We started our journey with CDS around September 2011 when one of my sons went for a speech evaluation with Clarity. From that one appointment, little did we know how much of a tail spin our world would take afterwards. My son was later diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, Sensory Processing disorder, and anxiety- this all stemmed from one appointment that should have been relatively easy. Thankfully the speech therapist was able to recognize the red flags during that session and point me to more valuable resources to help my son. From there we started seeing Kidnetics for Occupational Therapy, got involved with Family Connections of the Upstate, and was able to get involved with the Child Find program for the school system. It was an absolute blessing to have all of those services in ONE BUILDING!!!! I was able to schedule appointments back to back so that instead of making multiple trips throughout the week, I could make one trip for 2 different therapy sessions. Not to mention being able to talk with other parents who had special kiddos like mine. It is nice to be able to connect with and talk with adults who won't be as judgemental as the outside world. This is a safe place for our kids. Later, I was able to get involved with BabyNet (Just upstairs in the same building) who was able to help provide services for my daughter when she was about 18 months when we noticed possible delays. My other son was able to be evaluated as well through Clarity by a clinical psychologist and was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and short term memory issues. We were also able to get involved with an Asthma support group through Family Connections when he started having attacks.CDS has been our "one-stop shop" and home away from home for nearly 9 years now and will continue to be for as long as our journey continues.Thanks CDS for Everything!!!!!
I have been working at the Center for Developmental Services for almost one year. I had some contact with CDS previous to working here, but had no idea what all was housed under one roof. I was blown away by the modern-day miracles that are performed here. As I have been out in the community, I have heard testimony after testimony of how family members and acquaintances have been immeasurably helped by the caring and knowledgeable staff of CDS and its partner agencies.
In 2000, my son was evaluated for developmental issues, and after an official autism diagnosis, started therapy at CDS, which we'd heard about through Family Connection. I learned so much from his therapist, Kirstin Runkle, putting into practice all she taught me about what she'd done with our son during their sessions. After a few years in public school, I began homeschooling him, hoping for nothing more than a happy childhood, a peaceful home, and an education that moved at his pace. As part of my lesson plans, I included all I'd learned from his time at CDS.
Each year, we saw steady progress, so we continued with homeschooling all the way through high school. Then, in 2014, our son, who wasn't supposed to ever earn a high school diploma and was expected to live in a group home someday, graduated as a National Merit Scholar. Today, he's a senior at Texas A&M, living in a dorm 1000 miles from home, and loving it! During his time at college, he's studied tropical meteorology in Barbados and twice presented lightning research at the annual meetings of the American Meteorological Society. In May, he'll graduate with a BS in meteorology and a BA in physics, then head off to the grad school of his choice.
I love to share our story in order to inspire and encourage other parents walking a difficult path with their differently-abled children.
I have been working at CDS for almost a year and I’m impressed with the agency overall. CDS offers many different services to the community to include case management, therapies and other family services. It is a wonderful place to work and the staff is dedicated to meeting the needs of the community. I would recommend CDS for family services and/or employment.
As part of the staff here at CDS it is so wonderful to be a part of this organization and how everyone works together! I have seen first hand the team work within the Case Management team, if an individual comes in and their Case Manager is not available then another one will jump in to help so their questions and concerns get taken care of. They make my job easy! On the first floor the variety of services that CDS offers and the CDS team that makes it run is pretty amazing to watch. Especially when you see our Director of Operations Becky in action, she can handle anything and then she disappears like it never happened. I love working here!!!
Center for Developmental Services (CDS) is a collaborative effort of multiple agencies working together to provide services and meet the needs of children with special needs and their families. I am fortunate to be a recent employee of this organization when CDS made a decision to provide the service of Case Management for South Carolina Disabilities and Special Needs eligible consumers.
The Case Management staff offices are housed at CDS in downtown Greenville, SC. In addition to providing Case Management for consumers, we witness daily the positive impact that this organization has on children, families, and the community.
