Family Ties that BindDiscovering ways to support families who have

children with disabilities is a longstandingVanderbilt Kennedy Center research tradition, butfamilies are now in the forefront as never beforewith the launching of the Research Program onFamilies and the Vanderbilt Kennedy FamilyOutreach Center (see article p. 4).

“We will work in partnership and collaborationwith families who will help us set the researchagenda and support families who participate inKennedy Center research,” said Ann Kaiser,Ph.D., professor of special education andthe Center’s deputy director of theResearch Program on Families.

Four emphases will characterizethe Vanderbilt Kennedy Centerfamily research initiative: a focus

on sibling relationships, an interdisciplinaryapproach to sibling and family issues, research that

follows family members over extendedtime periods, and a conceptualapproach that focuses on positiveadaptations and health features ofsibling and family relationships

sustainable over the life span.“That siblings are affected by

their brother or sister with adisability and are likely to affectthat person throughout theirlives is such an important idea,”

Kaiser said. “One of our goalsis to find ways to supportfamilies and siblings, to

optimize relationships

and life outcomes for both the family member with adisability and their brothers or sisters.”

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center family researchersare collaborating with Arc of the U.S. because ofThe Arc’s long-standing interest in sibling relation-ships throughout the life span. The Arc hascollaborated with Kennedy Center researchersevaluating The Arc’s development of Sibshops, amodel program of games and fun activities tosupport siblings of children with disabilities, whichwas developed by Dr. Don Meyer.

“Our emphasis on siblings ties together ourclinical and outreach programs for families,” saidElisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., professor of psychologyand deputy director of the Research Program onMood and Emotion.

Technology is thedriving force

behind advancementsin any discipline ofscience and medicine.From new ways toassess complexcognitive functionsand behavioral statesin children and adults,to the cutting edge

tools that will provide rapid discovery of novelbiological targets for successful interventions, wedepend upon the creativity of our Center’sscientists to bring these discoveries more rapidlyto the community. And as our ability to gathermore and more information improves, thechallenges of understanding

The Peabody PictureVocabulary Test. The

Woodcock-Johnson Tests ofAchievement and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of CognitiveAbilities. Educators, psychologists,parents, all know these tests used nationwide toassess students’ skills and to identify studentsneeding supports to develop and learn effectively.They may not know they were developed “righthere in River City”—by Vanderbilt PeabodyCollege faculty and Kennedy Center investigatorswho were doing research on language andintelligence and other domains of child develop-ment. These achievements of the past will beanswered by achievements of the future—that’sthe goal of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s newTest and Technology Center, which was launchedthis summer.

“The Center has twopurposes,” said its

director Stephen Camarata,Ph.D., professor of hearingand speech sciences andKennedy Center deputydirector of the ResearchProgram on Communication

and Learning. “First, we willprovide state-of-the-art assessment services tofamilies of children with disabilities andsupport the assessment methodologies ofKennedy Center researchers. This purpose flowsout of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s primarymission to increase knowledge of developmentand disabilities.

“Second, we develop new test instruments andtechnologies in both the behavioral and biologicalsciences to improve the assessment of developmentand disabilities. Our researchers are alreadyinvolved in this process. The difference is that thisnew Center provides a way to make these toolsavailable to other researchers,

“Bright Start”for Preschoolers

Celebrationof FamiliesandResearch

Dykens,Expert onGeneticSyndromes

3 6 9Tomorrow’sTreatments,Today

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Number 3 Winter 2004 Vanderbilt University

Continued on page 3

Test andTechnologyCenter Tests—Windows

into Development

Director’s Message

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2

Pat Levitt, Ph.D.

Siblings Primerclinicians, and educators, to extend ourreach nationally and internationally.”

The Center’s first product now avail-able nationally is ProcoderDV, atechnology developed to facilitate datacollection from digital media. It wasdesigned for behavioral researchers toanalyze video and audio taped events, butcould be used to by anyone who needs toanalyze time-based events in detail,e.g., sports.

ProcoderDV was developed by JonTapp, the Center’s director of computerservices, and has been beta tested by researchers here and in other developmental disability researchcenters. For details on testing and purchasing ProcoderDV see www.procoderdv.com.

“ProcoderDV models how the Test and Technology Center operates as an entrepreneurialenterprise,” said Camarata. “The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center provides support to researchers andresearch support staff as they develop innovative ideas into viable products, which can then be madeavailable to others. We work closely with Vanderbilt’s Office of Technology Transfer. The ultimatepurchase cost for a product and percentage of sales income generated that will be shared by theresearcher and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center are negotiated for each product.

“Dr. Lloyd Dunn, who with his wife Leota, and other colleagues, developed the Peabody PictureVocabulary Tests, is advising us, along with Dr. Richard Woodcock, developer of the Woodcock-Johnsontests and a Kennedy Center visiting scholar. So we have incredible expertise available to us as we launchthis new enterprise.”

Seed funds also will be available to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researchers who have innovativemethodologies and assessments to propose for development.

“Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigators have national and international impact, and the researchthey conduct directly and indirectly benefits individuals with disabilities and their families,” Camaratasaid. “By sharing technologies and assessments our researchers develop, we are extending our reach inways that will help so many more.”

W i n t e r 2 0 0 4 D i s c o v e r y

Robert Hodapp, Ph.D., professor of specialeducation, emphasized that the ResearchProgram on Families “embodies the Center’smission of providing ‘tomorrow’s interventionstoday.’ Family work in developmental disabilitieshas shifted dramatically over the past fewdecades. From an earlier view that all familiesnecessarily experienced ‘bad things’ in responseto bringing up a child with disabilities, we nowknow that both good and bad outcomes canoccur. Our research task is to identify what’sneeded to promote good versus poor familyoutcomes. Armed with that knowledge, we canthen identify families more prone to havedifficulties and develop effective supports.”

Hodapp indicated that in research he andDykens have done across several genetic disorders,a child’s maladaptive behavior seems most relatedto parental coping difficulties. Other importantvariables include parents’ own styles of solvingproblems, formal and informal support systemsand parent organizations, and parents’ pre-exisitingviews of the nature of their child’s problems.

Family research here will be interdisciplinaryand collaborative, Kaiser stressed. “Because of

methodological advances in studying biobehav-ioral interaction, the time is right to apply thesemethods to understanding sibling and familyrelationships. We now have opportunities to studyboth genetic and environmental contributions todevelopmental outcomes,” she said.

Kennedy Center researchers are “looking atfamilies through a host of lenses,” Hodapp said.“Geneticists are looking for genes in parents andextended family members that might predisposechildren to such disorders as ADHD or autism;

others are using parents and siblings as interven-tionists for children with emotional andintellectual problems; still others are examiningwhat both parents and teachers know about thosebehaviors characteristic of individuals with one ofseveral genetic syndromes. In short, we havescarcely begun to understand the intricacies offamilies of children and adults with disabilities.”

In July, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center familyresearchers met with colleagues from othernational centers for research on developmentaldisabilities, including the Waisman Center andUCLA, from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, andexecutive staff of The Arc of the U.S. to identify thecore issues in studying siblings of individualswith disabilities.

“We all realized just how little sustainedresearch attention has been paid to the well-being of the siblings of children—and adults—with disabilities,” Hodapp observed. “This issuehas obvious intervention and policy conse-quences, particularly as the number of olderadults with disabilities triples over the next fewdecades. Policymakers have not even begun toanticipate the consequences for these adultsiblings as they assume caretaking responsibilitiesfor their aging brothers-sisters with disabilities.”

