Reflections
As part of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's 50th anniversary celebration, families, researchers, staff, trainees, and others shared their reflections. View a sample below, and select "more" to view additional comments.
| A reflection from a family |
 | Fifty years ago my husband and I had the privilege of hearing President John F. Kennedy speak to the community at the football stadium at Vanderbilt University. It was a great day. We were proud of the University. We are both graduates and my retired husband was part of the Medical faculty for 45 years. Although we were very familiar with the University and the Medical Center, we were not as connected to the Kennedy Center until the birth of our grandson William, who has Down syndrome. He is now 17. William and his parents have received innumerable services from the Center, including hands-on intervention participating in research projects and receiving support at every step of the journey. Susan M. Spickard - Grandmother See More... |
| A reflection from a researcher |
 | In so many different ways, the VKC carries out the work near and dear to the Kennedy family, a family interested in disabilities long before such interest was popular. In particular, the Kennedy Center’s support of interdisciplinary collaborations has been crucial to my research as well as to that of many other VKC investigators. Indeed, the VKC has been a cornerstone in the development of Vanderbilt’s strong culture of collaboration. Specific to my work, for some time I have been convinced of the salience of emotional processes to a comprehensive understanding of childhood stuttering; however, we lacked the necessary expertise to launch a meaningful program of study of emotion. Through the VKC, however, the necessary expertise was found in the form of psychologist Tedra Walden. The resulting collaboration has led to an NIH-supported program of study. Without the VKC, this collaboration would not have occurred, a collaboration that has made a difference in my research that will, I believe, make a difference in the lives of people who stutter and their families Edward Conture, Ph.D. - Hearing and Speech Sciences See More... |
| A reflection from a trainee |
| I am the proud parent of four young children, one of whom has Down syndrome. Besides benefiting from their vast array of supports and services, I am currently receiving valuable research experience as a doctoral student in special education and receiving specialized disability-specific training through the VKC. Thomas Boehm - Parent, Doctoral Student in Special Education, and VKC UCEDD Trainee See More... |
| A reflection from a professional |
| As a teacher and now as Director of Special Education in Manchester City Schools, I feel very fortunate to have received training from Vanderbilt Kennedy Center TRIAD myself. It helped me better serve my students with this challenging disorder. Now as our district administrator, I strongly encourage and support training opportunities for the teachers in our school system. This year alone over 50% of our special education teachers and/or assistants were involved in a training activity through TRIAD. The quality of this training is unsurpassed. In addition to the sessions offered at regional locations, our district was fortunate to have consultation and training provided on-site at our schools. I do not believe training of this quality and type is available anywhere else and even if it was, it would not be affordable for our school district. Our teachers are better prepared due to the training they received through TRIAD. However, the most important aspect is that our students receive the greatest benefit. Jenny Thomas - Director of Special Education, Manchester City Schools, Manchester, TN See More... |
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