More About The Next Steps: Addressing Concerns about Your Child’s Development
Reverse Job Fair Planning Toolkit
Reverse job fairs provide an opportunity for job seekers with developmental disabilities to showcase their skills, experiences, and personalities in unique ways, and lead to more authentic conversations with employers about what they could bring to the job. This resource provides employment specialists with tools to organize a successful reverse job fair, including: a reverse job fair planning tool, marketing checklist, day of event materials checklist, day of event staffing list, and a reverse job fair participant checklist.
Deciding to Self-Direct: Making Choices, Becoming Empowered
The Boggs Center developed Deciding to Self-Direct, the latest guide in the Making Choices, Becoming Empowered series for people with developmental disabilities. People receiving support through NJ’s Division of Developmental Disabilities can choose to self-direct some or all of their services. Available in English and Spanish, this guide helps readers to think about their lives and whether self-directed services are right for them.
Transition to Adulthood for Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities: A Timeline for Parents
Transition to Adulthood for Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities: A Timeline for Parents provides parents of young adults with developmental disabilities with a one-page overview of considerations in planning for the transition to adult life; national resources on transition topics; and New Jersey’s state agencies and the services they offer.
Selecting a Support Coordination Agency: Making Choices, Becoming Empowered
People receiving support through New Jersey’s Division of Developmental Disabilities are able to choose the agency they receive support coordination services from. Selecting a Support Coordination Agency: Making Choices, Becoming Empowered provides information and ideas that can help in the selection process. Available in English and Spanish.