Family Ties from page one

Test and TechnologyCenter from page one

In the United States, over 5.8 million childrenhave disabilities. Most have brothers and sisters.

BOOKSpecial Siblings: Growing up with Someone with aDisability by Mary McHugh (2nd edition, PaulH. Brookes Publishing Co., 2003)

WEB RESOURCESSibling Support Project, Arc of the U.S.www.thearc.org/siblingsupport/index.html

Sibshopswww.thearc.org/siblingsupport/sibshoppage.html

Sibshops at Vanderbilt Kennedy Centerkc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy/community/sibshop.htmlSaturdays, 10:00-2:00Dec. 13, Feb. 14, April 10 Contact linda.r.dunn@vanderbilt.edu

Sibs Encounterwww.sibspace.org/homeframe.htmlAn online support group for brothers and sistersof people with disabilities

KidsHealthwww.kidshealth.org/Provides explanations of types of disabilities andmedical conditions at levels for parents, kids,and teens; site by medical experts of NemoursFoundation

2

Leading the Vanguard of Discoverythe meaning of complex sets of data becomeseven greater.

Traditionally, our researchers have severalavenues to follow in order to secure theessential support necessary to pursue theirprograms of investigation. These sources offunding typically do not embrace technologydevelopment, leaving a gap for those Centerinvestigators who naturally have the talent, andthe desire, to develop tests and technologies,but who need seed funding to launch theircreative ideas.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center has a richhistory in advancing educational andpsychological testing. The pioneering work oftesting experts Lloyd Dunn, Ph.D., RichardWoodcock, Ed.D., and Vanderbilt Kennedyinvestigators have stood the test of time andprovided generations of teachers, psycholo-gists, and parents with critical informationabout childhood development. That traditionof excellence continues today, under abroader, interdisciplinary umbrella, guided bythe capable leadership of Vanderbilt KennedyCenter deputy director Steve Camarata,himself an active participant in the field oftest and technology development.

Steve will serve as the first director of theKennedy Center’s new Test and TechnologyCenter, a program that we hope will bring thelatest advances in technology to bear on thefield of assessment, observationalmethodology, and biomedical tools. As partof the Center’s work, Steve has beencollaborating with Lloyd Dunn and RichardWoodcock on a new battery of tests that willprovide new tools to experts throughout thecountry. Our own computer technologyguru, Jon Tapp, has developed uniquesoftware to automate behavioral observationin children and even in mouse models ofdevelopmental disorders. The Test andTechnology Center begins by providing seedfunds for those investigators who wish topursue their own technology dreams with apassion. We also have developed strategies togrow the program substantially through thecoming years.

Because of our past history, it is appropriatethat the launching of the Test and TechnologyCenter coincides with the opening of our newFamily Outreach Center and Clinics. The firststep to helping individuals with disabilities isidentifying and assessing the nature of theproblems they are experiencing. Unlike somemedical fields, where simple tests are clear anddefinitive, assessment in the area of develop-mental disabilities is often a highly complexprocess. Technology advances, with an eyetowards application to a better understandingand treatment of developmental disabilities, aremore of a reality than ever before.

ELISABETH M. DYKENS, PH.D.Professor of Psychology (Peabody College)Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Deputy Director ofResearch Program on Mood and Emotion

Joined Vanderbilt Kennedy Center 2003Research InterestsIdentification of psychopathologies and profiles ofcognitive and adaptive strengths and weaknessesin people with Prader-Willi syndrome, Downsyndrome, Williams syndrome, and other geneticsyndromes, and linking profiles to treatment

Principal Investigator for• Obsessions and Compulsions in Prader-Willi

and Other Syndromes, National Institute ofChild Health and Human Development

• Prader-Willi Syndrome: Correlates ofCompulsivity, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Clinical Interests• Director of Vanderbilt Kennedy Family Outreach

Center, supported by the Lili Claire Foundation

National Service• Executive Committee, NICHD Gatlinburg

Conference on Research and Theory in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

• Research and Evaluation Committee, Special Olympics International

• Scientific Advisory Board, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA)

• Professional Advisory Committee 5p- Society (Cri-du-Chat syndrome)

• Science Board of PRISMS: Parents and Researchers Interested in Smith-Magenis Syndrome

Honors• Associate Editor, American Journal of Mental

Retardation• Associate Editor, International Review of

Mental Retardation

BooksGenetics and Mental RetardationSyndromes: A New Look at Behavior andInterventions, with Robert M. Hodapp& Brenda M. Finucane (Paul H.Brookes Pub. Co., 2000)

Genetic, Behavioral, and InclusionAspects of IntellectualDisabilities, with Jean Rondal,Robert Hodapp, Salvatori Soreci,& Laura Nota (In press, London:Whurr Publishers)

Behavior and Developmentin Fragile X Syndrome,Vol. 28, with RobertM. Hodapp, & JamesF. Leckman (SagePublications, 1994)

EducationPh.D. Clinical Psychology, University of KansasPostdoctoral Fellowship, Yale University School ofMedicine, Yale Child Study Center

Attraction to Developmental Disabilities ResearchMy father was a psychiatrist, and as a young child,I spent Saturdays at his clinic and so was accus-tomed to being with people with disabilities. Later,when my father was New Hampshire director ofmental health, we lived on the grounds of a statehospital, where I had many friends with differenttypes of developmental and psychiatric difficul-ties. I wanted to better understand their lives andstories. During my graduate training, I workeddirectly with children with mental retardation andautism. At the Yale Child Study Center, where Idid pre- and post-graduate training, I met afamily who had a child with fragile X syndromeand became interested in what that meant interms of treatment and research. My experienceswith children with fragile X syndrome started meon the path of looking at other genetic syndromes,as they offer unique windows for understandingthe connections among genes, brain, andbehavior, as well as specific ways to optimizeinterventions with individuals and families.

Reasons for Kennedy Center MembershipMy husband Robert Hodapp and I moved fromUCLA to Vanderbilt because we wanted to be partof a community of researchers and other peoplededicated to understanding people with develop-mental disabilities on a number of differentlevels—genetics, brain science, treatments,supporting families, public policy, and advocacy.The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center embodied all ofthat in one place. Even within the nationalnetwork of such centers, the Vanderbilt KennedyCenter stands out as an exemplary interdisciplinary

community devoted to understandingdevelopmental disabilities.

Director’s Message from page one

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Any parent concerned about a child’s develop-ment or disability knows it can be difficult to

find answers to your questions. Services arefragmented. Specialists proliferate. Costs are scary.Where can you turn to find a path through themaze? The new Vanderbilt Kennedy FamilyOutreach Center provides families with a singlepoint of entry into the many research-basedservices and supports of the Vanderbilt KennedyCenter, including the Reading Clinic, BehaviorAnalysis Clinic, and Disability Pathfinder; as well asto the resources of the Vanderbilt Medical Centerand the larger community.

Because Two Families CaredThe dream of a Family Outreach Center has becomea reality because of the gifts of two families.

