Vanderbilt autism institute gets NIMH grant to test telehealth evaluations for preschoolers
The five-year TRIAD study plans to enroll 350 children ages 3 to 6; the grant amount was not disclosed.
NASHVILLE - The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's autism institute, known as TRIAD, has received a National Institute of Mental Health grant to test a telehealth tool for evaluating preschool-age children for autism, according to an Oct. 8 announcement from Vanderbilt Health. The announcement did not give the grant's dollar amount.
The five-year study plans to enroll 350 children ages 3 to 6, Vanderbilt Health said. Each child will first be assessed by video with the tool, called TAP-P, and then in person at Vanderbilt Health by a different clinician so researchers can compare the results.
Researchers also plan to build a way to predict which children are good candidates for a remote evaluation and which should be seen in person, according to the announcement. Laura Corona, an assistant professor of pediatrics, is the principal investigator.
TRIAD began assessing toddlers by telehealth nearly a decade ago, and its toddler tool is now used regularly in Tennessee and elsewhere, Vanderbilt Health said. The announcement cites long waitlists and travel distances as barriers families face in getting preschool autism evaluations.
Source: Vanderbilt Health News, Oct. 8, 2026 (https://news.vumc.org/2026/10/08/new-triad-project-to-evaluate-telehealth-assessments-for-autism-in-preschool-age-children/)