COCWD Membership Criteria

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Council membership is open to the following member types:

• Candidate Members
• Corresponding Fellows
• Fellows
• Fellowship Trainees
• Honorary Fellows
• International Members
• National Affiliates
• Medical Students
• Residents
• Senior Member
• Specialty Fellows​

Dues/year:

Medical Students - $0*
Resident and Fellowship Trainee Members - $0*
All other accepted national member types - $25*
Council Affiliates:

• Family physicians, internal medicine physicians, and other physicians not eligible for national AAP membership - $50
• Lived Experience Partners - $0
  
  * In addition to national dues​

Fellows​

All AAP Fellows are eligible to join the Council on Children with Disabilities. Pediatric rehabilitation physicians/physiatrists who completed a pediatric residency/are board certified in pediatrics qualify for Council membership as AAP Fellows.

Specialty fellows

Pediatric physiatrists who did not complete a pediatric residency/are not board certified in pediatrics need to satisfy the following requirements to qualify for Council membership:

Option 1

• Must be certified as Physiatrists by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
• Must have completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Rehabilitation following a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
• Must spend a minimum of 50% of their current practice, research and teaching time devoted to children and adolescents with disabilities.
  Specialty Fellow applicants must submit:
  • ​Copy of their diploma/certificate(s) as evidence of fellowship training and/or certification.​

Option 2

• Must hold a subspecialty certificate in Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine from the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.​
  Specialty Fellow applicants must submit:
  •  Copy of their board certification

Council affiliate membership

• Family physicians, internal medicine physicians, and other physicians who are not eligible for national AAP membership but care for children, youth, and young adults with disabilities are eligible to be council affiliate members. With the application for membership, physicians must submit the following materials:
  • A letter of support from a Council member who is also an AAP Fellow
  • A copy of current medical license and proof of board certification in their specialty
  • A current copy of a curriculum vitae demonstrating expertise in caring for children, youth, and/or young adults with disabilities.
• Lived Experience Partners: Young adults (18 years of age and older) with lived experience of childhood-onset disability and Families/Caregivers (adult caregivers who have been the primary caregiver and decision maker for a child/youth with a disability; may include grandparents, foster parents and other non-biological parents) who have a professional or leadership role in the ongoing development of the field of care for children/youth with disabilities are welcome to apply as affiliate members of the Council.  Applicants must be able to provide evidence that they have served in an advisory capacity to an initiative focused on the care of children, youth, or young adults with disabilities or have had significant involvement as a family/caregiver advocate in organizations that help families and children, youth, and young adults with disabilities. With the application for membership, individuals must submit the following:
  • A letter from a COCWD member or COCWD liaison and a
  • One-page personal essay, which are then submitted to the COCWD leadership for approval.