The Lili Claire Foundation. Keith Resnick andLeslie Litt-Resnick learned about the complex issuesfacing a family with a genetic syndrome when theirdaughter Lili Claire was born with Williamssyndrome. Lili Claire died when she was five-and-a-half months old after undergoing surgery tocorrect a severe heart condition common toWilliams syndrome. Had she lived, Lili Claire wouldhave had to cope not only with physical but alsocognitive disabilities.

To make the way easier for other families and tohonor Lili Claire’s memory, the Resnicks estab-lished the Lili Claire Foundation in 1998. TheFoundation seeks to improve the lives of peopleliving with Williams syndrome and other neuroge-netic birth disorders through a variety of programs.

At UCLA, the Resnicks met Elisabeth Dykens,Ph.D., and Robert Hodapp, Ph.D., whose researchwas devoted to understanding genetic syndromes

and supporting children and families

affected. Together they created the Lili ClaireFamily Resource Center at UCLA. Later whenDykens and Hodapp told the Resnicks of theirplans to join the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, theResnicks saw an opportunity to extend theFoundation’s work. Out of our shared vision, theVanderbilt Kennedy Family Outreach Center began.

The Foundation also is supporting the LiliClaire Life Skills Center in partnership with theUniversity of Nevada at Las Vegas. It provides lifeskills and job preparation training to youngadults with Williams Syndrome and otherneurogenetic disabilities.

The Brooks Family Discovery Fund. The lateSam Brooks, his wife Linda, and their childrenAshley, Wendy, and Dan, have been part of theKennedy Center family since the 1970s. Wendy,who has Down syndrome, was enrolled in theInfant-Toddler Learning Project in the Center’sExperimental School (now the Susan GraySchool). This pioneering research anddemonstration project laid the foundation forinclusive early childhood education, now thenational practice. Today, Wendy is a part-timestaff member of the Susan Gray School, withwide-ranging interests, including writing poetry.The Brooks family provided the lead gift for afully accessible playground, and they are membersof the Nicholas Hobbs Donor Society.

In 2003, the Brooks family endowed theBrooks Family Discovery Fund to supportinitiatives to advance research and treatment indevelopment and disability. A portion of thiswonderful gift is being used to help support theReading Clinic and Behavior Analysis Clinic,programs that exemplify translating innovativeresearch into practice.

Supporting Families“Our vision for the Family Outreach Center is tocreate a bridge between research and practice,” saidElizabeth Dykens, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center deputy

director of Research on Mood and Emotion, whohas been instrumental in the founding of this familyresource center. “Our goal is to provide children andfamilies with the most effective and appropriateinterventions, to connect our clinical researchservices and this family resource center.”

The Family Outreach Center will providesupport and counseling for families when a socialworker comes on board in January. Families will beconnected with research projects that offerpromising treatments and advance knowledge. Inturn, families who take part in research will bereferred to the center.

“Every individual who takes part in researchcomes from a family,” said Ann Kaiser, Ph.D.,deputy director of the Vanderbilt KennedyCenter’s new Research Program on Families. “Acore idea is that when we invite a child or adultwith a disability to take part in research, ourintention is to support their family.”

A New Home at 1810 Edgehill“Programs of the Family Outreach Center are opento any family,” said Elise McMillan, VanderbiltKennedy Center director of community outreach.

A small brick building at 1810 Edgehill ishousing the clinics and programs of the FamilyOutreach Center. “The facility has a reception areafor families, and a computer work station wherefamilies can access Internet resources with staffassistance,” McMillan said. “Disability Pathfinderstaff are housed here, along with the Reading Cliniccoordinator. Most rooms are used in the late after-noon for Reading Clinic tutorials. The BehaviorAnalysis Clinic has a family reception area andclinic space. And it’s less than a block away fromthe Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.”

When Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital opens, theFamily Outreach Center will have a space in themain lobby shared with the Jr. League FamilyResource Center. “We’ve been working togetherclosely to assure that services are not duplicated,”

McMillan said. “Having apresence in the wonderfulnew Vanderbilt Children’sHospital will be a greatway to connect withfamilies who might nototherwise find us.”

Reading ClinicOne in five children hasdifficulty learning to read.Reading failure begins inkindergarten and is diffi-cult to remediate beyondthe primary grades, whichargues for interveningearly and intensively. The

Vanderbilt Kennedy Family Outreach Center

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Keith Reisnick and Leslie Litt-Reisnick

Wendy Brooks, Linda Brooks, Ashley Brooks, and Sam Brooks. Continued on page 5

W i n t e r 2 0 0 4 D i s c o v e r y

Supported by the Lili Claire FoundationVanderbilt Kennedy Reading Clinicaddresses this need by providing inten-sive, one-to-one instruction for childrenwho are experiencing reading problems.Clinic tutors use reading instructionalmethods that have been proven toenhance children’s acquisition ofreading skills. The Clinic serves studentsin the early elementary grades.

“The Reading Clinic is a terrificprogram, one of the best things we’vedone,” said parent Susan Larson. “Ourson’s tutors have all been excellent.They provide useful reports, they workwell with him, and they’re alwaysprepared. His reading has improvedtremendously.”

Faculty leadership is provided byDouglas Fuchs, Ph.D., and Lynn Fuchs,Ph.D., Vanderbilt Kennedy Center inves-tigators and Special Education faculty.

Behavior Analysis ClinicMany children and adults have seriousbehavior problems that interfere withtypical development or functioning. TheVanderbilt Kennedy Behavior AnalysisClinic provides comprehensive health, educational,and behavioral assessments to identify causes ofbehavior problems and develops person-centeredinterventions. This new clinic serves individualswith developmental disabilities, initially beginningwith adults and then expanding to serve children.Clinicians follow up in schools and homes, trainingcare providers in the recommended interventions.

The Clinic is a joint venture with Vanderbilt’sDepartment of Psychiatry and School of Nursing. Italso serves as a training site in behavior analysis forPeabody College students.

The Clinic’s director is Craig Kennedy, Ph.D.,associate professor of special education andpediatrics and Vanderbilt Kennedy Centerinvestigator.

Disability PathfinderDisability Pathfinder provides information andreferral for children and adults with disabilities,family members, service providers, and advocates.Service is provided in English or Spanish. ThePathfinder database has over 1,600 Tennesseedisability services and supports, which can besearched by county and type of service atwww.familypathfinder.org. The Tennessee DisabilityServices and Supports Directory is published forEast, Middle, and West Tennessee.

Disability Pathfinder is a project of theVanderbilt Kennedy Center and the TennesseeCouncil on Developmental Disabilities. Staff areCarole Moore-Slater, M.S., director; SolangeBishop, information specialist; and EmmyHubbard, program assistant.

SibshopsSibshops are opportunities for brothers and sistersof children with special health and developmentalneeds to obtain peer support and education withina recreational context. Developed by Don Meyerand a project of The Arc of the U. S., they involveinformation and discussion interspersed withgames, activities, and special guests.”

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Sibshops, forbrothers and sisters of children with special needs,8 to12 years, are held Saturdays, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.(lunch provided). Upcoming dates are December13, February 14, and April 10. Cost is $10.00 perperson per meeting.

Henderson Series for EducatorsThe Britt Henderson Training Series is madepossible by an endowment from the Hendersonfamily in memory of their son Britt. Its purpose isto provide training for general and specialeducation teachers, in order to improve the qualityof education for students with diverse learningneeds. In 2003-04, the Henderson Training Series isassisting selected school teams in designing aPositive Behavior Support plan to better serveall students.

