Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Meeting & Committee Call Dates

The TN Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder will meet on the last Tuesday of the months below from 10am - 1pm Central Standard Time;

  • January 30, 2024
  • April 30, 2024
  • July 30, 2024
  • October 29, 2024

The meetings will be conducted in person. The place of the meeting will be communicated prior to each meeting.

Healthcare Committee and Early Intervention & Education Committee Quarterly Council calls (first Tuesday of the months below);

  • Tuesday January 9, 2024 (*this date is the second Tuesday due to the New Year holiday)
  • Tuesday April 2, 2024
  • Tuesday July 9, 2024 (*this date is the second Tuesday due to July 4th holiday)
  • Tuesday October 1, 2024

Aging & Adulthood Committee and Advocacy & Communication Committee Quarterly Council calls (first Thursday of the months below);

  • Thursday January 11, 2024 (*this date is the second Tuesday due to the New Year holiday)
  • Thursday April 4, 2024
  • Thursday July 11, 2024 (*this date is the second Thursday due to July 4th holiday)
  • Thursday October 3, 2024

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

You will receive Microsoft Teams invitations for the committee calls.


Governor appointments for individuals on the autism spectrum or their family members: 

Term: July 2022 - June 2025

  • Tara Mohundro (family member)
  • Cynthia Johnson (family member)
  • Rick Fought (family member)

Term: July 2023 - June 2026

  • Lana Woodward (family member)
  • Sarah Harvey (family member)
  • Elizabeth Ratliff (family member)

Term: July 2021 - June 2024

  • William “Will” Edwards (family member)
  • Michael Collins (family member) Council CHAIR
  • Roddey Coe (family member)

Dept. of Disability & Aging:
Kimberly Black,  Deputy Director for Program Operations 
Kimberly.J.Black@tn.gov

Dept. of Health:
Jacqueline Johnson, MPA, Section Chief, Division of Family Health and Wellness/Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
jacqueline.johnson@tn.gov

Dept. of Education:
Alison Gauld, Low Incidence and Autism Coordinator, Division of Special Population and Student Support 
alison.gauld@tn.gov

Dept. of Human Services:
Tylesha McCray, Human Services/VR 
tylesha.mccray@tn.gov

Dept. of Commerce and Insurance:
Toby Compton, Deputy Commissioner 
toby.compton@tn.gov

Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse:
Elizabeth Setty Reeve. Esq., Director of Juvenile Justice Programming 
elizabeth.reeve@tn.gov

Division of TennCare:
Dr. Cooper Lloyd 
Cooper.Lloyd@tn.gov

TN Council on Developmental Disabilities:
Jolene Sharp, Chief Public Information Officer, Council Vice-Chair
jolene.sharp@tn.gov

TN Commission on Children and Youth:
Therese Sipes, Youth Justice Specialist
Therese.Sipes@tn.gov
 

State of Tennessee Department, Council, and/or Commission participant designees:

TN Department of Children's Services
Dr. Timothy Cooper, Executive Director of Child Mental Health & Education
timothy.cooper@tn.gov

TN Early Intervention System
Catherine Pippin, Strategic Results Specialist
Catherine.Pippin2@tn.gov

DIDD Staff Liaison to the Council:
Jenna Martin, Director of Developmental Disability Services
Office of General Council
615-626-1579
jenna.s.martin@tn.gov

Autism Resources of the Mid-South (ARMS)
Memphis Area Chapter:
901-509-3027
Email: autismresourcesmidsouth@gmail.com

Jackson Area Chapter:
731-446-5441
Email: ARMSJackson@gmail.com

Website: www.autismresourcesmidsouth.org
“Providing Support, Advocacy, & Education for All Affected by Autism”

Autism Tennessee
Middle Tennessee Area
615-385-2077
Email: support@autismtn.org

Website: www.autismtn.org

“The mission of Autism Tennessee is to enrich the lives and experiences of individuals on the autism spectrum, their families, and their surrounding community through support, advocacy, and education.”

Autism Society of East TN
865-247-5082
Website: http://www.asaetc.org

Mission Statement:
To provide access to educational, social, and supportive services to those affected by autism. 

 

Chattanooga Autism Center
423-531-6961
Email: info@chattanoogaautismcenter.org

Website: chattanoogaautismcenter.org

“The Chattanooga Autism Center is a parent and advocate driven non-profit whose mission is to provide support and services to people with autism of all ages and to their families. The Center provides programs for parents, kids, and adults with autism. They list regional autism related resources on their website and take calls and e-mails about autism related questions.”

Tennessee Disability Coalition
615-383-9442
Email: coalition@tndisability.org
Website: http://tndisability.org

Mission Statement:
"We bring together organizations and individuals across the state who care about the Disability Community to work in coalition. Our collective mission is to create a society that values, includes and supports people with disabilities. 

Family Voices of Tennessee
615-383-9442
Email: familyvoices@tndisability.org
Website: http://www.familyvoicestn.org

Mission Statement:
"We are families supporting families of children with special healthcare needs, chronic illnesses or disabilities."

The Arc TN
615-248-5878
Email: info@thearctn.org
Website: http://www.thearctn.org

Mission Statement:
The Arc Tennessee empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to actively participate in the community throughout their lifetime.
“The Arc Tennessee offers information and referral, technical assistance, training and individual advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.”

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center 
https://vkc.vumc.org/vkc/
The mission of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is to facilitate discoveries and best practices that make positive differences in the lives of persons with developmental disabilities and their families. Its University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities  (UCEDD) provides services, training, and information dissemination, as well as conducting research. https://vkc.vumc.org/vkc/ucedd

TRIAD
https://triad.vumc.org/
The mission of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders is to improve assessment and treatment services for children with ASD and their families while advancing knowledge and training.

Tennessee Disability Pathfinder
https://tnpathfinder.org
Tennessee Disability Pathfinder (“Pathfinder”) provides free information, resources, support, and referrals to Tennesseans with disabilities and their families.

TCCY Statewide Councils & Alliances

The Arc's Autism Now
http://autismnow.org/

Autistic Self Advocacy Network
http://autisticadvocacy.org/

 

Autism Council Conference Notes

Dept. of Commerce & Insurance

Dept. of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services

Dept. of Education

Department of Health

TennCare