Assistive Technology
FCAI Launches NeuroTech Frontiers Incubation Program in Partnership with JANUS Innovation Hub
Dec. 2, 2025—We at FCAI are proud to announce the launch of the Neurotech Frontiers Incubation Program, a groundbreaking initiative developed in partnership with JANUS Innovation Hub. This six-month hybrid program will support early-stage startups building technology solutions that enhance the lives of autistic and neurodivergent individuals, their families, and the professionals who support them. The program...
FCAI Hosts Successful Lab-Match Event Connecting Researchers with Innovative Start-Ups
Dec. 1, 2025—The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is pleased to announce the successful inaugural Lab-Match Event, held today both in-person at Vanderbilt and virtually. This event brought together lab managers and start-up companies in a unique forum designed to connect researchers with entrepreneurial ventures seeking research support. The Lab-Match Event provided a platform for start-ups...
Dr. Nigel Newbutt on AiCoVE, Empathy, and the Future of Neurodiverse Collaboration
Nov. 7, 2025—Dr. Nigel Newbutt is at the forefront of advancing learning technologies while focusing on the human-computer interaction. One of Dr. Newbutt’s current projects is collaborating with Dr. Nilanjan Sarker, the Principal Investigator on an NSF-funded project. AiCoVE, a computer platform that allows two people to complete collaboratively on tasks with each other while experiencing AI...
Neurotech Rising and the Autistic Founders Rewriting the Autism Story by Aras Sheikhi
Oct. 28, 2025—There’s a quiet revolution happening, one that hums in code, glows on phone screens, and whispers in startup pitch decks. It’s where artificial intelligence meets autism innovation, where founders with lived experience are shaping the tools that once shaped them. Let’s call it what it is: Neurotech Rising. When AI learns empathy (kind of) For...
From Amazon to Autism Tech: Vijay Ravindran’s Journey to Founding Floreo
Oct. 23, 2025—Vijay Ravindran is an engineer, a leader, and a CEO. At the heart of all those titles is his most significant role: a father. When his son was diagnosed with autism, Vijay responded in a way that came most naturally to him: by building a solution. That solution became Floreo, a clinically designed immersive virtual...
Bridging Worlds: How Large Language Models are Reshaping Autism Support by Aras Sheikhi, founder of Janus Innovation Hub
Oct. 5, 2025—In today’s digital world, it feels like technology is moving faster than our ability to process it. One area I’ve been especially curious about is Large Language Models (LLMs). At first glance, they look like fancy text generators, but as I started digging into the research and real-world applications, I realized they’re quietly beginning to...
Neurodiverse Technologies Webinar with SANDI Ambassador Jimmy Humphreys NOW AVAILABLE
Sep. 3, 2025—“From Barriers to Freedom: Jimmy’s Neurodivergent Journey to a Driver’s License.” In this powerful session, Jimmy explains why the SANDI Driving Simulator is essential for learners who struggle with traditional driver’s education. He highlights how SANDI provides the structure, practice, and confidence needed to prepare for life behind the wheel. If you missed it, you...
TONIGHT: Webinar Featuring Neurodiverse Technologies’ Ambassador Jimmy Humphrey
Aug. 26, 2025—🚗 From Barriers to Freedom: A Neurodivergent Journey to a Driver’s License 🚗 ⭐⭐ 6 pm CT TONIGHT! ⭐⭐ Neurodiverse Technologies welcomes its newest ambassador, Jummy Humphrey, to tell the story of his own driving journey in this webinar! Join us as Jimmy shares his remarkable journey to independence. As an autistic individual, Jimmy faced...
FCAI Fellow Amber Crabtree Featured on CBS This Morning Alongside FCAI
Aug. 1, 2025—We would love to extend our congratulations to Amber Crabtree, PhD Candidate and Neurodiversity Inspired Science and Engineering Fellow at the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, candidly discussing her experience of autism, sensory issues, her research, and the importance of it on CBS’s This Morning. This piece also features the Frist Center Director, Keivan...
FCAI Partner Mentra Hosting Unique Neurodiversity Innovation Summit! Register now!
May. 24, 2025—We are so excited for on of our partner organizations in neurodiversity workforce growth, Mentra, to be hosting this unique summit! See below for their message! The workforce is changing. Will you be part of the movement? This May 29–30 in San Francisco, Mentra is bringing together 100+ leaders from Google, Salesforce, EY, Dropbox, and...