About TRIAD

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) is dedicated to improving assessment and treatment services for children with autism spectrum disorders and their families while advancing knowledge and training.

TRIAD was established within the Department of Pediatrics at VUMC in 1998 by Dr. Wendy Stone, in order to meet a need in the community of outreach and intervention. TRIAD became a partner with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development in 2005 in order to continue to develop larger and more integrated autism research, training, and clinical programs. In 2010, Dr. Zachary Warren became TRIAD Director.

Since its inception and through its evolution, TRIAD has provided services to thousands of children and families throughout Tennessee and beyond. TRIAD programs address community needs for cutting-edge information, high-quality support, and innovative interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders. TRIAD’s specialized outreach staff provide training and direct consultation in state-of-the-art behavioral and educational assessment and intervention strategies in schools throughout the region.

TRIAD-directed research programs and affiliated research partnerships examine the causes and treatment of ASDs. Currently, these directed research and partner programs include projects related to the development of siblings of children with autism, the identification of genetic and core behavioral features of autism, the nature and treatment of sleep disturbance in children with autism, the diagnosis of autism itself, early intervention with children at risk for autism, and understanding the health and well-being of parents with children with autism. Research conducted through TRIAD serves not only the scientific community at large in its quest to identify the development and causes of ASD, but this research also is used to guide best practices for families and professionals working with children with ASD.