Down Syndrome Clinic
The Down Syndrome Clinic at Texas Children's Hospital provides services that help ensure the healthy development of children with Down syndrome and help you nurture your child's best qualities so they can develop their own special gifts. Our clinic supplements your child’s primary-care physician’s routine medical care with assessments and individualized treatments from a variety of experts who specialize in working with the unique needs and abilities of young patients with Down syndrome.
As parents of Texas Children’s patients eagerly testify, the special abilities of their children far outshine their limitations.
Your first step at our clinic will be a thorough evaluation of your child’s current medical and developmental status by a developmental pediatrician with the Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics. Other team members guide you to resources designed to help you nurture the best abilities in your child with Down syndrome. These include:
- Occupational and speech therapists from Texas Children’s devise home and school therapies.
- Social workers provide support and guide families to helpful community resources.
- Innovative care
The Down Syndrome Clinic provides the following core services:
- Baseline assessments of your child’s health and cognitive development.
- Recommendations of specialized therapies tailored for your child.
- Monitoring for early signs of medical complications that individuals with Down syndrome most often encounter.
- Yearly assessments of your child’s intellectual development.
- Referrals to any medical specialists needed. Whenever possible, these referrals are made to Texas Children’s Hospital specialists who have experience in providing care to individuals with Down syndrome.
- Links with community organizations that help support families in nurturing their children’s best abilities.
- Genetic counseling for parents who want to know more.
If your child’s medical needs require care outside the Down Syndrome Clinic, a patient is referred, when possible, to Texas Children’s doctors who are experienced in working with Down syndrome children. Frequent referrals involve these departments:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology/Nutrition
- Genetics/Genetic Counseling
- Otolaryngology (ENT)
- Ophthalmology
Our clinic will work with these specialists to follow the appropriate Health Maintenance Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Community Outreach
The clinic also serves as a community resource for healthcare professionals in Houston and beyond, providing specialized information and referrals that help doctors and their staff provide excellent care for their young patients with Down syndrome.
