January 26, 2005

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center receives Memorial Foundation gift

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development has received a $100,000 grant to expand the Vanderbilt Kennedy Reading Clinic and Behavioral Analysis Clinic to serve more families who might not otherwise be able to afford their state-of-the-art services.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on
Human Development has received a $100,000 grant to expand the
Vanderbilt Kennedy Reading Clinic and Behavioral Analysis Clinic to
serve more families who might not otherwise be able to afford their
state-of-the-art services.

“So many families need expert services to help children overcome
major difficulties in learning to read or in managing challenging
behavior,” Kennedy Center Director Pat Levitt said. “We are so grateful
for this very generous gift from the Memorial Foundation because it
will allow us to meet this growing need. Thanks to the Memorial
Foundation, we‘ll be able to train additional service providers and so
serve many more families, without financial barriers. It will also
allow us to continue to develop new training partnerships with schools,
community centers and organizations.”

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is a national research, training,
diagnosis and treatment institute focused on development and
disability.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Reading Clinic, directed by Doug Fuchs, the
Nicholas Hobbs Chair in Special Education, provides intensive
systematic, research-based instruction and assessment for students in
the early elementary grades. For information, call 615-936-5123.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Behavior Analysis Clinic, directed by Craig
Kennedy, professor of special education, serves individuals with a
developmental disability and severe problem behaviors. The clinic
provides comprehensive health, educational and behavioral assessments
to identify causes of behavior problems and then develops
community-based interventions. For information, call 615-322-8185.

The Memorial Foundation‘s mission is to enhance the quality of life
in Middle Tennessee by providing economic support to nonprofit
organizations. It responds to diverse community needs, assisting
agencies that focus on health and rehabilitation, youth and children,
senior citizens, education, human and social services and substance
abuse.

Media contact: Jan Rosemergy, (615) 322-8238
Jan.rosemergy@vanderbilt.edu

Melanie Catania, (615) 322-NEWS
Melanie.catania@vanderbilt.edu