Business and Management
Announcing “From Autism Acceptance to Advantage” Event, Hosted by AllianceBernstein in NYC — Register NOW!
Mar. 24, 2025—This Autism Acceptance Month, the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation and Vanderbilt University are partnering with Alliance Bernstein to host an NYC event entitled, From Autism Acceptance to Advantage: Learning from Autism to Create Innovative Workplaces and Teams. Celebrate Autism Acceptance Month and learn how to make your organization and your teams more effective,...
Article in The Tennessean Highlights the Need to Hiring a Neurodivergent Workforce
Mar. 19, 2025—This week in The Tennessean, guest columnists Keivan G. Stassun (Dirctor of FCAI) and Jon Perlin (Advisory Board of FCAI) highlight overlooked talents of neurodivergent workers in today’s job market. While major tech companies like Amazon and Dell have made strides in hiring neurodivergent individuals, there are still millions who remain unrecognized. They argue that...
Registration for April 2025 Job Seeker Coaching with Autism Tennessee Open Now!
Mar. 16, 2025—We are excited to announce the latest virtual job seeker training from our partner, Autism Tennessee. Autism Tennessee is running its EmployMe – Small Group Classes program through April 2025 (starting April 7th) and is inviting autistic job seekers to register now. Autism Tennessee designed this program to support autistic self-advocates in their job search....
Media Covers $7 Million in Canceled Grants to FCAI
Mar. 13, 2025—Due to funding cuts to the National Science Foundation made after the executive orders in the last several weeks, FCAI has lost $7 million in expected federal grant funding, and along with it some of our cornerstone programs for national impact. The $7 million in funding had been rigorously reviewed by NSF and was authorized...
FCAI February Salon Series: The Intersection of ND at Work with the ND Movement – REGISTER NOW!
Feb. 8, 2025—In this fireside chat style conversation, Dr. Vogus will facilitate a dialogue between Dr. Posselt and Dr. Annabi to examine the intersections between the Neurodiversity at Work movement and the broader Neurodiversity movement. Together, they will explore key characteristics of effective social movements, the role of the Neurodiversity at Work movement in advancing the broader...
Salon Series Lunch and Learn Tomorrow — REGISTER NOW!
Jan. 30, 2025—Tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 31, the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation will welcome a team of investors from A.E., a venture capital group and startup incubator team that has built a substantial venture capital fund specifically for projects/products that pertain to autism/neurodiversity and that may have commercial potential. As part of the Frist Center’s interest...
New Employer Resources Added to Website
Dec. 7, 2024—We are excited to announce the addition of the Neurodiversity Employment Toolkit to our resources page, a comprehensive resource designed for employers seeking to understand, recruit, and support neurodivergent talent. This Toolkit was expertly developed by a neurodiverse team, incorporating insights from individuals with lived experience, professionals in the field, and extensive academic research. The...
FCAI Program and Communications Coordinator Launches Non-Profit at the Intersection of Neurodiversity and Space Science: The Neuroverse Initiative
Oct. 2, 2024—We are thrilled to share that our Program and Communications manager, Jessica Schonhut-Stasik, launched her non-profit, The Neuroverse Initiative (TNI), last week. This unique initiative operates at the intersection of space science and neurodiversity, with a mission to support neurodivergent space scientists in training, research, and advocacy. The mission statement of the new non-profit reads:...
BNA Partnering with Hidden Disabilities’ Sunflower Program to Support Individuals with Invisible Disabilities
Jul. 13, 2024—
Exciting News! We’re thrilled that Nashville International Airport (BNA) is now part of the Sunflower Program, joining a worldwide movement to support individuals with “hidden disabilities.” BNA will offer discreet Sunflower lanyards to travelers with autism, neurodivergence, or other invisible disabilities. This subtle signal to airport staff indicates that the wearer may need...
NISE Fellow, FCAI Fellow, and Associate Director Author Paper on Recruiting and Retaining Autistic Talent in STEMM
Jun. 13, 2024—Check out the groundbreaking commentary “Recruiting and Retaining Autistic Talent in STEMM” by Neurodiversity Inspired Science and Engineering Fellow Amber Crabtree, with collaboration from FCAI fellow AJ Hinton and FCAI Associate Director Dave Caudel. Published in iScience, the article addresses the high unemployment rates and challenges autistic adults face in science, technology, engineering, math, and...