Autism, a developmental disorder that afflicts 1 percent of American male children, is only one of a host of pediatric developmental and neurological disorders being studied, treated and alleviated at Baltimore’s Kennedy Krieger Institute.
“Our focus is primarily on children who have developmental disabilities,” institute President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Gary Goldstein said, noting that over a third of these children manifest autism. “These are either physical problems like cerebral palsy, head injury or spinal cord injury, which can create mobility, communication or behavioral issues, or learning disabilities — behavioral or cognitive problems that are persistent throughout childhood and maybe into adulthood.”
Named in 1967 after an American president and a generous board member, the Kennedy Krieger Institute is a remedial maze of clinics, programs, social services, schools and research centers across 12 clinical departments and seven urban campuses dedicated to unraveling the causes and ill effects of some 40 developmental disorders.
In spring 2009, the 2,000-employee, $350 million-a-year nonprofit that “turns no one away” will open two new facilities: a downtown outpatient rehabilitation center and a learning disability research center.
“My youngest daughter was seen there at age 2 and was early diagnosed with some developmental disabilities that led to some early intervention. She was enrolled in their special education facilities and now works as a librarian at that school,” said Michael Batza Jr., chairman and CEO of Heritage Properties in Towson and an institute board member.
The institute has its own 70-bed hospital and trains therapists worldwide in developmental and neurological interventions. It sees over 13,000 patients a year and annually logs some 110,000 visits to its 50 specialty clinics. Six hundred developmentally disabled students attend its special education lower, middle and high schools.
“My son Jordan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 18 months … and didn’t make much progress in the public school system,” said Leah Miller, a Hunt Valley mother. “Now at 11, he’s enrolled in the special education school at Kennedy Krieger and is already showing marked progress.”
HOW TO HELP
The Kennedy Krieger Institute sponsors a “Festival of the Trees” fundraiser each Thanksgiving weekend. The Timonium event — billed as a tableau of “fairyland forests, gingerbread towns, toy train gardens and craft boutiques” — last year attracted over 35,000 visitors to the fairgrounds.
“We have a client population that is deserving, and we need community support,” Goldstein said.
To donate contact:
Kennedy Krieger Institute
707 N. Broadway
Baltimore MD 21205
443-923-7338; kennedykrieger.org