Disabilities and the ArtsThe Vanderbilt Kennedy Center sponsors exhibitsof art by or about persons with disabilities.Exhibits are in the lobby of the VanderbiltKennedy Center and work is displayed in theFamily Outreach Center.

“We welcome opportunities to share this art

with the community,” said Elise McMillan, whocoordinates the arts initiative. Art by Tennesseanswith autism is invited for a Spring 2004 exhibitco-sponsored with the Autism Society ofMiddle Tennessee.

FAMILY OUTREACH CENTERElise McMillan, J.D.Director of Community Outreach1810 Edgehill, Nashville TN 37203615-936-5118elise.mcmillan@vanderbilt.edu

Reading ClinicCaresa Young, Clinic Coordinator615-936-5123caresa.l.young@vanderbilt.edu

Behavior Analysis ClinicMichael E. May, M.S., Clinic Coordinator 615-322-8185bac@vanderbilt.edu

Disability PathfinderA project of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center andTennessee Council on Developmental DisabilitiesPathfinder: www.familypathfinder.orgTennessee Disability Training Network:www.disabilitytrainingtn.orgNashville area 615-322-8529Statewide 800-640-4636Spanish/Español 615-322-7830TDD 800-273-9595

SibshopsLinda Dunn, CoordinatorElise McMillan 615-343-2540linda.dunn@vanderbilt.edu

Henderson Series for EducatorsDisabilities and the Artselise.mcmillan@vanderbilt.edu615-343-2540

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Susan Gray School for All ChildrenVanderbilt Kennedy Center • Peabody College

If you could look in the four Susan Gray Schoolpreschool classrooms, you would likely hear lots of

questions—and active children thinking up goodanswers. Last year these classes began using BrightStart, a cognitive early education curriculum thatteaches fundamental thinking, learning, andproblem-solving principles to help children becomemore effective academic and social learners.

"We've come full circle," said Susan Gray Schooldirector Ruth Wolery, Ph.D. "The initial work todevelop this curriculum began here in our preschoolclassrooms 20 years ago. The next step was to take itto other Nashville preschools, followed by a periodof national replication and outreach. Today it's evenused in other countries—and now we've brought itback home. It's a great example of how research anddemonstration in the School can impact not onlyour own practice but early education nationallyand internationally."

Wolery selected Bright Start a year ago when shewas looking for a curriculum that provided high-quality pre-academic preparation for typically devel-oping children while at the same time addressing theneeds of children with developmental delays. Shelikes the curriculum's focus on language and the wayit builds on children's strengths.

Bright Start is flexible and is designed for use withchildren at developmental levels from 3 to 6 years. Itsgoal is to broaden children's understanding and think-ing processes, thereby increasing their educability. Itrelies heavily on a "mediational teaching style."

The curriculum defines mediational teaching as away for teachers to interact with children so as tohelp them generalize important thinking processesto their everyday lives. This emphasis on teachingstyle, the adult-child interaction, was one of thereasons Wolery selected the curriculum

"It's asking a lot of open-ended questions,"explained lead teacher Yolanda Mara. "It's buildingon what children say, helping them to think aboutwhat they're doing." Carol Howard, another leadteacher, added,"To begin with, children don't knowthe answers, so we're giving the information andhelping it make sense to them, so it's useful tothem." Howard was parent educator with theoriginal curriculum development project. She wasenthusiastic about using the curriculum again,which had become a part of her teaching style.

Mara described the Fast and Slow game, which

helps children learn self-regulation. "We start withclapping hands and talk about doing it slow and fast.I say, 'Listen closely, because when I say fast, youhave to clap your hands fast.' Then we generalize.'What other things do you do fast?' After outsidetime, they'll think of answers like running, ridingbikes, swinging. 'What about slow?' I'll ask. Theysaid, 'Inside use walking feet.' All right!" To bridgethinking processes to everyday applications, ateacher will ask children such questions as: When isanother time that you use models in order to knowwhat to do? What are some other situations in whichyou need to have rules and to follow them?

"The curriculum emphasizes learning to follow amodel," Howard elaborated. "Looking carefully,listening carefully, and following directions are all keycomponents. We use models throughout the day—indrawing, exercises, block building. We distinguishfollowing a model from art where children make theirown creations and use their own ideas."

Howard explained that when identifying some-thing, for example, a dog, the emphasis is less onlabeling and more on how you know throughdescription and comparison.

Reflecting on differences in children after a year ofcognitive education, Mara said, "They could answermore questions. They could think more independ-ently. At first, if you had one child in a group whocould answer a question, the rest would say the samething. By the end of the year, they could all think ofsomething different and appropriate."

"They learned to be supportive of each other,"Howard said. "They learned to give themselves a paton the back when they did a good job, or tellanother child spontaneously, 'That was a goodanswer.' That's great to see."

Both felt that children in their classes who had

Individualized Education Plans to address develop-mental and educational goals also progressed well."They improved in being able to join a small group,"Mara said, "stay for the whole time, and take partwith some support and modification."

"They felt like a contributing member of thegroup," Howard added.

Howard and Mara are coaching new preschoollead teachers Sue Ford and Suzie Clark, who areenthusiastic about using Bright Start for the first time.

Bright Start consists of seven cognitive units, eachtargeting a basic aspect of cognitive functioning ofpreschool children: Self-Regulation, NumberConcepts, Comparison, Role-Taking, Classification,Sequence and Pattern, and Letter-Shape Concepts.

Although the units can be taught in groups of 4to 10 children interacting with a teacher, theSchool's preschool lead teachers are teaching themin groups of 4 children, while co-teachers engage theother 8 children in the classroom in another activity.Small groups make possible an intensive experiencein focused logical thinking and having every childparticipate directly in the activities.

Two of Bright Start's authors, H. Carl Haywood,Ph.D., professor of psychology emeritus, and PennyBrooks, Ph.D., professor of psychology emerita, bothVanderbilt Kennedy Center scholars, donated theirtime to train the Susan Gray School preschool staff.Haywood indicated that mediational teachers doseveral things more regularly than nonmediationalteachers, including:• Asking many questions.• Asking process questions: How? Why? How else?

How do you know?• Accepting as much as possible of children's

responses.• Bridging (make logical

A “Bright Start”for SGSPreschoolers

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SGS NewsBIRTH-DAY PARTY!It was difficult to decide how many candles to put on the cake—1 candle for thebirth-day of the new Children’s Library or 35 candles for the anniversary of the SusanGray School. Both were celebrated at a party on October 10.

Each party-goer donated a new book—including a very special guest, theHonorable Margaret Giannini, M.D., Director of the Health and Human ServiceOffice on Disability. Appreciation was expressed to Peabody librarians and studentswho are organizing a book drive.

The Children’s Library is a new collection focused entirely on books for childrenage 5 and under. It augments the Paula Goodroe Library, a collection for parents andteachers, which honors the School’s long-time coordinator.

To donate books to the new Children’s Library or to contribute gifts to purchasebookcases and furnishings for a children’s reading area, contact 615-322-8200 ormarva.d.greenwood@vanderbilt.edu. Donations to the Paula Goodroe Library arealso welcome.

THE SINGING COWBOYSusan Gray School children enjoyed the Singing Cowboy Joel Reese thanks to a giftfrom Gregg Stanwood, Ph.D., and BethAnn McLaughlin, Ph.D., Susan Gray Schoolparents and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researchers.