CDS is a unique community for children and adults! Children with disabilities can be served at CDS by many different professionals (agency partners). As they grow up their case manager can follow them from childhood through adulthood. SCDDSN case management as a part of CDS is a benefit to those served.
Had the privilege of visiting this amazing special place, and what they have for families with special needs children, just blew me away.
I am 74 and feel blessed to be able to walk, as I did not walk till the age of 15, but have never had to go back, and never had any more problems, thanks to Shriners Hospital in Springfield, Mass.
What I saw at CDS in Greenville, South Carolina, and what they do for these families, matches all the miracles I witnessed in my 15 years at Shriners.
The staff is so experienced at what they do, and the volunteers, some are young adults from surrounding schools and colleges, and such a tremendous asset to the staff a patients.
I may not have walked till 15, but have had a beautiful life with 5 children and 14 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
Center for Developmental Services, tops any facility I have seen while myself working in the medical field.
Leon R Field
It is the only facility of its type in the state and it provides a variety of services for special needs children all under one roof.
My youngest child is in multiple therapies each week-- she can receive a variety of services in one location where I can bond with other parents and care givers. It is wonderful to have so many resources under one roof. The staff at CDS is always warm and welcoming, and they put on fun special programs for clients like live kids music, crafting, visits with the sweet therapy dog Pumpkin, and a visit from Santa. Thank you, CDS!
CDS and its onsite partners served my son throughout most of his school years, through pediatric specialists, therapies and school-related services. CDS strives to provide many support services for their client families, including in the community as well as onsite.
Caring staff helped me get answers to help my autistic daughter when Pickens CO schools refused to help us.
My twins were born in 2014 at 25 weeks gestation and have developmental delays due to prematurity. They have been going to CDS for the last 2 years and because of the services provided by CDS are making amazing strides toward catching up to their adjusted age. We have received excellent assistance and care from everyone at CDS and I recommend CDS to everyone I meet who needs the services they provide.
We have been coming to CDS for over a year. My son is served there for more than one delay and services related to his ASD. Everyone there is very helpful and accommodating to our needs and schedule. His therapists are so skilled and truly care! I'm very thankful CDS has so many resources in one place. It helps my son's comfort level to know his doctor, OT, ST, & PT are all in the same place.
We have had two children with various special needs that CDS has helped us with. When facing these trials children often need help in multiple areas and CDS helps deliver all the help in one location. They are awesome to work with!!
Having this facility allowed me to keep my job after giving birth to a severely disabled little girl. Then helped my second child with s speech disorder who is now in 8th grade.
Our little boy receives PT and OT through Kidnetics and has attended the wonder center since he was a tiny infant. I'm so Thankful for the staff and having access to services he otherwise wouldn't have.
My oldest daughter was born after a very lengthy labor (60+ hours before the attending obgyn decided to do a c section). We believe there were complications due to this, including her having ODD, ADHD, sensory integration disorder and being developmentally delayed. CDS was instrumental in helping us to prepare her for school (initially a child development center, then a regular elementary school). While she is still a little behind, she has made huge strides, all thanks in large part to the staff at CDS. For this, my wife and I thank CDS from the bottoms of our hearts.
My son was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, and CDS has a clinic held on their premises called FACET. It's a long day once a year to meet with specialist physicians and therapists, but it's is so awesome that they provide this service so I can know he's on track! He's never needed other services but if he did I know he'd be well taken care of there.
My wife and I have been bringing our son here for almost a year. And the care and compassion that they show both her with questions and his comfort is a blessing. Sarah Thompson and Elizabeth Hitchcock are amazing at what they do and are second to none for my sons care and for helping my wife. Our son would not be where he is with out these two ladies. Now we have added speech to the mix and you can already see an improvement in our sons eating and swallowing.
My daughter received speech therapy through CDS - they were always so kind and helpful, and it made a huge difference in her development.
Our son receives PT, OT and ST through Kidnetics and attends the Wonder Center. His therapists and the staff at the Wonder Center are all amazing. We are so thankful to have access to these services.
