Down Syndrome Clinics are designed to provide comprehensive care to children with Trisomy 21. Down Syndrome Clinics do not replace a child's pediatrician, but provide the best health care possible by combining the pediatrician's supervision with the evaluations of specialists. The clinical objectives of many interdisciplinary Down syndrome programs include:

1. Assistance and supplementation of the efforts of pediatricians, family physicians, psychologists, developmental centers, and educators in order to promote optimal development for children with Down syndrome.
2. Provision of superior preventative medical care to enhance the likelihood that each individual will realize her or his potential.³

UCEs
Since 1963, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCE) have been working to accomplish a shared vision that foresees a nation in which all Americans, including Americans with disabilities, participate fully in their communities. Independence, productivity, and community inclusion are key components of this vision. Sixty-one Centers in every state and territory, are located in a university setting. Centers are in a unique position to facilitate the flow of disability-related information between community and university. Centers work with people with disabilities, members of their families, state and local government agencies, and community providers in projects that provide training, technical assistance, service, research, and information sharing, with a focus on building the capacity of communities to sustain all their citizens. Centers have played key roles in every major disability initiative over the past four decades. Many issues, such as early intervention, health care, community-based services, inclusive and meaningful education, transition from school to work, employment, housing, assistive technology, and transportation have been directly benefited by the services, research, and training provided by UCEs.

The Developmental Disabilities Research Centers are a national resource. Established by Congress in 1963 as "centers of excellence" for research in mental retardation and developmental disabilities, they represent our nation's first sustained effort to prevent and treat disabilities through biomedical and behavioral research. Today, they are the world's largest concentration of scientific expertise in the fields of intellectual and developmental disabilities. They form a network that fosters communication, innovation, and excellence in research.

University Affiliated Programs (UAPs)
     Established by President Kennedy's Panel on Mental Retardation to help States and local communities respond to the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families, UAPs serve as a liaison between the academic world and the developmental disabilities service delivery system. UAPs network with and provide assistance to State Agencies, their local affiliates, and to various nongovernmental consumer-based organizations.
     AAUAP is the central office for the 61 University Affiliated Programs (UAPs) and is their representative to the federal government. UAPS are located at major universities and teaching hospitals in all states. These multi-disciplinary centers support the independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion into the community of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Services provided by UAPs vary according to state; but in general, each one provides direct multi-disciplinary diagnostic and service programs, conducts research, and provides practical training. They may be able to provide the names of practitioners in your area knowledgeable and comfortable working with children with Down syndrome and their families.
UAPs have been renamed University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDDERS), commonly referred to as UCEs.
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (formerly the American Association of University Affiliated Programs for Persons with Developmental Disabilities) promotes and supports the national network of university centers on disabilities, which also includes Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Programs and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (DDRC).

Association of University Centers on Disabilities (formerly American Association of University Affiliated Programs (AAUAP))

8630 Fenton Street, Suite 410
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 588-8252
Fax: (301) 588-2842
TDD: (301) 588-3319
Executive Director: George Jesien, Ph.D.

Developmental Disabilities University Affiliated Programs
     The objectives of the Developmental Disabilities University Affiliated Programs is to defray the cost of administration and operation of programs that:

1. provide interdisciplinary training for personnel concerned with developmental disabilities
2. demonstrate community service activities which include training and technical assistance and may include direct services, e.g., family support, individual support, personal assistance services, educational, vocational, clinical, health and prevention
3. disseminate findings related to the provision of services to researchers and government agencies
4. generate information on the need for further service-related research

Division of Program Development:

Administration on Developmental Disabilities
Administration for Children and Families
Department of Health and Human Services
Washington, DC 20201
(202) 690-5911
Contact: Gail Evans

---

Source:
1. Medical & Surgical Care for Children with Down Syndrome. A Guide for Parents. Van Dyke, D. C., Mattheis, P., Eberly, S. S. & Williams, J. (Eds.) 1995, Woodbine House. p. 379-84.	Revised: January 15, 2006.

2. Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parents Guide (2nd Ed.). Stray-Gundersen, K. (Ed.) 1995, Woodbine House. p. 295-330.
3. Clinical Perspectives in the Management of Down Syndrome. Van Dyke, D. C., Lang, D. J., Heide, F. & Van Duyne, S. (Eds.) 1990, Springer-Verlag. p. 168.
4. NDSC Parent Resources – Clinics.