BE AN ANGEL!The School is planning its angel tree for December 2003; please contact 615-322-8200or marva.d.greenwood@vanderbilt.edu if you can help. Hallmark Jeep VolkswagenHyundai provided wonderful giftsfor 60 “angels” on the Susan GraySchool tree in December 2002.Our thanks to Hallmark’swonderful employeesand to the manyothers whosponsored “angels.”

connections) concepts, principles, and rules to many applications in children's daily lives.

• Refraining from giving answers or telling chil-dren the rules or principles, in favor of guiding the children's discovery of rules and principles.

• Emphasizing order, structure, and predictability.Research on Bright Start shows strongly

positive effects on cognitive development,motivation for learning, and subsequent schoolachievement in the primary grades. Bright Start isavailable in nine languages and is used withthousands of children in fifteen countries. Initiallydeveloped for use with children who are socially or

economically disadvantaged, it is now used as wellwith children with mental retardation, emotionaldisorders, sensory impairments, autism, andcerebral palsy.

"We're still learning how to implement thecurriculum," Wolery said. "When a school adopts anew curriculum, it takes an extended time oftraining, sharing, observation, and support fortrue implementation."

Howard drafted a letter to parents to share herenthusiasm for the curriculum: "We can be confidentthat these children will have a head start towardmaking good choices in their lives. This can set them

up for success in whatever they encounter. They arelearning to 'Stop and Think!'—about what materialsthey need, how to make a plan of action, how theirattitudes and actions affect themselves and others,how to generalize information in useful ways, how tolearn from mistakes and not repeat them... Thank youfor sharing your wonderful child with us. We take theresponsibility very seriously."

This will be another great year.

Reference: H. C. Haywood, P. Brooks, & S. Burns(1992). Bright Start: Cognitive curriculum for youngchildren. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

The Susan Gray School provides inclusive education for young children with and without disabilities and support fortheir families. Its fourfold mission is providing high-quality service, supporting research, contributing to the trainingof future teachers and researchers, and demonstrating recommended practices as a national model. It is a program ofthe Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and Peabody College.

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W i n t e r 2 0 0 4 D i s c o v e r y

Kennedy Center Donors

Spotlight

Alifelong interest in understanding howchildren learn and how to help students

overcome learning disabilities has motivatedBarbara Gregg in her career and now as theincoming chair of the Leadership Council of theVanderbilt Kennedy Center.

Gregg was invited to be a Council member byAnnette Eskind, the Leadership Council’s foundingchair. “When I make a gift of my time,” Gregg said,“I want it to be only for things I feel are very

worthwhile. Knowing howchildren learn and howthey adjust to learning

challenges is so

critical and it fits my interests. It’s what I careabout. So working on the Leadership Council isimportant.”

Gregg praises Eskind’s accomplishments inincreasing community visibility of the VanderbiltKennedy Center. “Our next thrust is to support theinitiatives outlined in the Strategic Plan. Twoimportant goals are community outreach tofamilies, and then expanding fundraising.”

The Leadership Council now has two committeesfocused on these goals. Gregg has found that Councilmembers are eager to be involved. “There’s so muchinterest in perpetuating the work of the KennedyCenter with families,” she said. “Whatever we do atthe Kennedy Center is for all our children, every-where, because of the national and internationalinfluence of Kennedy Center research.”

Gregg is a Nashville native. After graduatingfrom college, she taught English at Hillsboro HighSchool. She found that some of her students,although they were very bright, had difficulty withwriting or spelling, or had specific disabilities. “Ididn’t know what to do about that or how to help

them, even though I knew they wereintelligent,” Gregg explained. Thismotivated her to change direction froma master’s degree in English to one inspecial education at Peabody College,at a time when the Kennedy Center was

newly launched.“I became fascinated with how

people learn and how to accom-modate for disabilities,” Greggcontinued. During her graduatestudy, she worked with a broadspectrum of children in the ChildStudy Center, a Kennedy Centerclinic that provided educationalassessment, a reading clinic, andrelated services.

About that time, WestminsterPresbyterian Church became

interested in starting a class for

children with special needs. As a graduatestudent in 1969, Gregg worked with that initialclass of six children. Over the next three years,the program was formalized and then receivedState accreditation as Westminster School ofNashville. Peabody Special Education faculty andKennedy Center researchers were heavily involvedwith the School, Gregg said. When she left herleadership role with Westminster School, it had170 students. Today it continues as CurreyIngram Academy.

Gregg’s next step was to form Barbara Greggand Associates, a private practice focused oneducational evaluations and school placementconsultations. In addition to this practice, sheworks with Vanderbilt Medical Center in therecruitment and relocation of new faculty, includ-ing assistance with school placements for theirchildren and career integration for their spouses.

In reflecting on her enduring commitment tostudents with diverse learning needs, Gregg recallsher younger brother who struggled to learn,although today he’s successful. “I can remembertrying to teach him his letters, and now I realize hewas probably dyslexic.”

Gregg’s son Billy Gregg, president of CenterPoint Construction, and his daughters Lauren andNatalie Gregg, sixth and first graders, are verysupportive of Gregg’s interest in children’s learningdifferences. “My granddaughters are very sensitiveto this in their schools,” Gregg said, “sometimesasking if there is a way to help when someone hasa harder time with their learning.”

Throughout her involvement on the LeadershipCouncil of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Greggsaid she’s been impressed by the strong commitmentof director Pat Levitt and all the staff. “As a volunteer,you’re energized and want to be a part of that.”

Gregg thinks of the involvement of LeadershipCouncil members as a legacy. “You want to beselective about what you give your time and yourinterest and your heart to,” she said. “The KennedyCenter is that kind of legacy.”

Caring AboutLearningDifferencesBARBARA GREGG

The Nicholas Hobbs Donor Society($1,000 and above)

Senator and Mrs. Lamar AlexanderDr. and Mrs. Ben AlperMrs. Clare ArmisteadMr. and Mrs. Joe BarkerMr. and Mrs. E. Warner BassMr. and Mrs. Harold S. BernardMr. and Ms. Jack O. Bovender Jr.Ms. Ashley BrooksMr. and Mrs. Dan BrooksMrs. Linda BrooksMs. Wendy BrooksMr. and Mrs. Martin Brown Sr.Dr. and Mrs. Stephen CamarataMr. and Mrs. James H. Cheek IIIDr. Joseph S. ChengMr. and Mrs. Roy E. Claverie Sr.Mr. and Mrs. Ray DannerDr. Kathie EaglesonMr. Robert D. Eisenstein

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. ElmanDr. Ronald B. Emeson

Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. EskindDr. and Mrs. Irwin B. EskindMr. and Ms. Richard J. EskindDr. and Mrs. Steven J. EskindDr. Robert Fox and Ms. Dona TappDrs. Doug and Lynn FuchsMr. and Mrs. Glenn R. FunkDr. Steven G. Gabbe and Dr. Patricia C.

