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Brian Skotko Provides National Leadership for Children with Down Syndrome |
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Senior resident Brian Skotko has dedicated much of his enormous energy toward helping children with cognitive and development disabilities. In 2001 he co-authored the national award-winning book, Common Threads: Celebrating Life with Down Syndrome, which celebrates the accomplishments of persons with Down Syndrome. More recently Brian has written several major papers on how physicians deliver a diagnosis of Down syndrome to new and expectant parents. This work results from a total of over 14,000 surveys Brian administered to mothers of children with Down Syndrome and highlights problems in the way the diagnosis of Down Syndrome is delivered to families (see one paper here, a related story here). The research led to bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House and Senate as the "Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Condition Awareness Act", calling for $25 million in funding for implementation of research results. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The L.A. Times, The NPR`s On Point, CNN, and ABC`s Good Morning America. Brian serves on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and the National Down Syndrome Society, is on the Professional Advisory Council to the National Down Syndrome Congress, and has served on the American Red Cross Board of Governors. He has won numerous national awards for his advocacy and research work, including the National Down Syndrome Congress President`s Award, which is the highest honor in the field.
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