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.

How can the behaviors of low-income first-time mothers be changed to improve the lives of at-risk newborns? David Olds, professor of pediatrics, psychiatry and preventative medicine at the University of Colorado Health Center, will speak about simple strategies that make a positive difference in the lives of these mothers and their children at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development Thursday, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m.

Families, health care professionals and other service providers in search of current research on developmental disabilities can now quickly and easily find relevant studies using Study Finder, a new online service from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center has been awarded a one-year grant to create a plan for a statewide network of assistance centers for low-income and geographically underserved families of individuals with developmental disabilities. The grant is a Family Support 360 Planning Grant from the federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center director Pat Levitt has been awarded the 2004 Friend of Children award by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The award recognizes Levitt's contributions at the local, state and national level to the healthy development of children.

For children and adults with disabilities and their families, finding information and health, developmental, education and other support services can be difficult and time-consuming. The new Vanderbilt Kennedy Family Outreach Center, which celebrates its opening April 21, helps families navigate the maze of services to find the best treatment, support and research available.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development will host a workshop for children who have a sibling with special needs on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.