My daughter has been taking speech therapy through Kidnetics at CDS for the past 2 years. Everyone who works there has always had a smile on their face, and we couldn't be more pleased with the progress our daughter has made. I would not hesitate to recommend the services of CDS to anyone!
Thanks to CDS and all of the wonderful therapists, my daughter has been able to accomplish every single goal. This place is very close to my heart and I am thankful for each and every member of this amazing organization. CDS is a place where a smile, a single step, or a waving hand would never go unnoticed.
My son has been going to CDS since the age of 1, he is now 6 and he has done so many things we thought we would never see. The therapist are truly amazing and very good with the kids, we also love all the activities they plan.
I used services located at CDS for three of my children. The convenience of so many services in one location was helpful.
I am a CDS employee and have been involved with this wonderful organization for four years. The difference this partnership makes in our community is staggering. Families of children with special needs and learning disabilities can come to one central location for doctor appointments, to receive treatment, therapies, and audiological exams. CDS also houses the only medically fragile daycare for young/preschool aged children in the Upstate. Through working with CDS, I have seen the lives of many families changed for the better due to the centralized and varied services offered by this amazing organization and partnership. Greenville is lucky to have such a gem!
I have the privilege of coming to CDS every day as my job. I have never been more passionate about my place of work than here. The families inspire me to do my best so that we, in turn, help families who need guidance and support with their child's diagnosis. We see children with Down syndrome, spina bifida, ADHD, dyslexia, autism, cerebral palsy, and many other diagnosed and genetic conditions. All all so precious and have more potential than "experts" give them credit for. CDS and our partners help each child reach their full potential!
Everyone at CDS from the office staff to the therapists are amazing, they care so much about the children and families they serve.
My daughter was born with a cleft palate in May of 2008. My family and myself were not familiar with any of the issues that went along with this condition. CDS has been so amazing in helping my daughter to grow into an active, happy child and ensuring that I had all that I needed to help her. If it wasn't for all their generosity I don't know what we would have done!!!
This place is absolutely amazing. As a volunteer, I got to observe the staff in action and the care that they give to the children is phenomenal. It truly is an honor to get to play a tiny role in what goes on at CDS.
This is a great organization, it is not only focus on the child but in the whole family. I was one those families and I got all the clinical and moral support that I was needing but more than anything I got my hope back. Thank you CDS
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My daughter Sofia was diagnosed with a generic disorder call Trisomy 9 Mosaic that affect her live in different ways, we were told that she was going to live only for a few weeks and by the time she got out of the NICU she had a lot of appointments with different doctors, the first months were really hard going from one place to other, trying to find hope, trying to adapt to our new live, I was tired all the time. Things change when I went to the Center for Developmental Services, My daughter Sofia receive many services there that help her thru her live, they have everything under one roof: Special daycare, Speech therapy, Occupational therapy, Physical therapy, Hearing, the FACET clinic, support for the family, everything you need to know is there, everything you need to help your child is there, at the CDS we found other parents that had children with special needs, we learn from them and Sofia improve so much!!!! Sofia is not with us anymore but I have to thank CDS for providing the services that she needed and for treating her with so much love. Thank you CDS!!!!!
CDS is a place that is hard to explain but once you have experienced the professionlism of staff and therapists and the difference they make in individuals lives. We had a family member that received speech therapy from Kidnetics and the therapy was top-notched. They made the learning and therapy fun for my 3 year nephew. In addition, I personallly I have used the services of Clarity. I have a hearing loss and the audiologist took the time to explain what was happening to me and that it was most likely genetics. I was not afraid and felt at peace even with a new diagnois. I have since relocated from the Greenville area and trust me when I say that the Upstate is very lucky to have such a place as CDS.
