The Promise of Discovery Season 2, Episode 2:

The research in this episode focuses on an intervention for educators to use in schools to support minimally verbal students with autism (ages 5-9) to establish social and communication skills, particularly with their peers. 

VKC Researcher: Elizabeth Biggs, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Special Education
Interviewer: Emilee Spann, graduate student, Special Education

Peer network intervention to improve social communication and peer relationships

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) facilitates discoveries and best practices to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. More than 200 faculty affiliated with Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are engaged in multidisciplinary research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination. The VKC’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) works to improve assessment and treatment services for children with autism while advancing knowledge and training.