Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

10/16/2026

PATHS TO READING COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
Let’s Talk about Communication and Literacy Access for Elementary-Aged Children with Disabilities who have Limited Speech

Monday, October 26, 5:30-7:30 pm
Belmont United Methodist Church
2007 Acklen Ave., Nashville

Take part in an evening of conversation about how school communities can improve
communication and literacy access for elementary-aged children (kindergarten-5
th grade) who have disabilities and limited speech, including through augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

What is a Community Conversation?
A Community Conversation is an event that brings many different community members together to listen, learn, and collectively brainstorm strategies and resources that can be used to address a challenge facing their community.

Who Should Attend?
Anyone! You might be a person with a disability, a family member, an educator or service provider, a school or district leader, an AAC specialist, a graduate or undergraduate student, or another caring community member. Join us for great conversation and refreshments!

RSVP by Wednesday, October 21, at https://redcap.link/CCRegistrationElementary.

Contact Erin Turner at [email protected] with questions.

10/15/2026

SAVE THE DATE!
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Lecture on Development and Developmental Disabilities: Ambient Ultrafine Particle Air Pollution as a Risk Factor for Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Monday, Nov. 2, 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT
OMC 241, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/One Magnolia Circle Building and online
REGISTER HERE: https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7202

Presented by Deborah Cory-Slechta, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Medicine, Neuroscience, and Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medicine

Air pollution is increasingly being linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. This presentation will highlight studies of developmental exposures to ambient air pollution in mouse models and the trajectory of its consequences for brain and behavior.

A small number of lunches will be provided, first come, first served.

For more information, call (615) 322-8240.

10/12/2026

Tennessee has an amazing $10,000 grant that helps places install a powered, height-adjustable adult sized changing table in a single occupant/family restroom that is open to the public! Apply Today! Because everyone deserves dignity! For more information about the need, check out the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities website: https://bit.ly/3XYGua7. To apply for the grant check out the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging website: https://www.tn.gov/disability-and-aging/resource-directory/grants.html

10/12/2026

RSVP FOR THIS COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION DEVICES!

Paths to Reading Community Conversation
Monday, October 19, 5:30-7:30 pm
Belmont United Methodist Church
2007 Acklen Ave, Nashville, TN 37212

RSVP by Wednesday, Oct. 14, at https://redcap.link/CCRegistrationPreschool.

Let’s talk about communication and literacy access for preschool children with disabilities who have limited speech. Take part in an evening of conversation
about how school communities can improve communication and literacy access for children in preschool who have disabilities and limited speech, including through augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

Who should attend? Anyone! You might be a person with a disability, a family member, an educator or service provider, a school or district leader, an AAC
specialist, a graduate or undergraduate student, or another caring community member.

Contact Erin Turner at [email protected] with questions.

10/06/2026

REGISTER ASAP!

VKC Conversations on Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: "Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network Prevalence Study on Cerebral Palsy"

Tuesday, Oct. 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m. CT

Register for Zoom link here: https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7201

Join researchers from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for a discussion of new findings from the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network study examining the prevalence of cerebral palsy among 4- and 8-year-old children in five U.S. communities, including Tennessee.

TAP HERE TO REGISTER (https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7201)

10/05/2026

Home modifications can help people remain safe and independent in their homes and communities, but finding reliable information about home modification services and resources can be challenging.

Recently updated with support from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Home Modification Information Network (HMIN) is a free online resource for individuals, caregivers, professionals, organizations, and others seeking information on home modifications. HMIN brings together information about programs, funding opportunities, service providers, and other resources available at the local, state, and national levels.

Users can search by the type of assistance they need and enter a ZIP code to find relevant resources in their area.

LINK:

Developed with support from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) this state-by-state inventory is designed to put details about each state’s home modification policies, funding sources, and programs right at your fingertips.

09/28/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
VKC Conversations on Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: "Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network Prevalence Study on Cerebral Palsy"
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m. CT
Register for Zoom link here: https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7201

What do we know about cerebral palsy among children in the United States today, and what does that mean for families, providers, and policymakers?

Join researchers from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for a discussion of new findings from the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network study examining the prevalence of cerebral palsy among 4- and 8-year-old children in five U.S. communities, including Tennessee. The study represents the first population-based CDC surveillance data on cerebral palsy collected since 2010 and provides important insights into prevalence, early identification, and differences across demographic groups.

Panelists will bring clinical, lived experience, and community services perspectives.

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.

09/24/2026

It is with great sorrow that the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center shares the recent loss of longtime researcher and friend, Dr. Ann Kaiser. Ann was a stalwart champion of the VKC, an especially gifted educator, and a dedicated mentor who made a vast impression on so many lives. We will miss her very much.

LINK: https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2026/09/17/ann-kaiser-esteemed-professor-and-early-childhood-language-researcher-has-died/

09/22/2026

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED!
Do you have an infant or toddler with an older sibling who is diagnosed with autism? If so, you may qualify for the Sibwatch research study. This study is occurring at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and The University of Texas at Austin. Sibwatch includes developmental monitoring with the opportunity for intervention!

Find out more here: https://sites.utexas.edu/sibwatch/

09/15/2026

A new five-year, $3.2 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, will fund the first systematic investigation of how mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects pain processing, postsurgical pain and opioid use across the perioperative period.

The prospective clinical study is led by Miklos Kertai, MD, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology, and VKC researcher Stephen Bruehl, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology.

LINK:

Study to track how mild cognitive impairment affects pain processing, postsurgical pain and opioid use across the perioperative period.