Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Elisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., Annette Schaffer Eskind Professor and director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC), has announced plans to step down from her role as the center’s director. To assist with the transition, she will continue to serve in this role until a successor is identified.

Vanderbilt researchers have established a link between the neurotransmitter serotonin and certain behaviors of some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a link that may lead to new treatments for ASD.

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) recognized the contributions of Vanderbilt University’s Pablo Juárez, M.Ed., and Samantha Goldman at its recent 2015 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

Julie Lounds Taylor, Ph.D., has been appointed to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, (IACC) the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced recently.

Beth Malow, M.D., M.S., has been appointed to the Tennessee Autism Spectrum Disorder Task Force, a new entity created to study and make recommendations to the Tennessee General Assembly regarding ways to improve access to programs and services for early screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Tennessee.

Erik Carter spoke about ending segregation in education and beyond during an invited presentation at a gathering of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

Tennessee’s first postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities, Next Steps at Vanderbilt, will expand significantly thanks to new federal funding.