Tennesse Autism Resources

Tennesse State Resources

Each state sets eligibility ages for services to children and youth with disabilities. For current information concerning this state, please contact the office listed under STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Special Education Services.

Looking for Websites about Autism in Tennessee? See Tennessee Web Resource

STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Special Education Services	STATE VOCATIONAL Rehabilitation Agency	DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES Planning Council.	DISABILITY Organizations
EARLY Intervention System	STATE VOCATIONAL Special Needs Programs	DISABILITIES Advocacy Program	UNIVERSITY AFFILIATED Programs
PARENT-TO-PARENT Program	DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH for children and youth	PARENT-TEACHER Association (PTA)	TECHNOLOGY RELATED Assistance
PARENTS Training and Information Project	DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL Health	PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN with Special Health Care Needs

STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: SPECIAL EDUCATION

Joseph Fisher, Executive Director
Division of Special Education
Department of Education
Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th Floor
710 James Robertson Pkwy.
Nashville, TN 37243-0380
(615) 741-2851

PROGRAMS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES:
AGES BIRTH THROUGH 2

Contact STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:
SPECIAL EDUCATION
(see above)

STATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AGENCY

Jack Van Hooser, Assistant Commissioner
Division of Rehabilitation Services
Department of Human Svcs.
400 Deaderick Street, l5th Floor
Nashville, TN 37248-0060
(615) 313-4714

OFFICE OF STATE COORDINATOR OF VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Sam McClanahan, Consultant
Division of Vocational Education
Andrew Johnson Tower, 4th Floor
710 James Roberston Pkwy.
Nashville, TN 37243-0383
(615) 532-2800

STATE MENTAL HEALTH AGENCY

Ben Dishman, Acting Commissioner
Department of Mental Health & Mental Retardation
Andrew Johnson Tower, 11th Floor
710 James Robertson Pkwy.
Nashville, TN 37243-0675
(615) 532-6500

STATE MENTAL HEALTH REPRESENTATIVE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Larry Thompson, Director
Office of Children & Adolescent Services
Department of Mental Health & Mental Retardation
Andrew Johnson Tower, 10th Floor
710 James Robertson Pkwy.
Nashville, TN 37243-0675
(615) 532-6767

STATE MENTAL RETARDATION PROGRAM

Thomas J. Sullivan, Deputy Commissioner
Division of Mental Retardation/Department of
Mental Health and Mental Retardation
Andrew Johnson Tower, 11th Floor
710 James Robertson Pkwy.
Nashville, TN 37243-0675
(615) 532-6530

STATE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PLANNING COUNCIL

Wanda Willis, Executive Director
TN Developmental Disabilities Council
Andrew Johnson Tower, 10th Floor
710 James Robertson Pkwy.
Nashville, TN 37243-0675
(615) 532-6615

PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY AGENCY

Shirley Shea, Executive Director
TN Protection and Advocacy, Inc.
P.O. Box 121257
Nashville, TN 37212
(615) 298-1080; (800) 342-1660 (Toll-free in TN only)

PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS

Jackie Cundall, Director
Children's Special Services
Department of Health
Cordell Hull Building, 5th Floor
425 5th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37247-4701
(615) 741-8530

STATE EDUCATION AGENCY RURAL REPRESENTATIVE

Ann Hampton, CSPD
Department of Education, Division of Special Education
Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-0380
(615) 741-2851

PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING

Kenneth Tedford, Executive Director
Tennessee Council for the Hearing Impaired
400 Deaderick Street, 11th Floor
Nashville, TN 37248-6300
(615) 313-4913 (V/TTY)
(615) 313-5695 (24-hour answering machine)

STATE DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN STATE CUSTODY

George Hattaway, Commissioner
TN Department of Children's Services
7th Floor, Cordell Hull Building
436 6th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243-1290
(615) 741-9699

DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS

Attention Deficit Disorder
To identify an ADD group in your state or locality, contact either:

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders (CH.A.D.D.)
499 NW 70th Avenue, Suite 101
Plantation, FL 33317
(954) 587-3700
(800) 233-4050 (Voice mail to request information packet)
URL: http://www.chadd.org

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
P.O. Box 972
Mentor, OH 44061
(216) 350-9595
(800) 487-2282 (Voice mail to request information packet)
E-mail: NATLADDA@aol.com
URL: http://www.add.org

Brain Injury
Gary Driskill, Executive Director
Brain Injury Association of Tennessee
699 W. Main Street, Suite 203B
Hendersonville, TN 37075
(615) 264-3052; (800) 480-6693 (Toll-free in TN only)
E-mail: BIAT@juno.com

Cerebral Palsy
Diana Reid, Executive Director
United Cerebral Palsy Association of the Mid-South
4189 Leroy Avenue
Memphis, TN 38108
(901) 761-4277

Epilepsy
Jean Dodds, Executive Director
Epilepsy Foundation of West Tennessee
4013 Premier
Memphis, TN 38118
(888) 287-3370; (901) 795-6160

Learning Disabilities
Learning Disabilities Association of Greater Memphis
5587 Murray Road, Suite 101
Memphis, TN 38119
(901) 763-1430

Mental Health
Elizabeth Lentchner, Executive Director
Mental Health Association in Nashville
2401 21st Avenue South, Suite 301
Nashville, TN 37212
(615) 269-5355
E-mail: mhanashville@ezsys.com

George Haley, President
TN Alliance for the Mentally Ill
5410 Homberg Drive, Suite 4
Knoxville, TN 37919-5029
(423) 602-7900

Mental Retardation
Roger Blue, Executive Director
The Arc of Tennessee
1719 W. End Avenue, #3000
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 327-0294

Speech and Hearing
Judy Plummer, Executive Director
TN Association of Audiologist & Speech-Language Pathologists
530 Church Street, Suite 700
Nashville, TN 37219
(615) 254-3687

OTHER DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS

Jayne Perkins, President & CEO
Easter Seals
2001 Woodmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37215
(615) 292-6640

Leslie Greenhill, Executive Director
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
1101 Kermit Drive, Suite 201
Nashville, TN 37217
(888) 399-3272; (615) 399-3200

UNIVERSITY AFFILIATED PROGRAM

Frederick B. Palmer, Director
Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities -- UAT
The University of Tennessee, Memphis
711 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 448-6512
URL: http://www.utmem.edu/nursing/practice/bcdd.html

TECHNOLOGY-RELATED ASSISTANCE

Rob Roberts, Project Director
Tennessee Technology Access Project
710 James Robertson Parkway
Andrew Johnson Tower, 10th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243-0675
(615) 532-6558; (615) 741-4566 (TTY)
(800) 732-5059 (Toll-free in TN only)
E-mail: rroberts2@mail.state.tn.us

PARENT TRAINING AND INFORMATION PROJECT

Nancy Diehl, Director
Support and Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP)
424 East Bernard Avenue, Suite 3
Greeneville, TN 37745
(423) 639-0125; (800) 280-7837 (Toll-free in TN only)
(423) 639-2464 (TTY)
E-mail: tnstep@aol.com
URL: http://www.tnstep.org

PARENT-TO-PARENT

Suzanne Rothacker, Coordinator
Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) Program
Cordell Hull Building, 5th Floor
426 5th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37247-4850
(615) 741-8530