Kennedy Center

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will serve as the lead site for a $500,000 grant focused on building capacity of faith communities, such as churches, mosques, synagogues and other religious organizations, to support employment for members with disabilities. Read More

The antioxidant vitamin E prevented the buildup of toxic products in a model of a rare genetic disorder, suggesting new strategies for therapeutic development. Read More

More independent work environments may lead to reductions in autism symptoms and improve daily living in adults with the disorder, according to a Vanderbilt study released in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Read More

An association between rigid-compulsive behaviors and gastrointestinal symptoms in autism spectrum disorder may point to a common biological pathway that impacts both the brain and the gut. Read More

iStock Peer solicitation – a child inviting another to play – can improve reciprocal social interaction among children with autism, according to a Vanderbilt University study released today in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Researchers studied playground interactions between children with autism and typically… Read More

MRI brain scans reveal that children with autism spectrum disorders respond to a narrower range of familiar rewards. Read More

With the help of computerized eye trackers, new research finds that at least 50 percent of people can see the movement of their own hand even in the absence of all light. Read More

A non-invasive measure of electrical brain activity in preterm infants predicts cognitive and communication functioning during early childhood, according to a new Vanderbilt University study. Read More

A novel autism intervention program using theatre to teach reciprocal communication skills is improving social deficits in adolescents with the disorder that now affects an estimated one in 88 children, Vanderbilt University researchers released today in the journal Autism Research. Read More

ACM Lifting Lives® and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities partnered again for the 4th Annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp, June 23-29. The camp is open to individuals with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes medical and… Read More

A zebrafish model of a severe mitochondrial disease will be useful for developing new therapeutic approaches. Read More

A three-year study that evaluated the effectiveness of a training program designed to enhance autism spectrum disorder identification and assessment within community pediatric settings was released this week in the journal Autism. Read More

ACM Lifting Lives® and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities will partner again for the 4th Annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp, June 23-29. The weeklong, residential camp is open to individuals with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic condition (estimated to occur in… Read More

Children with autism spectrum disorder are better at perceiving the motion of certain objects than are typically developing children their age. Read More

Representatives from Vanderbilt and the Academy of Country Music welcome participants to the ACM Lifting Lives Series at Vanderbilt. Back row: Rondal Richardson, Entertainment Industry Relations Manager at Vanderbilt; Sheryl Rogers, VKC project manager for the ACM Lifting Lives Series; program participants Daniel Mirtes, Clancey Hopper, Seth… Read More

An interdisciplinary team of mechanical engineers and autism experts at Vanderbilt University have developed an adaptive robotic system and used it to demonstrate that humanoid robots can be powerful tools for enhancing the basic social learning skills of children with autism. Read More

Zachary Warren, Ph.D., has been named to receive the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities' (AAIDD) 2013 Early Career Award. Read More

Individuals with overexpression of the gene MECP2 have core features of autism spectrum disorder. Read More

One of the critical, unmet needs for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is support for the transition into adulthood. Read More

Two new grants highlight Vanderbilt University’s growing role in the design and evaluation of transition services for youth and young adults with autism spectrum disorders or intellectual disability. Read More