TempleDr. and Mrs. William M. GaviganMr. and Mrs. Joel C. GordonDr. and Mrs. Laurence A. GrossmanMr. Peter GruaMr. and Mrs. William F. HarnischMr. and Mrs. J. Michael Hayes Dr. H. Carl HaywoodMr. and Mrs. Blake HendersonMrs. Carol HendersonMr. Robert W. Henderson IIDr. and Mrs. Elliott HimmelfarbDrs. Robert M. Hodapp and Elisabeth

M. Dykens Mr. and Mrs. G. Daniel HewittMr. Jonathan M. Kent

Mr. and Mrs. William B. King Jr.Mrs. Elsie C. KraftMrs. Heloise Werthan KuhnMr. and Mrs. Jonathan L. LehmanDr. and Mrs. Pat LevittMr. and Mrs. Irving LevyDr. Garvin S. Maffett and Mrs. Pamela

M. MaffettMrs. Alyne Queener Massey Mr. and Mrs. Tom McMillanMs. Pat McNellis and Mr. Wendell TomlinDr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Nesbitt Jr.Mrs. Barbara Gregg and Col. Robert

A. PhillipsDr. Karen L. PutnamMr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Rebrovick Jr.Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Roos Mr. and Mrs. Joseph V. RussellDrs. Phil and Dikkie SchoggenMrs. Joan ShayneMr. and Mrs. Sargent ShriverMs. Laurie Lee SiskMr. and Mrs. Richard M. SmallMr. and Mrs. Tim Stafford

Drs. Gregg Stanwood and BethAnn McLaughlin

Ms. Beth TannenbaumDr. Jerome S. TannenbaumMr. Kent Thiry and Ms. Denise O’LearyMr. and Mrs. William C. Weaver IIIMr. Albert WerthanDrs. Ruth and Mark Wolery

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Honor andMemorial Gifts

by Dr. and Mrs. Pat Levitt

In honor of research award, Dr. Leonard Bickman

In honor of the birth of Seth andMarly Boehm

In memory of Jack O. Bovender, Sr.

In honor of becoming a Bat Mitzvah,Laura Capucilli and Sara Eskind

In honor of the marriage of Dr. Ron Emeson and Ms. Martha Zendlovitz

In honor of receiving the Chair, Drs.Doug and Lynn Fuchs

In memory of Fred Gold

In memory of Kathy Lewis’s mother

In honor of special birthdaysCarol HendersonHerb RichMary Jane Swaney

For information about joining the

Nicholas Hobbs Society or making Honor

or Memorial gifts, contact the

Development Office 615-322-8244.

Every effort has been made to ensure the

accuracy of this report. If an error has

been made, we offer our sincerest apology

and ask that you bring it to our attention

by contacting the Development Office.

W i n t e r 2 0 0 4 D i s c o v e r y

8

Leadership Dinner

9

“A Celebrationof Families andResearch”

Over 150 Nicholas Hobbs Society members andfriends attended the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Leadership Dinner, chaired by Alyne Massey andClare Armistead. Dr. Pat Levitt, Vanderbilt KennedyCenter director, and Dr. Harry Jacobson, Vanderbiltvice chancellor for health affairs, honored AnnetteEskind, chair of the Center’s Leadership Council,for her volunteer leadership and unstinting

support of what she described as “the Kennedy Centerin Nashville for performing miracles for children.”The dinner’s theme was “A Celebration of Familiesand Research,” and highlighted in video and photosfamilies whose lives have been touched by theCenter’s innovative research on communicationdisorders and treatments, early childhood interven-tion, and reading clinic. The evening’s keynotespeaker was Sue Swenson, a parent of a child with adisability who is the assistant director of The Arc ofthe U.S., former commissioner of the U.S.Administration on Developmental Disabilities,and the former executive director of the Joseph P.Kennedy Jr. Foundation.

Annette Eskind and Harry Jacobson

Alyne Massey, Clare Armistead, and Pat Levitt

Camilla Benbow, Nick Zeppos, and Harla Levitt Bob Henderson, Carol Henderson, and Lin Swensonn

Sue Swenson

Ana Munoz-Woodcock and Lloyd Dunn

W i n t e r 2 0 0 4 D i s c o v e r y

Cindy Bukach, Ludrik Bukach, Mary Camarata, BenAlper, and Phyllis Alper

Wendy Brooks, Ashley Brooks, Linda Brooks, AnnetteEskind, and Elise McMillan

Spotlight

10

Our Thanks to Waddell & Reed!

“Shaping the Future” of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

“I’m motivated by being close to the mission andvalues of what an institution is raising money

for,” said Garvin S. Maffett, Ed.D., something he’sfound in his new role as director of development forthe Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

“I love children,” said Maffett, the father of a 10-year-old son. “Every day when I’m here, I see the chil-dren on the playground or coming to take part inclinical research. I don’t have to be reminded why I’mhere. It never leaves your presence.”

Most recently, Maffett was vice president foradvancement and college relations at Meharry Medical College. Earlier he helddevelopment positions at the University of Maryland School of Medicine(1994-2001), where he was associate dean for development, and at YaleUniversity (1989-1994), where he was associate director for leadership andmajor gifts during Yale’s successful campaign to raise $1.5 billion.

Maffett is excited about opportunities here. “What we need is a strong baseof philanthropic donors. That was begun during the seven years of develop-

ment leadership that Elise McMillan provided.” He noted the founding of theLeadership Council and the Nicholas Hobbs Donor Society as significantaccomplishments that lay the foundation for the future.

“The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center goal within Vanderbilt’s Shaping theFuture campaign is to raise $20 million over the next five years—$9 millionfor faculty support, $4 million for research and intervention initiatives, and $7million for clinical programs for children and families.” Maffett is confidentthat together Center researchers, staff, and donors can accomplish this.

“The faculty, staff, and community volunteers here are sincerely passionateand committed,” he said. “It’s a belief system. And that’s unique.”

Maffett has an M.B.A. from the University of New Haven and an Ed.D.from Columbia University. In 1997 he chaired the Leadership DevelopmentCommittee of the Association of American Medical Colleges. He is a memberof the Leadership Nashville Class of 2003 and serves on the Middle TennesseeCouncil Boy Scouts of America Executive Board.

Maffett looks forward to getting to know the many people who want to beinvolved in “Shaping the Future” of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. He invitespersons to call him at 615-322-8244 or email garvin.maffett@vanderbilt.edu.

More than 65 golfers— more participants than any previous tournament—participated September 12 at Waddell & Reed’s Charity Golf Tournament

benefiting the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. The tournament was held at GreystoneGolf Club in Dickson, Tennessee. The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center expresses itsdeep appreciation to the Waddell & Reed Golf Committee: Laurie L. Sisk, memberof the Leadership Council of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center; Patrick Stites; ChadRogers; and Rick Erickson, Division Manager and head of the Golf Committee.Sisk was instrumental in bringing this opportunity to the Vanderbilt KennedyCenter through her work on the Leadership Council. Through the hard work of allinvolved, the event raised $4,300 to support the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

W i n t e r 2 0 0 4 D i s c o v e r y

New Faculty

HHS DisabilityDirector Visits

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center announces the appointmentof three new Vanderbilt faculty who add to the Center’s

research strengths.Laurie Greco, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics, Division of

Adolescent Medicine and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine.Completed residency in pediatric psychology at Cincinnati Children’sHospital Medical Center (2002-03) and received Ph.D. in childclinical psychology from West Virginia University (August 2003)

Research: Pediatric anxiety and pain; peer and familyrelationships; risk and resilience, particu-

larly among children and teens with chronic medical conditions;child and adolescent behavior therapy.

Julia S. Noland, Ph.D., research assistant professor of psychology,Peabody College, and of pediatrics. Formerly National ResearchService Award postdoctoral fellow and senior research associate atCase Western Reserve University.

