The Louisiana Low Incidence Disabilities Consortium (LA LIDC), a project funded bythe Louisiana Departmentof Education, was established in 2007 with the goal of developing  a sustainable consortium to increase Louisiana’s capacity for statewide availability of high-quality, performance-based initial and advanced teacher education programs and professional development opportunities. The specific objectives of LA LIDC are to:

• Establish an infrastructure to operate the Consortium.
• Establish partnerships to operate the Consortium.
• Design and deliver performance-based certification coursework in three low-incidence areas (blind/visually impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, significant disabilities) on a statewide basis.
• Design and deliver a six credit hour block of coursework focused on best practices for students with autism spectrum disorders and related disabilities.

The Louisiana Low Incidence Disabilities Consortium is supported by an interagency Advisory Committee that represents a wide range of stakeholders with diverse interests, perspectives, and expertise in areas that are integral to this initiative. This Advisory Committee provides guidance related to numerous La LIDC initiative activities.