Resources

The Focus Foundation: The Focus Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 2005 by Dr. Carole Samango-Sprouse, is the first and only research-based agency dedicated to identifying and helping children who have X & Y Chromosomal Variations Dyslexia and/or Developmental Dyspraxia. www.thefocusfoundation.org

The 7th Annual 49ers Conference
For children with 49 XXXXY, their families, and health care providers
July 21, 2010 / Annapolis, Maryland

The 48s Conference
For children with 48 XXXY, their families, and health care providers
September 23-25, 2010 / Annapolis, Maryland

The X & Y Chromosomal Variations Conference
For children with X & Y chromosomal variations, their families, and health care providers
Spring, 2011 / Annapolis, Maryland

Please check back for information about these and other conferences and events.

The Washington Post  "Mother labored to find reason for son's developmental delays", Auguat 24, 2010 By Sandra G. Boodman. PDF

Voice of America News "Robots Help Children with Disabilities," December 8, 2009, by Julie Taboh. (The link connects to an article and video.)

Time Magazine "Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2009: New Research on Autism," December 8, 2009, by Alice Park. (In addition to leading The Focus Foundation, Dr. Samango-Sprouse serves on the steering committee of the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, the organization featured in the Top 10 as well as in the article "Autism Linked to Genes That Govern How the Brain is Wired," April 28, 2009, by Claudia Wallis. Dr. Samango-Sprouse was involved in the noted AGRE research from its inception, and she provided her clinical expertise in Autism and other neurogenetic conditions to ensure the optimal usage and success for families whose children who have Autism and/or related disorders.)

The New Yorker "Robots That Care: Advances in technological therapy," November 2, 2009, by Jerome Groopman. (Dr. Samango-Sprouse appears on pages 4 and 5 of this PDF download.)

YouTube "CosmoBot, Summer 2009" (in English), and "CosmoBot, Spring 2009" (in Spanish)

The Capital Annapolis.com Video "CosmoBot: Dr. Carole Samango-Sprouse explains the benefits of using robots such as CosmoBot with children who have sex chromosome disorders," August 6, 2009, video by Daniel Kohler

The Capital(Annapolis, Maryland) "Robotherapy: Crofton specialist uses robot to help children with developmental disorders," August 6, 2009, by Theresa Winslow

The Washington Post "I'm Here to Make You Feel Better: Robots can already perform surgery and track your meds. Now, new models aim to provide therapy and support," March 10, 2009, by Anita Slomski. (This article also appeared in the Winter 2009 issue of Proto, a magazine published by Massachusetts General Hospital.)

The Washington Post Video "Playing to Improve Speech Skills." March 9, 2009. In this 1-minute, 41-second Dr. Carole Samango-Sprouse, founder of The Focus Foundation, and a six-year-old client use Play to Learn software during a therapy session. The software, along with a 16-inch tall robot named CosmoBot, helps improve attention span and motor and literary skills in children with developmental issues.

The Quad-City Times "Davenport boy is beating the odds," October 2, 2008, by Deirdre Cox Baker (Davenport, Iowa)

The Capital (Annapolis, Maryland). "No one understands how capable they are: Local doctor devotes career to helping children with sex chromosome disorders," July 24, 2008, by Theresa Winslow

Psychology Today "Why Danny Can't Read: One in 500 male babies is born with a second X chromosome, a condition known as Klinefelter syndrome. The vast majority of these boys develop language-related learning disabilities and dyslexia," March 1, 2003, by Willow Lawson

Aman, M.G., Novotny, S., Samango-Sprouse C.A. et al. “Outcome Measures for Clinical Drug Trials in Autism.” CNS Spectrums Vol. 9, No. 1. January 2004.

Giedd, Jay N., Clasen, L.S., Wallace, G.L., Molloy, E.A., Blumenthal, J.D., Nelson, J.E., Tossell, J.W., Staver, C., Samango-Sprouse, C.A. “XXY (Klinefelter Syndrome): a Pediatric Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study” Pediatrics 2007

Liu, J., Nyholt, D., Magnussen, P., Parano, E., Geschwind, D. et al. “A Genomewide Screen for Autism Suspectiblity Loci” American Journal of Human Genetics Vol.69 :327-340, July 2001.

Ross, Judith L., Samango-Sprouse, C.A., Lahlou, N., Kowal, N. , Elder, F.F. Andrew, Zinn, R. “Early Androgen Deficiency in Infants and Young Boys with 47,XXY Klinefelter Syndrome” Hormone Research 2005; 64(1):39-45.

Samango-Sprouse, C.A. “Frontal Lobe Development in Childhood.“ The Human Frontal Lobe: Functions and Disorders, Eds. BL Miller, and JL Cummings, Guilford Press, New York, 1999.

Samango-Sprouse, C.A. “Frontal Lobe Development in Childhood.“ The Human Frontal Lobe: Functions and Disorders, 2^nd Edition, Eds. BL Miller, and JL Cummings, Guilford Press, New York, 2007.

Samango-Sprouse, C.A. “Neurodevelopmental Evaluations of Newborns and Infants with Genetic Disorders” Chromosome Deletion Outreach, Fall 2000.

Samango-Sprouse, C.A. “Autism: The Disorder of Extremes” The AHEIBBI Newsletter. Spring 1998.

Samango-Sprouse, C.A. “The Mental Development in Polysomy X Klinefelter Syndrome (47 XXY; 48 XXXY): Effects of Incomplete X-Activation.” Seminars of Reproductive Medicine, Vol. 19 (No. 2) 193-202. June 2001.

Samango-Sprouse, C.A. “The Neurocognitive Profile of the Young Child with XXY”, The European Journal of Human Genetics, Volume 9, Supplement 1, May 2001. p. 193.

Samango-Sprouse, C.A., and Rogol, A. “XXY: The Hidden Disability and Prototype for Infantile Presentation of Developmental Dyspraxia (IDD).” Infants and Young Children. July 2002.

Samango-Sprouse, C.A., Tsang, T. and Huddleston, J. “Further Characterization and Expansion and the Neurobehavioral Phenotype of Children with Sex Chromosome Variations." The American Journal of Human Genetics (Abstract). Vol. 17, No. 4. October 2002.

Simpson, J.L., De la Cruz, F., Swerdloff, R., Samango-Sprouse, C.A., et al. “Klinefelter Syndrome: Expanding the Phenotype and Identifying New Research Directions." Genetics in Medicine. Vol. 5, No. 6. November/December 2003.

Simpson, J.L., Graham, J.M., Samango-Sprouse, C.A., Swerdloff, R. "Klinefelter Syndrome." Management of Genetic Syndromes, 2nd Edition Eds. Cassidy, S.B., Allanson, J.E. Wiley-Liss, Inc. 2005.

Zinn, A. R., Ramos, P., Elder, F.F., Kowal, K., Samango-Sprouse, C., Ross, J.L. “Androgen Receptor CAGn Repeat Length Influences Phenotype of 47XXY (Klinefelter) Syndrome.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2005 Sep; 90(9):5041-6.

“First Signs” An Educational Video on Autism, Clinical and Production Consultant, in collaboration with Nancy Wiseman, Founder and President of First Signs, Inc.