Author
InclusAbility’s “Autism 101” event coming up on Feb. 25
Feb. 21, 2020—If you’d like to learn more about the autism spectrum, mark your calendar for February 25th. On Tuesday the 25th at 1 p.m., Vanderbilt’s InclusAbility campaign is hosting an event called “Autism 101.” The first part of the presentation, given by Autism Tennessee, will cover the diagnosis and most common characteristics of autism. There will...
Frist Center promotes sensory spaces in Vanderbilt Hustler article
Feb. 3, 2020—Sensory spaces are a common resource at autism conferences and events, providing a calming spot for attendees to escape stress or overwhelming stimuli. But these spaces can be beneficial to a much wider audience, including those with anxiety, ADHD and other neurodiversity or disabilities. The Frist Center for Autism & Innovation is hoping to start a campus...
Frist Center announces 2020 member awards
Jan. 27, 2020— – This past October, the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation put out its first-ever call for large projects, mini-grants, scholarly literature reviews, and symposia proposals consistent with the Center’s mission of engineering technologies and transforming the workplace – inspired by neurodiversity. These awards are supported through a combination of Frist Center endowment funds,...
Seeking 2020 Summer Autism Internship participants
Jan. 27, 2020—The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is excited to announce the second annual Summer Autism Internship. The participating interns will work on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) research and projects throughout summer 2020. The Frist Center is seeking participants who have an interest in STEM and would like to explore these topics further. To apply, an...
Dr. Caudel chats with fellow self-advocate on ‘Life in a Neurotypical Universe’ podcast
Jan. 15, 2020—Frist Center Associate Director Dr. Dave Caudel is the most recent guest on autism self-advocate Tim Goldstein’s podcast, “Life in a Neurotypical Universe.” Both Goldstein and Caudel were diagnosed with autism as adults, and they discuss their lives pre- and post-diagnosis. Caudel also shares about the mission and progress of the Frist Center. Caudel’s appearance...
TEDx Talk highlights Frist Center work
Jan. 7, 2020—This past November, Frist Center for Autism and Innovation communications coordinator Claire Barnett spoke at TEDxVanderbilt about autistic employment. Her talk, titled “Why autistic unemployment is so high – and what we can do about it,” explores several reasons that autistic adults struggle to obtain meaningful work. Barnett also discusses the steps that both businesses...
Frist Center announces new partnership with Floreo
Nov. 19, 2019—The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation has begun a new partnership with the virtual reality start up Floreo. Floreo develops virtual reality trainings for autistic people to learn and practice life skills. The primary user inserts a phone into the VR headset to view one of the sessions. Meanwhile, another user can connect a tablet to observe...
Frist Center featured on Leadership Lab podcast
Nov. 5, 2019—Dr. Patrick Leddin started the podcast “Leadership Lab” to inform and inspire leaders in all walks of life. He has hosted illustrious guests from the realms of business, academia, activism and more. This past week, Leddin’s guest was Frist Center associate director Dr. Dave Caudel. In the podcast, Caudel employs his own experiences as a self-advocate to provide the...
Attention: Frist Center members, call for pre-proposals
Oct. 23, 2019—Call for Pre-proposals: Projects, mini-grants, literature reviews, and symposia Due: Nov 15, 2019 The Frist Center for Autism & Innovation announces its first call for proposals for members to request support for mini-grants, large research projects, literature reviews, and symposia. We are utilizing a two-step process: In this first step, members may first submit brief pre-proposals...
Frist Center deputy director leads $1 million NSF project
Oct. 21, 2019—Autistic people are alarmingly under-represented in the American workforce; around 80 percent of autistic adults are un- or under-employed. So, when the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a program that would forge partnerships between public researchers and private companies, the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation saw an opportunity. A team of Frist Center leaders submitted their proposal...