Rise is the only community resource in Houston that delivers intensive education, intervention and therapy during the entire formative infant, toddler and preschool years in a school-wide integrated environment.
The need for The Rise School of Houston is great as few community resources address the needs of families and children with Down syndrome from ages six months to six years in Southeast Texas, and those that do are limited. Federally mandated public preschool for special needs children does not begin until 3 years old, and Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) offers limited therapy on a monthly basis for youngsters with developmental disabilities.
Rise is best known for serving young children with Down syndrome, but we also enroll children with other developmental disabilities, such as Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, brain injuries suffered in utero or during birth, or other disabilities, which have not yet been diagnosed. About 75% of the children with disabilities at Rise have Down syndrome and 25% have other developmental disabilities.
Down syndrome is the most common genetic variation in the United States, affecting about 1 in 800 children. The occurence is slightly higher among Hispanic children. We know Down syndrome is caused by a triplication of the 21st chromosome, but there is no clear cause for the mutation, no known means to prevent it and no hereditary link. While advanced maternal age (over 35) is a risk factor, the vast majority of children with Down syndrome are born to mothers under 35.