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Program for the Study of Neurodevelopment in Rare Disorders (NDRD)
Description of Services
Spreading hope and awareness for children with rare neurodevelopmental disorders.
The Program for the Study of Neurodevelopment in Rare Disorders (NDRD), part of Children’s Hospital’s Brain Care Institute, is committed to helping families search for answers surrounding their children’s rare disorders. Started in 2000 to improve the understanding of these genetic neurodegenerative diseases, the program has performed more than 1,500 standardized evaluations on more than 500 children.
Our goal is to improve the quality of life for children with rare neurodegenerative disorders through education, innovative research, and clinical interventions. Our multidisciplinary approach focuses on the interactions of genes, the brain, and behavior and their effects on child development. The NDRD also trains investigators and clinicians in the diagnosis and comprehensive management of these disorders, and builds awareness throughout the general population and the scientific community.
Services that help children and their families live fuller, happier lives.
At the NDRD Program, we offer educational interventions, medication management, therapy, and recommendations for adaptive equipment. Our primary goal is to improve the quality of life for children with rare disorders and to help them develop to their full potential.
Maria Escolar, MD, and her team provide ongoing services for more than 500 patients with rare metabolic disorders from across the country. This experience, combined with ongoing clinical research, provides the expertise to assess the multisystem needs of these children and to plan appropriate management, therapies, and palliative care when needed. The NDRD team also consults with local health care providers and educators to assist them in providing care to children with these rare diseases.
Assessments provided by the NDRD Program include:
- Neurodevelopmental assessments
- Comprehensive physical and neurological exams, including interpretation of clinical testing
- Hearing evaluations
- Speech and language
- Educational testing
- Nutrition and feeding
- Motor testing
- Cognitive testing
- Medical Imaging
- Neurophysiologic testing
- Medical treatment for seizures and spasticity
- Advice about individualized education plans (IEPs)
Management recommendations include:
- Adaptive equipment
- Augmentative communication
- Visual and hearing aids
- Behavioral interventions
Learn more with these resources and downloads.
More than a gift — a brighter future.
Make a gift to the NDRD Program and help bring us closer to understanding and treating these rare conditions.
“Donors don't give to institutions. They invest in ideas and people in whom they believe.”
— G.T. Smith
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
— Winston Churchill
Ways to Give:
- Volunteer
- Outright giving
- Endowed giving
- Gift planning
- Corporate giving and matching gift program
- Faculty and staff giving
- Annual giving
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation manages all gifts for the NDRD program.
Learn more about the NDRD staff.
Referral Requirements
To make an appointment or inquire about the program, please contact Sarah Evans at 412-692-6350 or through e-mail, at sarah.evans@chp.edu.
