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 |
 | My involvement with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center has been through Tennessee Adult Brothers and Sisters (TABS), a support group for adults who have siblings with special needs. We are the first generation to grow up with our siblings kept at home, instead of being institutionalized. That brings many wonderful blessings but also brings challenges. TABS, with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, has helped us navigate this new course. Tina Prochaska - Sibling 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... |
| A reflection from a researcher |
 | I have been attracted to developmental disabilities research since graduate school, when I was involved in cloning the fragile X syndrome locus. I continued work to solve genetic puzzles related to developmental disabilities as a postdoctoral fellow studying Prader-Willi and Angelman syndrome. I have extended these efforts across the genome in collaborative efforts to discover the nature of genetic variation underlying autism. Studying how systems are affected by risk factors may ultimately lead to improved therapeutic options for vulnerable populations. The VKC is unique as a trans-institutional Center with activities spanning an extraordinary spectrum from community outreach and family support to basic research. It is this reach across so many disciplines, providing opportunities to bring different kinds of expertise and investigators together to attack the problem of diagnosing, treating, and deciphering the underlying biological basis of a developmental disorder that I find so compelling. James Sutcliffe, Ph.D. - Molecular Physiology & Biophysics See More... |
| A reflection from a trainee |
 | The VKC has become a home to my family in the few short years since my daughter’s birth. We’ve benefited in countless ways from its research, professional training (I was a LEND Family Trainee), workshops, and other community programs. I also have the opportunity to learn and give back to the Center as part of the Community Advisory Council and the Public Policy Committee. The VKC has been an incredible resource to me as a parent but has also been critical in my development as a professional, helping me to become a voice for other families through special education advocacy. From both perspectives, I cannot overstate the importance of the Center’s role in creating more meaningful and productive lives for people like my daughter, and I am proud to be part of an organization that continues to lead this charge both locally and nationally. Christine Sartain - Parent, LEND Trainee, and Disability Advocate See More... |
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