Who We Serve
UNC’s Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) dedicated
to providing exemplary clinical services to individuals of all ages who have concerns about or are at risk for intellectual and developmental
disabilities. Thus, our specialized clinics focus exclusively on disorders that affect cognitive, social, communication, motor, and adaptive skill
development. The CIDD also specializes in serving individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who may have co-existing
behavioral, mental health, or medical health needs. Individuals who have or are suspected of having intellectual disability, autism spectrum
disorder, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, and/or genetic or medical conditions, which impact development, health, and independence would be
appropriate referrals to the Institute.
Please note: Given the specialized nature of our services, there are limited appointment slots and many have lengthy waits. We do not accept referrals
for individuals whose primary concerns are related to psychiatric (e.g., ADHD, depression), behavioral, or learning concerns (e.g., specific learning
disorder) in the absence of known or suspected developmental disorders. In cases where a referral is made for a diagnostic evaluation,
psychoeducational testing, or treatment when there is no indication of a potential developmental disorder, a more appropriate referral may be made.
Clinic Services
Our interdisciplinary faculty offer numerous clinical services designed to provide diagnostic clarification, consultation, as well as intervention and
treatment planning for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Our evaluation services may include appointments with
individual clinicians or an interdisciplinary team representing two or more of the following professional disciplines: Psychology, Speech-Language
Pathology, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Audiology, Social Work, and Special Education. The composition of the team
depends on referral needs. Click here to learn more about our clinic services.
What We Do:
• Evaluations to assess development or functioning levels for individuals when there are concerns about developmental delays/disabilities or a preexisting
intellectual/developmental disorder
• Diagnostic evaluations to assess for possible neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism or intellectual disability
• Evaluations and consultation for individuals with neurogenetic disorders that affect development
• Offer consultation, psychiatric, psychotherapy and behavior support services to individuals with intellectual/developmental disorders
• Offer social skills groups to individuals with social communication difficulties
What We DON’T Do:
• Evaluations for ADHD (although we do offer psychiatric medication management services for ADHD), anxiety, or other diagnoses when there are no concerns regarding an intellectual or developmental disability
• Educational testing for a specific learning concern in the absence of intellectual/developmental disability concerns (referrals for standard psychoeducational
evaluations should go through an individual’s school program first given that educational assessments are typically not covered by insurance)
• Offer treatment to individuals who do not have any concerns regarding an intellectual or developmental disability
• Offer acute care or crisis intervention services, or serve as a primary care provider
• Offer ongoing speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, or physical therapy (though we currently offer evaluation and consultation services for speech-
language and physical therapy)
If you have questions about our services, intake process, or other referrals, please contact the CIDD Intake Team via email at CIDDIntake@cidd.unc.edu.
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NC Office on Disability and Health Surveillance Group
CIDD faculty work collaboratively with the NC Office on Disability and Health (NCODH) at the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the NC Division of MH/DD/SAS and other statewide partners as the Disability and Health Surveillance Group. The primary mission of the group is to promote the health of people with disabilities by establishing a mechanism for the collection of baseline health related data on adults with intellectual/ developmental disabilities served by the state service system and to systematically bring interested state partners together to share information and data. This is a critical collaboration as most public health data systems, including the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), do not capture the health status of adults with developmental disabilities. Several years ago, NCODH, CIDD and the Division developed a health addendum modeled after NC BRFSS content and questions. This allowed for a comparison between groups: persons with disabilities, persons without disabilities and persons with I/DD receiving state supported services. The National Core Indicators data enable NCODH and others to target specific areas of concern, such as sedentary lifestyle, obesity, mammography screening, and dental care by adding selected questions to the surveys each year.
For more information, please contact: Debra Reinhartsen, Ph.D., Speech-Language Pathology, or Rebecca Pretzel, Ph.D., Psychology
Learn more about how to contact for services with the CIDD.
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