kennedy center

In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will hold a community celebration with special guest Tim Shriver.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a $1.8 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to join the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will celebrate 50 years of transforming lives in 2015 with lectures by AUCD Executive Director Andrew Imparato and Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver.

Autism Tennessee’s parent representatives respond to an average of 3,000 requests for resources and support each year. Staff and researchers wanted to quantify how this support was enriching people’s lives. They will report their findings at a community breakfast on Jan. 9.

Elise McMillan, J.D., received the Mollie Burd Gavigan Service Award from the Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee (DSAMT) in recognition of McMillan’s “instrumental role in improving the lives of individuals with Down syndrome in Middle Tennessee.” The award was presented recently at the annual DSAMT Buddy Race.

Amy Weitlauf, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pediatrics, will be leading a study among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness training as part of early interventions for children with ASD.