About the CDD
The University of Tennessee Center on Developmental Disabilities is a nationally designated, interdisciplinary program that advances the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities through clinical services, education, research, information dissemination, and community engagement.
Our Mission
Our mission is to promote, support, and enhance the independence, productivity, integration, and community participation of individuals with disabilities and their families in the community.
Our History
The University of Tennessee Center on Developmental Disabilities began in 1957 as a diagnostic clinic at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, serving children suspected of having developmental disabilities. At a time when institutionalization was often the norm for such children, this clinic provided early diagnosis and encouraged more therapeutic responses. In the early 1960s, during the Kennedy administration, the federal government began funding university-based centers focused on developmental disability; the UT clinic was among the original 19 such centers nationwide. Over time, its scope expanded not just in clinical evaluations and therapy for children, but also in training health‐care professionals, conducting research, and collaborating with families and the community.
By the 1970s, the center had grown in both facilities and mission. A new building was dedicated in 1970 (originally called the Child Development Center), and soon afterward, the center was renamed the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities. Over the subsequent decades, its services and partnerships included an inclusive preschool, child daycare center, special education support in collaboration with local school systems, diagnostic services, and programs addressing social work, psychology, speech-language pathology, audiology, developmental pediatrics, and other related disciplines. In 2021, the Boling Center was renamed the Center on Developmental Disabilities and relocated to the 920 Madison Building on the UTHSC campus in Memphis. Since then, it has strengthened its interdisciplinary, community-oriented mission under its current leadership and with the support of federal designations.
“Our Tennessee” Article – CDD Past & PresentOur Goals
The CDD's mission is embodied in the needs-based goals and activities of its faculty and staff, including:
- Develop and deliver exemplary multidisciplinary training and continuing education
- Provide coordinated and person-centered clinical services to individuals with disabilities and their families
- Develop and conduct relevant disciplinary and multidisciplinary clinical research and program evaluation
- Provide technical assistance to individuals, groups, agencies, and policymakers on disability-related topics
- Disseminate disability-related information and products to consumers, professionals, agencies, and policymakers
- Serve as advocates and agents for meaningful systems change on local, state, and national levels
Our Faculty and Staff
The CDD employs a wide array of faculty and staff who work in an interdisciplinary manner to meet the needs of people with disabilities in our community.