Research: Prenatal exposure to substances of abuse and effects oncognitive functioning in infancy and early childhood that may bemoderated by environmental variables.

Jane Y. Wu, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics and cellbiology, School of Medicine. Formerly postdoctoral fellow in biochemistryand molecular biology atHarvard University, then on thefaculty of pediatrics, molecularbiology, and pharmacology atWashington University Schoolof Medicine.

Research: Understandinghow genetic mutations affect theexpression and function ofgenes that are important for celldeath and are critical for thepathogenesis of neurodegenera-tive diseases.

11

Helen Keller, the social activist, had a teacher. Stevie Wonder, the musician,had a teacher. Marla Runyan, the Olympian runner, had a teacher. These

individuals who shared the experience of having a visual impairment had oneor more teachers in their lives who could teach them how to learn in thevisual world. Today, due to a critical shortage of these special teachers, too

many children who have a visual impairment, blindness, or low vision, arenot receiving a free and appropriate public education.

The exhibit Focusing on the Future of Students with Visual Impairments:Teachers in Action is an effort to recruit new students into undergraduate,endorsement, and master’s programs that prepare teachers and orientationand mobility instructors. Sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, theexhibit was developed by the Special Education Program in VisualDisabilities at Peabody College.

The photographs show teachers of students with visual impairmentsand orientation and mobility instructors engaged with students of allages in active learning. Thanks to the Brentwood Camera Club, we areable to highlight the remarkable work of these professionals.Photographs were taken in local schools in Middle Tennessee and inthree special schools.

The exhibit will be on display at the Vanderbilt Kennedy CenterNovember 2003 through January 2004. It will then be available to travel

to other universities and to schools where it can tell the story of profes-sionals who have an exciting and fulfilling career.

For information contact the exhibit’s organizer, Anne L. Corn, Ed.D.,professor of special education, ophthalmology and visual sciences, andVanderbilt Kennedy Center member, 615-322-2249, anne.corn@vanderbilt.edu.

Margaret J.Giannini,

M.D., F.A.A.P.,director of the newHealth and HumanService Office onDisability, visitedthe VanderbiltKennedy Centerand VanderbiltMedical CenterOctober 9 and 10.The Office onDisability overseesthe implementation and coordination of disabilityprograms, policies and special initiatives for 54million persons with disabilities. Dr. Gianninidelivered public lectures on the delivery of healthcare services for persons with disabilities and ondisability public policy issues, and met withfaculty, students, public policy leaders, and familymembers affected by disability. In her remarks atthe Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Dr. Giannini spokeof “the need to translate research into servicedelivery. All of us have the responsibility for doingthat.” She emphasized “our shared commitment toopening doors and tearing down walls. We mustwork to provide greater independence for all ourcitizens with disabilities.”

Spotlight

Julia S. Noland

Margaret J. Giannini

Jane Y. Wu

Laurie Greco

Focusing on the Future Exhibit

W i n t e r 2 0 0 4 D i s c o v e r y

Discovery is a quarterly publication of the Vanderbilt KennedyCenter for Research on Human Development designed to educateour friends and the community, from Nashville to the nation.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is committed to improving thequality of life of persons with disorders of thinking, learning,perception, communication, mood and emotion caused by dis-ruption of typical development. The Center is a university-wideresearch, training, diagnosis, and treatment institute; and aNational Institute of Child Health and Human Developmentdesignated National Mental Retardation and DevelopmentalDisabilities Research Center.

ON THE WEB: kc.vanderbilt.edu615 322 8240

Pat Levitt, Ph.D., Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Director

Kendal Broadie, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Neurobiology andPlasticity Research Program

Stephen Camarata, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Communicationand Learning Research Program

Elisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Mood and EmotionResearch Program

Ann Kaiser, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Families Research Program

Tim Stafford, Director of Operations

Garvin S. Maffett, Ed.D., Director of Development

Jan Rosemergy, Ph.D., Director of Communications

Elise McMillan, J.D., Director of Community Outreach

Discovery Editor and Writer: Jan Rosemergy, Ph.D.Graphic Design: Melanie Bridges, B.F.A.Photography: Tony Maupin

Discovery is supported in part by Grant No. HD 15052 fromNICHD.

Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of EqualOpportunity and Affirmative Action

© 2003 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt Kennedy CenterPeabody Box 40230 Appleton PlaceNashville,TN 37203

Return Service Requested

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S.POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO.1460

Leadership Council ofVanderbilt Kennedy Center

Mrs. Barbara Gregg Phillips, ChairMrs. Honey AlexanderMrs. Madge BassMrs. Ann BernardMrs. Barbara BovenderMrs. Linda BrooksMrs. Judy ClaverieMrs. Molly EdmondsonMrs. Annette EskindMr. Glenn FunkMrs. Mollie B. GaviganMrs. Bernice GordonMrs. Carol HendersonMr. Robert Henderson IIMrs. Lucile HouseworthMrs. Bethany JacksonMrs. Ruth JohnsonMrs. Alyne MasseyMs. Pat McNellisMrs. Anne NesbittDr. Karen PutnamThe Honorable Andrew ShookhoffMs. Laurie Lee SiskMr. Richard and Mrs. Rhonda SmallMs. Beth TannenbaumMrs. Anne Whetsell

Ex-Officio Members:Dr. Pat Levitt Dr. Garvin MaffettMs. Elise McMillanMr. Tim Stafford

New Art Gift Cards

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center hasavailable its second set of original

cards for honor or memorial giftsand note cards featuring artworkcreated by artists with disabili-ties—“Blossom” by Doug Lauer,“Cupcakes” by Laura McNellis,“Rainbow” by Ali Pilkerston, and“Sunflowers” by children of the

Susan Gray School. Notecards are available in packagesof eight for a suggested $10contribution to the Center.Honor/memorial cards canbe purchased for anydenomination. The VanderbiltKennedy Center Development Officewill mail a card to honor/memorial recipientsor donors can complete the card. Contact615-322-8235 or julia.wickerham@vanderbilt.edu.

W i n t e r 2 0 0 4 D i s c o v e r y

February

January March

Number 3 Winter 2004

JANUARY 1Arts and Disabilities ExhibitsOn display through January 23Focusing on the Future of Students withVisual Impairments: Teachers in ActionExhibit organized by Peabody Vision SpecialEducation Program, photographs byBrentwood Camera ClubMonday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.Lobby of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL Building

JANUARY 7Grand RoundsThe Molecular Neurobiology of DepressionRichard Shelton, M.D., Professor of Psychiatryand Pharmacology, Vanderbilt KennedyCenter InvestigatorLight breakfast providedCo-Sponsor Center for Child Development,PediatricsWednesday 8 a.m. Room 112 VanderbiltKennedy Center/MRL Building

JANUARY 22Martin Luther King Jr. CommemorativeLectureExposure to Violence: The Science and SomePersonal ReflectionsFelton Earls, M.D., Professor of SocialMedicine, Harvard Medical SchoolThursday 4 p.m. Room 241 VanderbiltKennedy Center/MRL Building

JANUARY 28Neuroscience Graduate Seminars Glia: Listening and Talking to the SynapsePhilip Haydon, Ph.D., Professor ofNeuroscience, University of PennsylvaniaCo-Sponsor Vanderbilt Brain Institute Wednesday 4 p.m. MRB III Lecture Hall

