Letter from Our President

By this time of year, college students have received results on class exams, and those who until now had kept up with their peers despite undetected learning disabilities are having serious difficulties. It's a scenario that plays out more than you think and Kennedy Krieger's College Clinic, a division of the Center for Development and Learning, was developed with these students in mind.

When someone you love lives through a horrific accident, the first impulse is to rejoice in their survival. But often, the immediate aftermath of an accident is just the first step in a long, sometimes arduous journey to recovery. Some elements of their "previous" life may return, but others are often changed irrevocably. That's been the case for the Frost family.

In June, Kennedy Krieger Institute's Career and Technology Center graduated its largest class of students yet 17 young men and women, who despite enormous personal challenges, are looking forward to bright futures ahead. Several of these students will go on to further their educations; the majority of the others will enter a tight job market armed with a competitive advantage: industry recognized certifications.

Parents of children with autism, intellectual disabilities and other developmental disabilities face a host of challenges in providing their children with the best life possible. In some cases, simply keeping their children safe is a constant battle.

With the holiday season fast approaching, I hope you and all of your loved ones are preparing for festive gatherings, full of family togetherness and hope for the New Year. Of course, in many of our families, food plays a central role in our enjoyment of these holiday traditions few celebrations are complete without experiencing the slight discomfort of consuming one dessert too many.

Most of the children we treat at Kennedy Krieger deal with challenges created by disorders that no one could possibly have predicted or prevented. And while we can provide them with medications, therapies and other programs designed to help them live the most fulfilling lives possible, we are rarely able to completely remedy our patient's difficulties.

For many children with developmental disabilities, the struggle to communicate their wants, fears and joys can be an enormous challenge. Many are not verbal at all; others have a limited arsenal of words at their disposal. Inability to share their thoughts and feelings with others can lead to intense frustration, even angry and aggressive behavior. For these children, art and music can be powerful vehicles of self-expression.

It's difficult for any child to thrive without a stable home, but for a child with a disability, it's practically impossible. Raising children with special needs means frequent visits to medical and psychological specialists, regular appointments with therapists, constant interaction with the school system and managing complicated prescription needs and medical equipment.

Reading: More than any other subject, it is key to our livelihoods and success in life. Much emphasis is placed on developing reading skills in children at an early age but research shows that even children who were proficient at reading in the primary grades can slip and struggle in adolescence and beyond.