Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

04/17/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Tennessee Inclusive Higher Education (IHE) Alliance Webinar: "College Options for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities"
May 1, 10:30 a.m. CT
RSVP here: https://vanderbilt.zoom.us/meeting/register/WxJxO7eHRAeNLRXCqf01Vw #/registration

Please join the Tennessee Inclusive Higher Education Alliance in a webinar describing college options for students with intellectual/developmental disability. This webinar will be in celebration of IPSE Day, a national movement to raise public awareness on inclusive postsecondary education programs. We will share information on nine existing college programs in Tennessee, how to prepare students with IDD for college, and the positive outcomes from these programs. This webinar is designed for anyone who supports and works with young adults with disability. Register here: https://vanderbilt.zoom.us/meeting/register/WxJxO7eHRAeNLRXCqf01Vw #/registration

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TN IHE ALLIANCE HERE: https://www.canva.com/design/DAHFj13F0dI/59p8X9HLRxKmn7oXxqaJgg/view?utm_content=DAHFj13F0dI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=viewer

Check out this design designed by Next Steps at Vanderbilt.

04/15/2026

From the latest issue of VKC Notables: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects millions of children and adults and can make it difficult to focus, stay organized, or control impulses. Although medications are available to help manage symptoms, most current treatments focus on the same brain systems that involve the chemical dopamine. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) researchers are now exploring a completely different approach that could open the door to new types of treatments.

Not subscribed to Notables yet? Visit https://vkc.vumc.org/subscribe/ to sign up!

ARTICLE LINK: https://notables.vkcsites.org/2026/03/scientists-study-new-brain-targets-that-could-lead-to-better-adhd-treatments/

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects millions of children and adults and can make it difficult to focus, stay organized, or control impulses. Although medications are available to help manage symptoms, most current treatments focus on the...Read more

04/14/2026

NEXT MONDAY, APRIL 20!

VKC Conversations on Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: "Autism and Augmented Reality: Exploring New Ways to Connect"
Monday, April 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m. CT
Online - Register for Zoom link here: https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7188
Many autistic adults experience social isolation, often because everyday environments can be overwhelming. Bright lights, loud sounds, and unfamiliar places can make in person interactions stressful. This research explores how augmented reality (AR) telepresence, a technology that lets people interact through life-sized digital avatars, may offer a more comfortable way to connect.

Whether you’re a person with a disability, a family member, provider, or policymaker, this session will offer a clearer picture of what needs exist in our state and how we can work together to strengthen supports and drive systemwide improvements for Tennesseans with disabilities.

Speakers:
Nilanjan Sarkar, Ph.D., professor of Mechanical Engineering; professor of Computer Engineering
Marukh Tauseef
Jeff Neul, M.D., Ph.D., Annette Schaffer Eskind Chair and Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center; Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Pharmacology, and Special Education

About the VKC Conversation Series:
The VKC Conversation Series on Research in Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Series is designed to share research in plain, accessible language with the community while fielding questions from the audience. We invite anyone who is interested in learning more about VKC research to take part in this virtual event.

04/13/2026

For health care providers, building awareness around neurodivergence is an important part of delivering patient-centered, inclusive care.

To support that effort, an episode of the miniVHAN podcast explored neurodiversity and addressed common misconceptions about autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

👉 Listen to the episode featuring Kelly Geelan, a licensed clinical social worker at Vanderbilt Health: https://bit.ly/3NWkkEF

For patients and families in Middle Tennessee, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) program offers diagnostic assessments, parent workshops and additional resources for those living with or suspected of having autism spectrum disorder.

👉 Learn more: https://bit.ly/3O8mD7G

By continuing to deepen their understanding of neurodivergence, providers can help create more supportive and accepting care for every patient.

Join us on a journey through the world of neurodiversity in our latest episode, as we explore autism and ADHD across the lifespan. Kelly Geelan, LCSW at Vanderbilt Health, guides us through the neurodiversity movement and common misconceptions about autism. The episode continues with Allison Peak, L...

04/13/2026

MONDAY, APRIL 13, AT NOON!

VKC Special Lecture: "The Benefits and Risks of ADHD Medication: Evidence from Real-World Practice"

Monday, April 13, 12-1 p.m. CT

Online, or in person at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/One Magnolia Circle Building, OMC Room 241.

REGISTER HERE: https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7178
A small number of lunches will be provided, first come, first served.

Presented by Brian D'Onofrio, Ph.D., Sharon Stephens Brehm Endowed Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with significant impairment across the lifespan. ADHD treatment guidelines recommend pharmacotherapy based largely on highly controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Yet, there are serious limitations of the existing RCTs that hinder the potential to apply an evidence-based approach to ADHD treatment. To help address these limitations and inform clinical care, this presentation will review evidence from large-scale observational studies leveraging national datasets and advanced epidemiologic designs.

04/08/2026

From the latest issue of VKC Notables: From fetal development through our senior years, the brain is changing. VKC researcher Sophia Vinci-Booher, Ph.D., recently published a paper in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences in which she explains a novel way of studying the growth and development of our brains during periods of “rapid brain change” to create a full understanding of the changes it undergoes throughout the lifespan.

Not subscribed to Notables yet? Visit https://vkc.vumc.org/subscribe/ to sign up!

