FOR INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES
Our Lab
Our lab is conveniently located on the University of South Carolina campus in the Discovery Building.
Many individuals and families travel to us for participation in our projects, and we support their travel costs of hotel reservations, mileage or rental car, and a modest meal per diem. We are conveniently located close to the Colonial Life Arena and Main Street, which houses many local shops and restaurants.
Our lab is also mobile! Dr. Will and a second team member travel to families for greater convenience of participating in their own homes. We are flexible and dedicated to supporting our families however we can in the work that we do!
PARTICIPATE
PROJECT 1
The goal of this project is to understand how different areas of development like motor skills, communication, or cognition, relate to one another during infancy and toddlerhood in Down syndrome.
Who can participate and when?
Any family with an infant with Down syndrome 10-months old or younger. We will be enrolling families with an infant with Down syndrome 10-months-old or younger for the next three years (through Summer 2025).
How does participation work?
We are enrolling families of infants with Down syndrome for comprehensive developmental assessments and following up with them over time. Infants will be assessed at 9, 12, 18, and 24-months and monitored for developmental progress. We travel to families and complete visits in-home for greater comfort and convenience, but families are also welcome to come to UofSC for their visits if they prefer. Each visit lasts approximately 3 hours, which allows plenty of time for breaks.
How does participation benefit families?
At each assessment, families receive a comprehensive report on their child’s behavior and development that includes results from standardized developmental and adaptive function measures, as well as recommendations for promoting aspects of their child’s development. These results are updated at each assessment, allowing families to track their child’s developmental progress over time. We’ve also had several families this report to assist in intervention and educational programming for their child. Families also receive modest monetary compensation for their time.
PROJECT 2
The goal of this project is to identify the development of co-occurring conditions likely to affect various outcomes in children with Down syndrome, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Both conditions occur at higher rates in Down syndrome than the general population, and we aim to uncover certain risk factors and early indicators of these conditions, as well as understand how they might affect overall development.
Who can participate and when?
This project began in 2018, and we have followed children over time, starting at 12 months old with annual follow up visits. We have been incredibly fortunate to work with many wonderful families across these years and are not currently enrolling new participants. We plan to continue working with our current families in this project for the next two years – check back with us for additional opportunities to participate!
How does participation benefit families?
Families participating in this project have been able to track their child’s developmental progress over time. They have also received comprehensive diagnostic evaluations and resources in the event a co-occurring condition is suspected. Outcomes for this study will help future efforts to understand the co-occurrence of these conditions and develop effective intervention strategies to support development and optimize outcomes for these individuals.