Despite advances in early intervention programs, medical and surgical care, many children with Down syndrome continue to experience significant challenges with cognitive, speech, and language function. Some children may experience secondary impairments due to unrecognized or chronic problems with sleep, behavioral, and emotional issues. Our team can provide evaluation, consultation, and treatment in six areas.

Medical Issues:

Certain health conditions associated with Down syndrome can cause complications. Our center provides the following medical services to patients in an effort to help prevent or lessen such problems:

  • Comprehensive neurodevelopmental screenings
  • Preventive medical screenings and recommendations
  • Medical consultation for specific concerns
  • Recommendations for parent education
  • Adult medical screening and consultation

Behavior and Mental Health:

Individuals with Down syndrome may experience different behavioral and mental health issues that vary by age. Our center is equipped to diagnose and treat the following mental health concerns:

Children:

  • ADHD
  • Autism Spectrum
  • Disruptive behaviors
  • Repetitive behaviors
  • Sleep problems

Adolescents and Adults:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Mood disorders
  • Repetitive behaviors
  • Sleep problems

Audiology:

Hearing loss frequently occurs in children and young adults with Down syndrome. Hearing loss in young children can potentially affect the development of speech and language, cognition, behavior, and social skills. Our audiology team provides the following services:

  • Hearing evaluations
  • Hearing loss diagnosis
  • Hearing aid fitting, when necessary

Physical Therapy:

Early consultation with a physical therapist can help determine what type of therapy can best help your child. Our physical therapists will help your child achieve gross motor milestones, while also providing the following services:

  • Assessment of motor skills
  • Home programs
  • Parent training

Occupational Therapy:

Occupational therapists facilitate skill development, with an emphasis on:

  • General assessment
  • Home programs
  • Parent training
  • Ongoing therapy
  • Assessment of arm and hand use
  • Safe and appropriate feeding skills
  • Increasing independent participation in daily living activities
  • Supervision of feeding and swallowing studies
  • Adaptive equipment recommendations

Speech and Language:

Children evaluated and treated at our center typically experience delays in speech, language, communication skills that may cause difficulty with functional communication, and behavioral difficulties. Our speech and language pathologist will:

  • Develop a profile of speech, oral-motor, language, and communication abilities
  • Formulate recommendations to help maximize language and communication potential
  • Provide parent training

Behavioral Psychology:

Parent training, behavioral consultation, and treatment are available for individuals with a wide range of behavioral challenges. This includes treatment and/or training for the following behavioral problems:

  • Noncompliance or tantrums
  • Aggression or self-injury
  • Toileting skills
  • Communication deficits
  • Social adaptive skills
  • Sleep problems
  • CPAP/BiPAP training

Clinical Psychology:

Through psycho-educational evaluation, we can identify strengths and weaknesses to help develop goals for your child’s individualized education program (IEP) to ensure an appropriate educational curriculum.

Social Work:

Down syndrome can affect the entire family. Because each family member copes differently, our social workers are available to provide the following services, as necessary:

  • Mental health evaluation
  • Referral to community resources and parent groups
  • Assistance with transitions and life-care planning
  • Individual and family counseling upon request