TRIAD Families First Program

TRIAD’s Families First Program is a free program for caregivers of young children (ages 2-7) newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The primary goal is to equip caregivers with practical tools to support their child, to provide resources to more easily apply strategy and planning ideas, and to give caregivers an opportunity to meet other caregivers with similar questions or concerns. For more information about the Families First Program, please review our recent 10-year summary [PDF].

Due to Vanderbilt's restrictions on large group activities, our live workshops are on hold until further notice. See below for what we are offering virtually at this time. Additional virtual resources can be found here.

Summer 2021 Registration ▼

[In-person] Doctors, Therapists, and Schools - Oh My! Building an Effective Team*
Saturday, August 7, 2021
9:30 am-12 pm CST
*this will not be available to attend in a virtual format

TRIAD’s Families First Program is excited to be able to offer a small group live workshop to families of young children with autism titled “Doctors, Therapists, and Schools - Oh My! Building an Effective Team.” This workshop will explore the different providers for children with autism both in and out of school. We will practice strategies to help caregivers be an active part of your child's care team and provide strategies to help prepare your child for new settings, such as school and therapy. The focus will be primarily on early intervention and early childhood settings.

In accordance with VUMC’s current COVID-19 precautions, screening will occur, masks will be required, the room will be set up for social distancing, and the number of people accepted to attend will be decreased. Due to these restrictions, unfortunately childcare will not be provided and children will not be able to attend.

Location: Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville, TN – directions to be provided upon registration

All adults MUST register in order to attend.
Register in English

[Virtual] Understanding How Behavior Works
August 26, 2021
11:30 am-12 pm CST: Caregiver Connect*
12-1 pm CST: Webinar

This webinar series offers opportunities for networking with other families, individualized planning, and breakout rooms. Habrá interpretación al español disponible para eventos virtuales.

*Caregiver Connect is an optional time for parents/caregivers to connect and network with other families in general before the webinar begins. You do not need to attend Caregiver Connect to attend the webinar portion.

Because some webinar portions are interactive, we need an accurate headcount for livestream attendance and planning purposes. If you are not planning to attend the live broadcast, you do not need to register. You may view the archived webinars on this web page 7-10 days after the live stream date. Thanks!

Registration is required.
Register in English or Español

Quick Tip Videos ▼

Families First will highlight a topic of interest each month, with new resources posted the first Friday of each month.

This month’s Families First theme is Back into the Community. Check out our brief video below to learn more about the Inclusion Network of Nashville (INN) and the work the community partners are doing to promote inclusion.

We want to hear your questions about Community Resources! Please submit questions for our experts to our anonymous link by 7/23 and we will answer them in our Ask an Expert segment at the end of the month: https://redcap.link/AskExpert_July

Back into the Community [July 3, 2021]

Archived Webinars ▼

This series has previous webinars recorded available here. Webinars are posted as they’re completed so continue to check back for new updates.

Online Learning ▼

TRIAD offers free Brief Online Training Sessions (BOTS) to provide information on evidence-based practices for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Check our online learning portal to access these free trainings and resources on topics designed for parents and other caregivers! To access, register at: triad.vkclearning.org following the instructions below. If you already have an online learning account login here.

Go to triad.vkclearning.org
Create a free account by clicking on "Register." You will create a username and password. Fill out the form and select "TRIAD" under the doorway. You will receive an email verification. Once you do, click the link to verify your account and log in.
Click on "Caregivers" to access the Caregiver Training Modules or on another category to access other BOTs.
Click "open" for the series you would like to watch.
Click "launch" for the training you want to watch and enjoy!