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

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When I began my career, my clinical practice included many pediatric patients with chronic or recurrent pain who were referred to me for psychotherapy because their medical evaluations yielded no evidence of organic disease or injury. At that time, most health care providers believed that these patients’ pain was “not real” or was “just in their head.” I was intrigued by this problem and developed a program of research aimed at identifying processes that could create disabling chronic pain in children who, according to their medical evaluation, were perfectly healthy. My interest in this area has been sustained over the years by advances in our understanding of how the mind and the body interact to influence our experience of pain. Because a biopsychosocial perspective guides my research, I find the multidisciplinary nature of the VKC particularly attractive. The disciplines represented by the Kennedy Center offer unique and valuable insights into the nature of pain. The VKC is a major reason that I have spent my entire academic career at Vanderbilt.

Lynn Walker, Ph.D. - Pediatrics and Psychology

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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

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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

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