Kennedy Center

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

To help ease youth with disabilities' transition into adult life, Erik Carter and Carolyn Hughes have developed a model that combines skill development with support, strategies they outline in a new handbook. 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

The 2013 Tennessee Adult Brothers and Sisters conference will be held April 5-6 at the Holiday Inn-Vanderbilt, located at 2613 West End Ave. in Nashville. The conference is open to adult siblings who have a brother or sister with a disability, siblings-in-law, cousins and professionals interested in sibling issues. 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

Ford Ebner (Vanderbilt University) Vanderbilt’s Department of Psychology is hosting a daylong symposium to honor Ford Ebner, professor of psychology, emeritus, and professor of cell and developmental biology at Vanderbilt. “Neuroscience Today: A Symposium to Honor the Career Contributions of Dr. Ford Ebner” is scheduled from… 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

(photos courtesy of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center) The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities is seeking staff to mentor individuals with disabilities through job shadowing for disAbility Mentoring Day at Vanderbilt, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17. disAbility Mentoring Day includes job-shadow and… Read More

The protein Syk is essential for clearing away neuron “corpses” in the developing peripheral nervous system. Read More

A combination of biomarkers may reveal new clues about causes of and potential interventions for autism. Read More

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (Vanderbilt University) The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Fragile X Treatment Research Program will present information and current research on fragile X at a symposium titled “Transitions and Adulthood.” The free event is Monday, Aug. 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Nashville-Vanderbilt… Read More

Creating a device out of human cells that simulates brain chemistry is the goal of a $6.4 million grant which is part of major new federal initiative to develop a series of “organs on a chip” designed to improve the drug development process. Read More

Country music artist Luke Bryan visits with participants of the recent ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp, a partnership between the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Academy of Country Music. The residential camp has the dual purpose of studying Williams syndrome and other developmental disabilities and providing music… Read More

This project focuses on the strengths, supports, spiritual expressions, and well-being of young people with intellectual disabilities or autism in our state. Our goal is to learn more about the things that help youth and young adults with disabilities flourish and live a good life. Read More

Samar Ali, a Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt Law School alumna, has been named international director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Ali’s role includes overseeing TNTrade as well as the ECD’s other international initiatives, including managing four international offices. Carter (Vanderbilt) Erik Carter, associate professor of… Read More

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (Vanderbilt University) The Department of Special Education and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center present SafeCare: Preventing Child Maltreatment – An Evolution from Early Exploration to International Implementation. Read More

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (Vanderbilt University) April is Autism Awareness Month, and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders is teaming with the Tennessee Department of Education to offer free, half-day workshops across the state for families of children with… Read More

When should children begin reading? What are the signs of a reading difficulty? Laurie Cutting will provide the answers at a Vandy Moms lunch and learn April 19. Photo by John Russell (Vanderbilt) Do you have questions about your child’s reading abilities or special concerns about reading disorders? Join… Read More