Christine Vining

University of New Mexico
Center for Development and Disability

Christine Begay Vining, PhD., CCC-SLP is a bilingual Navajo Speech-Language Pathologist at the Center for Development & Disability, Department of Pediatrics, Health Sciences Center, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. She received her bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona and doctorate from the University of New Mexico.

Chris has worked with children, youth and young adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities, their families, and communities throughout New Mexico in many settings including therapeutic, early intervention, public school and university clinics. As program manager of several clinical and community based programs, she has worked to improve systems of care and education through collaboration at various systemic levels (i.e., family, community, university and state) with emphasis on rural, underserved areas including Native American communities.

Currently, she provides clinical services, and helps to build capacity and resources across the state through training and technical assistance and information dissemination. In the Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities Division, she serves individuals referred for autism services in the Autism Spectrum Evaluation Clinic and Parent Home Training. She provides consultative and direct services to Navajo Nation Growing in Beauty Program to build capacity in services related to autism spectrum disorders and other developmental delays. In addition, she represents the speech-language pathology discipline on the faculty team for the NM Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program and facilitates opportunities for infusing cultural and linguistic competence with the LEND curriculum. She collaborates with faculty to provide an interdisciplinary training program that strives to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents with or at risk for neurodevelopmental and related disabilities and their families. With their expertise, faculty members mentor, research, and teach as they support leadership development, team building, public policy & advocacy, research, and problem based and experiential learning.

Her interest and work has also including improving cultural competency and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Presently, she serves as co-chair for the AUCD Multicultural Council and serves on the AUCD Board of Directors, as well as serve on other national boards including, the Native American Parent Technical Assistance Center (NAPTAC) Advisory Board; the Native American Leadership Council for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists, a constituency of ASHA; as well as the AUCD Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Action Team and the Diversity & Inclusion Training Action Plan (D&I-TAP) Team.