Partner News

During National Security Week, Vanderbilt University convened leaders from government, academia, and industry to examine how neurodivergent talent can strengthen national security and how workforce systems can better identify, recruit, and support cognitive diversity. The workshop was held in conjunction with the 2026 Asness Summit on Modern Conflict… Read More

On April 16, 2026, the FCAI Director of Communications, Dr. Jessica Schonhut-Stasik, participated in the Transition Fair as part of TransitionTN’s Virtual Transition Academy, “Building Futures: Empowering Every Student for College and Career Readiness.” Hosted by the Tennessee Department of Education in partnership with the Tennessee Technical Assistance… Read More

Every campus should aspire to be inclusive of the students it enrolls, and the College Autism Network’s new Autism-Inclusive Campus project recognizes and celebrates campuses that make neuroinclusion a campus-wide priority. Through this initiative, the College Autism Network’s consulting team helps colleges and universities identify, assess,… Read More

A new Tennessee-based partnership is launching what organizers believe is the first structured workforce pathway for neurodivergent adults to become Virtual Driving Readiness Instructors, using advanced driving simulation to help learners build confidence and skills before transitioning to on-road instruction. The initiative brings together assistive technology developers, university researchers,… Read More

On May 19, three Frist Center for Autism and Innovation (FCAI) staff members will speak at Neurotech Frontiers Summit 2026: Where Innovation Meets Neurodiversity, a one-day event bringing together innovators, researchers, founders, clinicians, and advocates working at the intersection of emerging technology and neurodiversity. This convening builds on our October… Read More

Dave Thompson, project manager for A-SCENE and a member of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation team, is releasing Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work (Wiley, 2026)—a book that challenges how we think about workplaces, who belongs in them, and what it means… Read More

We’re thrilled to announce that applications are open for the 2026 Workplace Readiness and Preparation (WRaP) Program! This transformative three-week summer program is designed for students aged 15-20 on the autism spectrum who are ready to take the next step in their professional journey. About the Program: For seven years,… Read More

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is thrilled to congratulate our internal partner, Neurodiverse Technologies, along with co-founders Jan Schlueter and Principal Investigator Dr. Nilanjan Sarkar, on receiving a $70,000 award through Vanderbilt’s Innovation Catalyst Fund. This significant funding will advance NAVIS (Advancement of Neurodivergent-Aware… Read More

FCAI Associate Director Dr. Dave Caudel In 2025, Associate Director Dr. Dave Caudel, collaborated with AutismTN as a scholar, to support the creation of a webinar series “Exploring Autistic Life and Culture”. The “Exploring Autistic Life and Culture” webinar series represents a groundbreaking community dialogue project… Read More

Dr. Jessica Schonhut-Stasik is a research scientist in astrophysics, the Director of Communications for the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, and the CEO/President of The Neuroverse Initiative, a non-profit that works at the intersection of space science and neurodiversity. The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is proud to… Read More