Kennedy Krieger Institute: Kennedy Krieger Institute At a Glance

Kennedy Krieger Institute At a Glance

Caring for more than 14,000 children annually, Kennedy Krieger Institute is an internationally recognized institution dedicated to improving the lives of children, adolescents and young adults with disorders of the brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal system achieve their potential and participate as fully as possible in family, school and community life.

Kennedy Krieger’s patient care programs are comprised of more than 40 outpatient clinics; neurobehavioral, pediatric feeding disorders and rehabilitation inpatient programs; and various home and community programs representing more than a dozen disciplines. All focus on realizing the potential of each child and strengthening participation in the home, school and community.

Scientists at Kennedy Krieger, who also hold appointments at Johns Hopkins University, are international leaders in the effort to diagnose, treat, and ultimately, prevent and cure childhood neurological disorders and developmental disabilities. The many studies being conducted now in areas such as learning disabilities, Down syndrome, adrenoleukodystropy (ALD), cerebral palsy and autism will help identify treatment and improve outcomes for an entirely new generation.

Kennedy Krieger Institute was the nation’s first University-Affiliated Program (UAP), later renamed University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCDD). These programs were established in 1963 to advance the understanding of children with mental retardation and other brain related disorders. The Institute set the precedent for this important program, and today more than 61 UCDDs serve children with developmental disabilities, with at least one found in every state of the United States.

Kennedy Krieger Institute is funded through the Leadership Education in Neurological Disabilities (LEND) project of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to provide interdisciplinary training in the field of developmental disabilities. Each year hundreds of graduate and postgraduate students and trainers from all over the world come to the Institute to be trained in more than a dozen disciplines.

Kennedy Krieger Institute uses an interdisciplinary approach to treatment with many outstanding professionals from fields including, but not limited to, audiology, behavioral psychology, child life, therapeutic recreation, neuropsychology, nursing, nutrition, occupational and physical therapies, social work, special education and speech/language pathology. These individuals work as a team to provide comprehensive care to patients.

Kennedy Krieger is home to the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI), the world's first facility focused on the research and treatment of chronic spinal cord injuries and paralysis. While most other spinal cord programs concentrate on helping individuals learn to compensate for injuries believed to be permanent, the ICSCI relies on an innovative treatment philosophy known as activity-based recovery to actually promote recovery of function, even in patients whose injuries occured years ago.

The success of Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Feeding Disorders Program can be attributed to its interdisciplinary combination of medical expertise in gastroenterology, behavioral psychology, nutrition, occupational therapy, nursing and social work to develop successful treatment programs that continue in the home, school and community. The Pediatric Feeding Disorders Continuum of Care transitions patients from the most intensive inpatient program, to a daily program, to a less intensive weekly outpatient clinic.

Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Genetic Muscle Disorders provides expert clinical care to children and adults with muscle disorders such as muscular dystrophy and congenital myopathy in the Baltimore/Washington region and across the nation. The Center offers leading research programs both in the clinical and laboratory setting.

Through its inpatient Neurobehavioral Unit, Kennedy Krieger is leading the way in the treatment of children with developmental disabilities and severe behavioral problems who have not had success with community-based treatment. Continuing services on an outpatient level enables individuals to be reintegrated into their homes, schools and communities.

The Institute operates one of the most successful pediatric rehabilitation programs in the world. Kennedy Krieger's Rehabilitation Continuum of Care helps children recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injury and orthopedic surgery learn to participate as fully as possible in home, school and community life.

Autism is now the second most common developmental disability, affecting as many as 1 in 110 children. Kennedy Krieger's maintains the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, a multi-faceted, multidisciplinary program that combines research, assessment, therapeutic, community outreach and training. CARD endorses a flexible approach to treatment, adjusting the core set of methods used and goals of intervention to meet the needs of each child and his or her family. CARD is comprised of three primary programs: its REACH research component, which was recently named one of eight national centers for autism; a clinical program providing comprehensive assessments, diagnosis and treatment plans; and the Achievements day therapy program, which serves children between the ages of 2 years and 5 years, 11 months.

The Kennedy Krieger School addresses the special education and related service needs of students, ages 3-21 years, who exhibit a wide range of learning, developmental and neurological disorders. It has been recognized by the President of the United States and the Department of Education as a “Blue Ribbon School of Excellence,” the first to be recognized as such in the state of Maryland.

The Kennedy Krieger High School Career and Technology Center offers a model work-based learning program that blends expectations of the world of work with school-based instruction to empower students to develop the lifelong learning skills needed for meaningful employment and economic independence. Students can choose to specialize in one of five industry clusters: information technology, retail and consumer services, hospitality and tourism, construction trades, or arts and communication.

Through its Community Rehabilitation Programs, Kennedy Krieger goes directly to children, adolescents and adults with disabilities in their communities, providing counseling and therapy in the home, and acting as advocates and brokers for other support services.

Children with rare genetic disorders come from around the world to be treated by physicians and other specialists from Kennedy Krieger’s highly specialized Neurogenetics Program. This team offers diagnosis and treatment of peroxisomal disorders such as Adrenoleukodystrophy and Zellweger syndrome.

The Institute is fully accredited by the Joint Commission, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the State Department of Education.