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We had such a wonderful experience at the Center for Devlopmental Serivices. We brought our nephew to receive Speech Therapy with one of the agencies located at CDS. The therapist take the time with each child and throughly & professionally works with the child through their Diagnosis and treatment. His therapist have homework for him to work on home with words and pictures. He was making inprovement the very first week. He looked forward to coming to therapy to see his therapist and all the great things CDS offers. The lobby is filled with lots of color and fun and interactive games. They also have DVD's movies, a library with computer and resources and kid friendly books. So glad that the Greenville community had such a place for the families in the area to receive such awesome and top notch therapy for children with special needs. I am so THANKFUL for CDS being there for our family. Would not have known where to go without the partnership.
Both my sons have received services at CDS. My oldest for speech a few years back and now my youngest for speech and OT. I have seen such good results from the therapists here. The entire staff at CDS are wonderful and have been such a blessing for my family. I couldn't ask for better people to work with my boys. Any concerns I have they gladly address without question. On a personal level Whitney and Leni have been great with my youngest, he always greets them with great big hugs. They actually show that they care and that he's not just another patient. I would recommend CDS to anyone looking for the types o services offered here.
My two boys receive services from CDS (Kidnetics and Child Find, specifically). They are foster children in our care for an unknown about of time. I feel the staff has been completely supportive in helping us help our two little ones, even knowing it may be a temporary thing. We are just starting speech therapy with the younger child, and so excited to start seeing him improve in his communication, as right now, he is 90% unintelligible to the average listener. We're blessed to have an awesome service so close to home and so willing to work with our schedules to bring the boys to appointments.
I am a member of the local media. I have photographed numerous patients of CDS over the years, and they all have the highest praise for each of their programs. On a personal level, my nephew has been receiving services for the last year and has seen remarkable improvement. CDS is top-notch in every area.
My family was privileged to be on the recieving end of services from CDS. As an employee you can share all that you know about the six service providers but you just don't know until you're on the other side with the families that walk through the CDS doors daily. This year my family is one of the many that received services and the care truly lived up to what I've come to expect from my colleagues. My family knows first hand how great CDS is not because of stats, but because of the love and expertise shown in the service to my son.
My son has been having services here by OT and Speech for over a year now. He has also been evaluated several times throughout the last 4 years there. Everyone is great. The personnel, the doctors, the therapists. Just an overall great experience and I would highly recommend them.
My son has been a patient at CDS for 5 years. The staff are all very helpful and care for all of the children. I don't know what I would do if we had not been able to receive services there.
CDS has been amazing for my son! Partnered with GHS, he underwent a CARE evaluation in 2008 and diagnosed with High Functioning Autism w/language delays, including auditory processing disorder. He currently is receiving speech therapy once a week through Kidnetics and has made huge strides! He adores his therapist, Ms. Krista:) And, while waiting for their brother, his two younger sisters enjoy the library upstairs where they can play on computers, watch a movie or read a book. CDS is simply the BEST!
Invaluable resource to the Greenville community. As a preschool director for many years, I relied on CDS services. Great organization!
I am the Director of a local non-profit preschool and kindergarten program. We serve children from 6 months to 6 six years. The CDS is a wonderful resource to our community. I have recommended several children over the years to be tested for services through CDS and have seen these children reap the benefits from working with these specialists. Early intervention is key to a child's success and having the CDS available to families in our community is priceless. Many families could not afford the therapy that their child needs any other way. Thank you to each and every one of the special people that work at the CDS.
Not only do we receive therapy here we also see developmental pediatrics and my daughter goes to the wonder cwnter daily. Having all of these programs and more under one roof has created such a routine for us that everyone is like family. From the receptionist who looks like a bigger version of my daughter to mr willy giving high fives as he walks by. Cathy at developmental peds who listens to my every woe and makes things possible. To the wonder center staff who shower your little one with hugs and kisses as soon as you walk in the door! I love everything about this place and everyone is always so happy. Makes my day!
We first walked in the door of CDS when our daughter was 5 months old. We were there for a NICU clinic where developmental pediatric nurses and physical therapists evaluate children in an effort to catch developmental delays as early as possible. Over the next few years, CDS would become our home away from home, with Emma spending as much as 25-30 hours a week in speech, occupational and physical therapy and special education preschool settings.
