The Division of Kinesiology is preparing to position itself as host of a research center designed to enhance the quality of life of infants, children and adults with Down syndrome. The research center will provide a means by which researchers in cognitive, language, social and movement skill development can collaborate on basic and clinical research. It will bring together experts from throughout the world whose work can impact the lives of people with Down syndrome.
Parents have many questions.
They want to know how to prevent some of the consistent problems that children with Down syndrome experience. Although there are a number of medical research centers in this country and abroad that specialize in treating the medical problems that afflict some people with Down syndrome, Ulrich says there isn't a research center designed to bring together scientists for the purpose of exploring non-medical problems associated with Down syndrome. Establishing the center is especially important today because medical advances have extended the life expectancy of someone born with Down syndrome from 20 to 60. To date, there has not been a meaningful impact of research in improving the developmental skills of this population in the motor, language, cognitive and social skills domains. Very few scientists have elected to study children with Down syndrome.