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 will never forget the moment I learned my son had autism—the fear, the confusion, the helplessness—how could I ever learn all I would need to know to raise this precious little person who experiences the world in ways I can’t imagine? The Families First program at the VKC was there from the beginning—educating, supporting, and encouraging us. And they were there three years later when I lived that moment a second time, the day I learned my daughter had autism—ready to help in every way they could. Elizabeth Stivers - Parent See More... |
| A reflection from a researcher |
 | We began our careers as general education classroom teachers, where we struggled to address the needs of students with learning disabilities. This motivated us to work hard over the years to provide general and special education teachers with methods that can help them address the needs of these students more effectively. We believe in the mission of the VKC, which includes fostering collaborative relationships among investigators from different disciplines. Lynn Fuchs, Ph.D., and Doug Fuchs, Ph.D. - Special Education 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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