We have benefited from the services provided by almost every partner agency in the almost 8 years since that first visit. I am convinced that Emma has received the highest quality care and that her treatment is enhanced by the close cooperation from the various agencies.
As the parent of a child who literally trembles whenever we go to a doctor's office, I love the way Emma lights up when we walk in the door, the way she asks to go to therapy and the way she walks around the facility with confidence - not fear.
Our entire family has been treated with respect, compassion and friendship. The therapists, teachers, physicians and support staff have been with us through the frustration when we didn't have a diagnosis and the questions we didn't have answers to when the diagnosis was made.
No one has ever assumed Emma couldn't do something based on her diagnosis. She's been challenged to reach her highest potential.
And she's been loved.
What more could any parent ask?
When the Center for Developmental Services first opened, I really didn't understand the concept. My twins had been receiving services daily from several of the client partners. Between the two of them we had at least 8 trips a week to various locations around Greenville. When i was first told that all of the appointments would now be housed in a single location I thought that meant that we would be changing therapists and teachers. Imagine my surprise when I realized that the consolidation was to make MY life easier. Changes in our health care had until that point had usually made the providers life easier not the patients. This was an amazing improvement. I could now go to the same central point each day. Wow.
CDS has been very helpful to my son and me. We have been using kidnetics speech therapy for about a year and Baby Net for about 3 months. Both programs have been very succssful and benificial to my son's specific needs. They both are very knowlegdable in answering any questions that I have had. They are very quick to get back to me with setting up appointments for evaluation or therapy sessions or any questions or concerns I had.
My son was diagnosed with pplagiocephaly around 8 months old. We worked with several wonderful organizations after his diagnosis including Center for Developmental Services. Soon after diagnosis, he was evaluated by CDS to make sure he was not behind developmentally (both mentally and physically). He was then placed in physical therapy and was back up to speed in only a couple months. The staff was wonderful! They were professional, organized, and very thorough in answering any questions I had.
I originially came to the CDC when my child was only 3 and not developing his language and motorskills as he should. He was quickly diagnosed and appropriate services were started in speech and OT. They then followed us through and helped place us in an approprirate 4k program with the school system. Now that we are in school and having learning problems we have been able to again utilize the services through Clarity to get wonderful tutoring in an amazingly nurturing and caring atmosphere. Everyone here has ALWALYS been friendly and helpful at every level. I consistently recommend friends an colleagues to this Center.
As an OT with Kidnetics, I enjoy working in such a unique setting. My immediate co-workers in Kidnetics are knowledgable, professional, and always available for dynamic therapy brainstorming. My CDS co-workers are just as wonderful to work with. Everyone is always pleasant and willing to help with problem solving. I love that we have access to such great resources right outside my office door.
Every since my children started here (one is in speech and one in OT) they have improved so much over the course of 3 years. The therapist here are wonderful and my kids really enjoy coming here. I remember when my son started. He wouldnt go anywhere without me. But since he's been coming to CDS, he's more independent and goes almost anywhere without me! CDS is the best!
My son has been coming to CDS since he was three years old forspeech. I was lucky enough to have a place like CDS to bring my son too, to get the help he needs. The people here are nice and friendly, and very helpful to me and my son. Since my son has been coming here his speech has inproved greatly over the past seven years. His therapist is very intune with my son's needs and is so helpful in giving me information that will help my son at home. I am thankful for the help and support that CDS has given to my son and me.
Child Development Services have been a tremendous help to our family. My husband and I have 2 children that currently receive services at the CDS. One of our children sees 3 different therapist. All four of the therapist have been helpful and worked with us. They are easy to talk to and understanding. As I am a homeschool mom they have been very helpful with letting me know how I as a mom can best help my child achieve her full potential as well as things to look for in curriculum that would be good to help strengthen areas that are week but not to the point of making the child discouraged. The check in staff are always so friendly and have gone out of their way to have my child seen by another therapist if the regular therapist in not available that day. This organization has truly made my life easier as a parent to help me know how to deal with my children with special needs more effectively .