Helping Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Testimonials

“Tony is heading off for a summer working as a search and rescue ranger intern at Yosemite National Park. He is super excited. He has one more year in college and it is his final intense sequesce to finish off his paramedic certification. My how far he has come! Warm regards!”

Tony's Mom

It’s deeply reassuring to know there’s an expert in our corner who can identify challenges, anticipate issues before they arise, and help navigate the road ahead for us.

We feel so grateful that we found Dr. Sprouse when our son is still so young so we may benefit from her expertise and guidance as he grows older.  We cannot recommend Dr. Sprouse and the NDC for Children team highly enough!

A grateful parent of a 47, XXY child

“Working with Dr. Sprouse and her wonderful team have been transformative for our son and for our family.  We were referred to her by a fellow special needs mom, and our kiddo has been under Dr. Sprouse’s guidance since he was 3 years old.  The specialized neurodevelopmental testing has been incredibly beneficial particularly in a school setting, allowing teachers to better assist him when they were previously at a loss as to why he wasn’t able to perform typical tasks.  They have been able to tailor their approach per Dr. Sprouse’s recommendations and he’s thriving now.”

Jackson's Mom

Carole Samango-Sprouse, Ed.D.

Director, Neurodevelopmental Diagnostic Center for Children APIB, BNABS, NDT-trained Neurodevelopmentalist

Dr. Samango-Sprouse is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics at Florida International University. She is also currently the Director of the Neurodevelopmental Diagnostic Center for Children, and the Executive Director and Chief Science Officer of The Focus Foundation.She received her doctorate from the George Washington University in Washington, DC, and then studied neurobehavioral assessment at the Children’s Hospital of Boston with Dr. Heidelise Als, a developmental psychologist and renown Harvard University scholar. Dr. Samango-Sprouse is trained in neuromotor, neurocognitive development, neurobehavioral skills, and oral motor assessment for children with an emphasis on children with neurogenetic disorders. She is trained in Bobath neurodevelopmental training (NDT), and is certified in the assessment of pre-term infant behavior (APIB), the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale (BNABS), and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale -2 (ADOS-2).Dr. Samango-Sprouse has published more than 90 articles on the neurocognitive capabilities of atypical children, and published numerous chapters on 47,XXY. She has been guest editor of the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part C in 2013, and will be again in an upcoming issue in 2019. She studies the relationship between the brain and behavior, and its impact on neurodevelopmental performance in children with X and Y chromosome variations and other complex genetic disorders. She writes about the link between phenotypic presentation, brain, and neurodevelopmental outcome, which is detailed in her book X & Y Chromosomal Variations: Hormones, Brain Development, and Neurodevelopmental Performance. Published in 2017, this book is used in more than 150 medical schools all over the country, educating the medical specialists of the future on X and Y chromosome variations.

Liz Tipton

Neurodevelopmental Evaluation & Research Specialist

Liz Tipton brings more than a decade of hands-on experience in neurodevelopmental evaluations and research to The Focus Foundation. She works closely with children and families, supporting evaluations, documenting testing sessions, and assisting with clinical write-ups to ensure each child’s experience is carefully captured. Through this work, she helps contribute to the personalized insights and guidance that support each child’s developmental progress, independence, and long-term success.

Prior to and alongside her work at The Focus Foundation, Liz gained valuable research experience at leading institutions, including the Salk Institute, the University of Washington, and UC San Diego, where she worked on studies involving parents and children. She has also collaborated with early literacy and early intervention programs across multiple states, strengthening her expertise in child development and family-centered care.

Liz is passionate about building meaningful relationships with families and finds great fulfillment in witnessing children’s growth over time. She values being a trusted source of support and celebrates the milestones and progress each family achieves along the way.

Teresa Sadeghin

MS Ed., Program Manager

Teresa Sadeghin coordinates studies, administers informed consents, serves as a liaison to patients and parents, and organizes specialty programs and app development for targeted treatment.

Teresa has been working with young children since 1970, when she became an educator in Prince George’s County, Maryland. After receiving her masters in curriculum development from Bowie State University, Mrs. Sadeghin served on the county’s science curriculum committee for 17 years, wrote curriculum for the Science Math and Technology Integrated Matrix Package to implement and integrate performance-based science tasks, and wrote Internet and applied technology extensions for those tasks. Mrs. Sadeghin was a team writer for the Invention-Innovation-Inquiry Project, which was funded by the National Science Foundation through the International Technology Educators Association. She is certified in Facilitative Leadership Training and Event Planning.

Following her retirement from education in 2000, Mrs. Sadeghin continued working with young people as the Newspapers in Education director at the Sentinel Newspapers. She created, compiled, edited and provided graphics for four weekly newspaper pages targeted at students in order to promote literacy.

Kim Weaver

BS MSEd., Data Manager and Scheduler

Kim Weaver oversees scheduling for NDC and serves as a liaison to patients and parents. A graduate of Towson State University and University of MD, Kim Weaver taught at the elementary level for 32 years. She taught classes part time at Charles County Community college and trained educators in technology workshops and presentations. She currently is an educational consultant. She works with teachers on implementing STEM into their classrooms. Kim has written several books and units on technology and engineering for The International Technology and Engineering Educational Association. Her attention to detail makes her an invaluable member as our data manager.