ARTICLE LINK: https://notables.vkcsites.org/2026/03/vinci-booher-paper-examines-brain-change-during-learning-intervention-other-important-moments-of-fluctuation/

From fetal development through our senior years, the brain is changing. Some brain changes are slow, unfolding over decades and years. Yet other brain changes are rapid, unfolding over weeks, days, and even hours, and happen...Read more

04/06/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
VKC Special Lecture: "The Benefits and Risks of ADHD Medication: Evidence from Real-World Practice"

Monday, April 13, 12-1 p.m. CT

Online, or in person at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/One Magnolia Circle Building, OMC Room 241.

REGISTER HERE: https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7178
A small number of lunches will be provided, first come, first served.

Presented by Brian D'Onofrio, Ph.D., Sharon Stephens Brehm Endowed Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with significant impairment across the lifespan. ADHD treatment guidelines recommend pharmacotherapy based largely on highly controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Yet, there are serious limitations of the existing RCTs that hinder the potential to apply an evidence-based approach to ADHD treatment. To help address these limitations and inform clinical care, this presentation will review evidence from large-scale observational studies leveraging national datasets and advanced epidemiologic designs.

04/02/2026

Thank you to WSMV 4, Nashville for sharing the importance of participating in research AND including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities among clinical trial populations!

ARTICLE LINK: https://www.wsmv.com/2026/03/24/atlanta-man-travels-nashville-down-syndrome-alzheimers-study/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQyVGRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFkYzBYSXlMeElwR20zOU5kc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgZ0ia7qmD8fLSW9BJ7Msv_M6tYG0jjGFG3xEWpqpEaw5eQssgjSXtuhPGt8_aem_khl5l5V_n6mKJlRBeAMDq

Evan Dewey has been making trips to Nashville from his home in Atlanta for more than a year, traveling by bus every couple of weeks with his retired father to participate in a study at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

04/01/2026

Happy Autism Acceptance Month, everyone!

The folks at Sesame Street Workshop have developed a See Amazing in All Children initiative, featuring new resources to help families discover, support, and share the amazing in all children. Check them out below.

April is Autism Acceptance Month! As part of our See Amazing in All Children initiative, we have developed new resources to help families discover, support, and share the amazing in all children. Learn more: https://m.sesame.org/autismresourcefb.

03/31/2026

TONIGHT!

We are so excited for the third annual Evening for Autism on Tuesday, Mar. 31, starting at 6 p.m. at The Nashville Palace! Come listen to great music and support Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD). Live music, a silent auction, and more! Purchase tickets in advance or at the door.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE: https://give.vanderbilthealth.org/event/an-evening-for-autism-2026/e771105

FB EVENT PAGE: https://business.facebook.com/events/4190901361173972/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

03/30/2026

TODAY AT NOON!

The Vanderbilt University Frist Center for Autism and Innovation and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center invite you to join us for a powerful Salon Series presentation:
"Pathologically Genuine: Lived Experiences of a Late-Diagnosed Autistic Professor, Former Provost, Dean, & VP Research"
Speaker: Dr. Jim Coleman, Professor of Biology, UNC-Greensboro
🗓️ Monday, March 30th
🕛 Noon - 1pm CT
💻 Hybrid Event (VKC One Magnolia Circle 241 and Zoom): https://ow.ly/TWAA50Y2UKz

Dr. Coleman's story is remarkable: diagnosed with autism at 59 after 25 years in senior academic leadership, he describes the diagnosis as transformative—"as if he thought of himself as a messed-up horse for sixty years, only to discover he was a zebra."
Now in the teaching and advocacy phase of his career, Dr. Coleman has taught over 1,000 students since 2021, including more than 100 neurodivergent students. He volunteers with his therapy dog Brea at schools for autistic children and students with learning disabilities, serves on the board of Lionheart Academy, and is writing "Pathologically Genuine"—a memoir about his journey.
This presentation will cover:
🔹 Observations comparing neurodivergent student support at traditional universities vs. specialized autism schools
🔹 Vignettes from working with graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 neurodivergent students
🔹 Stories and themes from his book project, including being pathologically genuine, the concept of "unwelt," stimming, loneliness, and the disconnect between autism research and lived experience
This won't be your typical academic research presentation—expect authenticity, humor, and insights that challenge conventional thinking about autism and neurodiversity in education.

Register here: https://ow.ly/TWAA50Y2UKz

03/30/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! "Then and Now: Living with Communication Impairments and Deaf/Hard of Hearing"

Wednesday, April 8, 5:30 p.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. School
613 17th Ave. N., Nashville

RSVP HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdS81OdslatP6PtLuO_ghPAtPfpyl7J5pkH33X5OUpbfDAk5Q/viewform

Join us for the next program in this year's Then and Now series, as we finish our three-part journey to learn more about our communities living with disabilities.
As Nashville continues to experience tremendous growth, it has become an increasingly diverse home to different minority communities. Now in its third year, Then and Now explores the history and impact of these communities through the scholarly work of noted historians and the personal stories of community members. Moderated by Dr. André L. Churchwell, Senior Advisor on Inclusion and Community Outreach at Vanderbilt University. Then and Now is presented by Vanderbilt University and hosted by Nashville Public Library Special Collections.

The History of Our Communities: Living with Communication Impairments and Deaf/Hard of Hearing As Nashville continues to experience tremendous growth, it has become an increasingly diverse home to different minority communities. Now in its third year, Then and Now explores the history and impact of....