Autism

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are seeking children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 16 years old who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability to participate in a research study examining the effect of theatre on children with ASD and ID. Read More

Two Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that earned a $1 million grant to develop AI-based training that will help neurodiverse people learn to drive—addressing a huge obstacle for that population. “The ability to drive will open up new opportunities for employment and a life of independence for many neurodiverse individuals,” said Nilanjan Sarkar,... Read More

Two Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that earned a $1 million grant to develop AI-based training that will help neurodiverse people learn to drive—addressing a huge obstacle for that population. “The ability to drive will open up new opportunities for employment and a life of independence for many neurodiverse individuals,” said Nilanjan Sarkar,... Read More

Mechanical engineering Professor Nilanjan Sarkar, Frist Center Director Keivan Stassun and collaborators receive $1M to develop an integrated AI and behavioral science-based driving training system to improve transportation independence for neurodiverse individuals. Read More

Vanderbilt University and the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt are collaborating with The Precisionists, Inc., a Wilmington, Delaware-based company that assesses, trains and employs neurodiverse adults to carry out project-based consulting work. TPI anticipates steady growth in Nashville and plans to create more than 500 local jobs for adults with autism and neurodiversities within the next three to five years.  Read More

Tim Vogus, deputy director of Vanderbilt's Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, uses research to push for a workforce that welcomes, accepts, and embraces neurodivergent professionals. Read More

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center welcomes Trenesha Hill, Ph.D., to present her VKC Special Lecture “Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder” on Thursday, April 6, from 12-1 p.m. CT. This lecture will be held in-person in Room 241 of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, with the option to view online. Read More

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation has announced its 2023 call for membership, which allows Vanderbilt faculty and staff to apply to become affiliates or fellows of the center. Applications are due by March 15.  Read More

Is your daughter enrolled in a public high school (grades 9–12) and in inclusion for at least 80 percent of the school day? If so, we are seeking the perspective of both you and your daughter on how and why autism characteristics are masked in school via an interview and questionnaire. Read More

"Centering Autistic Perspectives in Applied Behavior Analysis" will be on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. CT. Read More

New research from Vanderbilt Business identifies ways that managers can set up autistic employees for success. Read More

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center recently introduced two brand-new educational resources created by the VKC’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) and the Vanderbilt Consortium LEND Training Program. Read More

The SENSE Lab is currently recruiting adults with autism spectrum disorder to be part of a study that examines an intervention, SENSE Theatre, targeting improvement of social skills in adults with ASD. Read More

A research team at Vanderbilt University is seeking families of Black youth ages 14–24 with an autism diagnosis to participate in research that will be used to help improve supports, services and policy decisions for Black youth and their families as they navigate transition services into adulthood. Read More

Youth with autism will take the stage to perform The Year of the Ladybug, a play that reminds us that everything you need to know about life you can find in the garden. Performances are scheduled for Friday, June 17, and Saturday, June 18, at 7 p.m. in Vanderbilt’s Wyatt Center Rotunda. Read More

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researchers, as part of the CDC Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring network, report an increase in the number of children in Tennessee with autism spectrum disorder. Read More

In 2022, neurodiversity in the workplace is an issue capturing attention, as conversations on how to create more inclusive spaces for all continue among business leaders. Tim Vogus, deputy director of Vanderbilt's Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, focuses on research related to improving the workplace for people on the autism spectrum. Read More

Join HR Employee Learning and Engagement for the next installment in its Thought Leader Series. “Neurodiversity in the Workplace” with David Caudel, associate director of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, will be on Thursday, April 14, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom. Read More

Vanderbilt will host an exclusive pre-release screening of the documentary "In A Different Key" on Thursday, March 31. The film is the story of a mother who tracks down the first person ever diagnosed with autism, now an elderly man in rural Mississippi, to learn if his life story holds promise for her own autistic son. Read More

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's next Kennedy Center Lecture on Development and Developmental Disabilities will be Thursday, Nov. 18, from 4:10 to 5:10 p.m. CT. Katharine Zuckerman, associate professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health and Science University, will discuss “Digital Equity in Autism Screening and Assessment.” Read More