Program Spotlight

When Chris and Crystal Ditch delivered their baby boy, Mason, they burst into tears of joy. It had taken them four years to get pregnant, and they finally held the baby they had awaited for so long. But two hours before Crystal and Mason were scheduled to be discharged, doctors told them that Mason had tumors in his tiny heart.

Any parent who’s ever struggled to put a child to bed— whether as an infant or a teenager—knows well the effects that poor sleep habits can have on an entire household. For some children the trouble might be something as common as difficulty falling asleep. For others, perhaps night terrors or sleep walking. In children with developmental disabilities, sleep disorders are all too common and run the gamut.

In fact, says Dr. Jennifer Accardo, name a developmental disability, and there is probably a set of sleep problems that typically accompanies it.

In 1989, when Gerry and Gwena Herman got the call to move from Boston to Baltimore to start a physically challenged sports program, there was no question that they would do it. Gerry, who had self-styled his college major to do sports and physical education with special populations, found in the offer a chance to pursue his dream. And the Hermans have never looked back.

Gerry and Gwena Herman started the physically challenged sports program at Kennedy Krieger in 1989. The Hermans started with a wheelchair basketball program, but expanded the program so that kids with a wider range of disabilities would be able to compete. Today, kids have the opportunity to take part in sports, such as wheelchair basketball and football, swimming, track, archery, baseball, cycling, sitting volleyball, tennis, and sled hockey.

A new baby means new responsibilities: doctors' appointments, menu planning, finding a good child care program. Although for almost any new parent this can be a daunting prospect, for new parents with intellectual disabilities, special support and guidance is critical to providing safe, supportive, and nurturing family environments for their children.

Life has dealt 14-year-old Jeffrey a particularly challenging hand. Jeffrey, who lives with his parents and sibling in a low-income neighborhood in South Baltimore, has bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders.

For years, child care providers throughout the State of Maryland have been asking for help. They want to learn how to better care for children with special needs in their programs. Many are unfamiliar with certain pediatric disabilities and are often afraid they will be unable to meet their needs.

Having a child with special needs often makes parents feel as though they are spending their lives driving from one specialist to another, trapped in waiting rooms, and filling out forms. It was no different for John and Amy Thompson. Their son Jake was diagnosed with Rasmussen's syndrome, a brain disorder that causes seizures.

Buenos días. Gracias por llamar al Kennedy Krieger Institute. ¿Cómo le puedo ayudar?

If the line of text above is confusing, imagine living in a world where every word, every conversation is a mystery. Imagine needing services but not being able to access them because you don't speak the language.