FEBRUARY 1Arts and Disabilities Exhibits Learning Together: Susan Gray SchoolCelebrates 35 YearsPhoto history of landmark research anddemonstration, and celebration of childrenand familiesOn display through March 31Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.Lobby of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL BuildingRelated events to be announced

FEBRUARY 4Grand RoundsVisual Attention in Individuals Who Are DeafAnne Marie Tharpe, Ph.D., Associate Professorof Hearing and Speech Sciences,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center MemberLight breakfast providedCo-Sponsor Center for Child Development,PediatricsWednesday 8 a.m. Room 112Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL Building

FEBRUARY 14SibshopFor siblings, 7-12 years, of children withdisabilities. Games, friends, discussions.Contact linda.dunn@vanderbilt.edu,(615) 343-2540Advance registration required, $10 fee(lunch provided). Scholarships available.Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Room 241VanderbiltKennedy Center/MRL Building

MARCH 2Vanderbilt BrainstormEating DisordersRoger Cone, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, VollumInstitute, Associate Professor of Cell andDevelopmental Biology, Oregon HealthSciences UniversityContact Vanderbilt Brain Institute(615) 936-3736Tuesday 7 p.m. Adventure Science Center

MARCH 3Grand RoundsPuzzles, Music, and Parents: Insights fromPrader-Willi and Williams SyndromesElisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., Professor ofPsychology and Human Development,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Deputy DirectorRobert Hodapp, Ph.D., Professor of SpecialEducation, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center MemberLight breakfast providedCo-Sponsor Center for Child Development,PediatricsWednesday 8 a.m. Room 112 VanderbiltKennedy Center/MRL Building

MARCH 4Lectures on Development and DevelopmentalDisabilitiesDevelopment of Antisocial BehaviorTerrie Moffitt, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology,University of Wisconsin, Maudsley Instituteof PsychiatryThursday 4 p.m. Room 241Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL Building

MARCH 6Vanderbilt BrainstormBrain BlastVariety of hands-on activities led by Vanderbiltneuroscience undergraduates, graduatestudents, and faculty. Museum entry fee.Contact Vanderbilt Brain Institute(615) 936-3736Saturday 11 a.m.-2 p.m.Adventure Science Center

Unless otherwise noted, events are free and open to the public. Events are subject to change. Check the calendar on our web site kc.vanderbilt.edu or call (615) 322-8240.For disability-related training and other events statewide and nationally, see www.disabilitytrainingtn.org. denotes a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center-sponsored or co-sponsored event.

Spring 2004 Calendar of Events

S u m m e r 2 0 0 3 D i s c o v e r y

Co-Sponsor Center for Child Development,PediatricsWednesday 8 a.m. Room 112 VanderbiltKennedy Center/MRL Building

APRIL 8Lectures on Development and DevelopmentalDisabilitiesCo-Morbidities of Dyslexia: ADHD andSpeech/Language DisordersBruce Pennington, Ph.D., Professor ofPsychology, University of DenverThursday 4 p.m. Room 241 VanderbiltKennedy Center/MRL Building

APRIL 10SibshopFor siblings, 7-12 years, of children with dis-abilities. Games, friends, discussions. Contactlinda.dunn@vanderbilt.edu, (615) 343-2540Advance registration required, $10 fee(lunch provided). Scholarships available.Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Room 241VanderbiltKennedy Center/MRL Building

APRIL 14Neuroscience Graduate SeminarCreating the Cortical Area MapElizabeth Grove, Ph.D., Assistant Professor ofNeurobiology and Pharmacological andPhysiological Sciences, University of ChicagoCo-Sponsor Vanderbilt Brain InstituteWednesday 4 p.m. MRB III Lecture Hall

APRIL 16-24Nashville Week of the Young ChildVanderbilt and community sponsorsEvents to be announced. Seekc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy/woycContact NAAEYC (615) 383-6292

APRIL 21Neuroscience Graduate Seminar MRI Studies of Childhood Disorders: BuildingBiological Models of DevelopmentalPsychopathologiesBradley S. Peterson, M.D., Deputy Director,Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Research, SuzanneCrosby Murphy Professor in PediatricNeuropsychiatry, Columbia UniversityCo-Sponsor Vanderbilt Brain InstituteWednesday 4 p.m. MRB III Lecture Hall

APRIL 22Eighth Annual Britt Henderson TrainingSeries for Educators Designing a Positive Behavior Support Planto Better Serve All StudentsConclusion of year-long workshops for middleand high schools. Poster presentationsand reception.

Contact Elise McMillan (615) 343-2540Thursday 4 p.m. Currey Ingram Academy,6546 Murray Lane, Brentwood

APRIL 24Opening of Vanderbilt Monroe Carrell Jr.Children’s HospitalFollowing a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony,a carnival-style celebration will be held withmusic and entertainment for children andtheir familiesSaturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

APRIL 29Art Through the Eyes of Autism ExhibitPanel and Artists Reception Co-Sponsor Autism Society of Middle TennesseeThursday 5 p.m. Lobby of Vanderbilt KennedyCenter/MRL Building

Autism Society of Middle Tennessee EventsFor information and registration, contactASMT (615) 385-2077.

JANUARY 15, MARCH 16Autism OrientationThursdays 6:30-8:30 p.m.Free admission. Registration required.Call to request child care.Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center

JANUARY 23, FEBRUARY 26, MARCH 25Autism Education SeriesThursdays 6:30-8:30 p.m.Topics and speakers to be announced.Admission $5 for public, free forASMT members.Registration requested.Call to request child care.Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center

April

Autism Society Events

Number 3 Winter 2004

MARCH 18Vanderbilt BrainstormNeuroethics Patricia Churchland, B.Phil., Professor ofPhilosophy, University of California atSan DiegoContact Vanderbilt Brain Institute(615) 936-3736Thursday 4 p.m. Location to be announced

MARCH 23Vanderbilt BrainstormThe End of Stress As We Know ItBruce McEwen, Ph.D., Alfred E. MirskyProfessor, Rockefeller University Contact Vanderbilt Brain Institute(615) 936-3736Tuesday 7 p.m. Adventure Science Center

MARCH 25Vanderbilt BrainstormLectures on Development and DevelopmentalDisabilitiesEscalated Aggression: “Vicious” GABA and“Placid” SerotoninKlaus A. Mizcek, Ph.D., Professor ofPsychology and Neuroscience, Tufts UniversityCo-Sponsor Vanderbilt Brain InstituteThursday 4 p.m. Room 241 VanderbiltKennedy Center/MRL Building

MARCH 31Neuroscience Graduate SeminarRegulation of Opiate ReceptorsChris Evans, Ph.D., Senior Research Specialist,Director of UCLA Neuropsychiatric InstituteCo-Sponsor Vanderbilt Brain InstituteWednesday 4 p.m. MRB III Lecture Hall

APRIL 1Arts and Disabilities Exhibits Art Through the Eyes of AutismOn display through June 30Co-Sponsor Autism Society of Middle TennesseeMonday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.Lobby of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL Building

APRIL 7Grand Rounds Genetic Disorders That Cause DevelopmentalDisabilities in 2004John Phillips III, M.D., David T. KarzonProfessor of Pediatrics, Professor ofBiochemistry; Director, Division of Genetics,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center MemberLight breakfast provided