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 |
| I have had a 21-year personal relationship with those who have special needs [because of our son, adopted at birth]. I do not know what my husband and I, both eggheads, would have done without the practical and research-based wisdom of the VKC. Nicholas’s first VKC program was TRIAD, a place where we all learned how to live with structure, what to attend to, what to let go. We also learned that we were not alone and that the professionals at VKC were actively working to make my family’s and other families’ lives better. That matters when your child is nothing like any other child you know. But my child could do more….The VKC has showed us how another way is possible. That our children can and will have another way. Robbie Pinter - Parent See More... |
| A reflection from a professional |
| I was introduced to the Kennedy Center in 1975 when I was an undergraduate at Peabody College, now Vanderbilt University. It changed my life, and set me on my career path. I left as a graduate, and I came back for graduate studies. And I work in disability and I still count on the Kennedy Center every day. Carol Westlake - Tennessee Disability Public Policy Advocate See More... |
| A reflection from a trainee |
 | As a Postdoctoral Fellow, I was a trainee with LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities]. This experience was invaluable to my current work as a clinical psychologist who specializes in diagnosing very young children with autism. My LEND training enhanced my abilities to understand families’ perspectives, to collaborate across disciplines, and to maintain cultural competence, all of which helps me provide better care to children and parents at a very difficult moment in their lives. Amy Weitlauf - VKC Member and Former LEND Trainee See More... |
| A reflection from a researcher |
 | I spent most of my graduate training learning about the development of very young children who had experienced serious life stressors. This focus on early social and emotional development was matched with opportunities to work with young children with autism during my fellowship. Since then, I have worked with young families concerned that their child may have autism. It is a challenging and powerful experience to try to provide families with answers to questions regarding autism and other developmental concerns. This represents an opportunity to understand how we can join with families to create systems of care of meaning and value. My continued attraction to the VKC is linked to center’s ability to help form partnerships among researchers, clinicians, educators, and families in a manner that truly impacts communities. The ability to collaborate and work alongside leading scientific experts in behavior, education, genetics, and neuroscience who share a focus on pushing science of impact and meaning is so very fulfilling. Increasingly I have been able to intersect with the powerful training programs (i.e., LEND, UCEDD, TRIAD) supported through our Center that provide exceptional training to our next generation of scientific and clinical leaders. In my experience, few places are capable of bringing together current and future leaders in the field of developmental disabilities in such powerful ways. Zachary Warren, Ph.D. - Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Special Education See More... |
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