UAB Civitan Center Text Only Web Content

Site Disclaimer
UAB Official Web Site Disclaimer applies to all pages on this site.

This is a text-only version of the UAB Civitan Research Center's home page. This site is designed to assist persons browsing the web using primarily text only browsers. This said, most of the Center's web pages support 3.0 and higher browsers and use a minimum of proprietary code. The simplicity of the code used makes text only browsing of virtually all of the Center's web pages possible. Please contact us by e-mail at willett@uab.edu if you have navigation problems on this or any other areas within the Center's web pages. Some of our navigational tools employ Java Script but this is accessible through most text-only browsers. Be sure to have this function enabled.

About Us
Welcome to the UAB Civitan International Research Center. Exciting research is underway here with a focus on preventing and treating a wide range of developmental disabilities that affect children and families everywhere. Our faculty, clinicians, and scientific investigators are also deeply committed to training the next generation of professionals who will carry this expertise around the world. We are the home of Sparks Clinics, and Alabama's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education (a national network of federally funded university centers).

Many of our international collaborations are conducted by investigators in the UAB Department of Neurobiology. This site has information important to students, educators, researchers and families. Click here to learn more about our national and in-state partners in the developmental disabilities network.

The following list of links are within or strongly related to the Civitan Center. The links are followed by a section of news and information about ongoing Center projects and related information. The links below connect to pages containing a combination of graphic and text they are all compatible with most screen reading software. Please feel free to contact Jim Willett if you need any technical assistance with content found on our sites. Be sure to include a return e-mail address or contact information.

Civitan Center Related Links

Contact Us

Our Mission

UAB Sparks Clinics

Director and Associate Directors' Links

Current News Items

Consumer Advisory Committee and Consumer News

UAB Mental Retardation Research Center

UAB Life Projects Office

University Center for Excellence (formerly UAP)

UAB MCH LEND

UAB Neurobiology Department

Online Civitan Center Brochure

UAB Titusville 2000 (archival web site on UAB's Titusville 2000 Program)

Center Programs and Projects

News Archive

Civitan International Club Recognition Site

More Links and Information

The UAB Pediatric Constraint Induced Therapy Clinic is now seeing patients -- Click here to learn more.

UAB Departments
This link includes a search engine to locate departments, research centers, and administrative components at UAB.

Many of our faculty are associated with the UAB Department of Neurobiology and the UAB Department of Psychology.

Archive for Alabama Child Care Consortium web site.

Children's Trust Fund And Civitan Center collaboration web site.

The Civitan Center has recently compiled an updated list of Online Resources of interest to child care professionals and parents.

Civitan International
This international service organization's support was essential in the creation of this Center and plays an integral role in its ongoing development.

The Alabama Department of Human Resources

The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services site.

Alabama Early Intervention System (AEIS): This web site includes information about services available for eligible infants and toddlers and their families, the service delivery system, and personnel development opportunities.

The Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities funds many community projects. Many resource links are available on this site and at the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program site.

The Alabama Respite Resource Network provides temporary relief for caregivers of individuals with special needs.

Titusville 2000 is a web site featuring information about UAB's partnership with this historic community near our campus.

Meet Your Neighbor - People with developmental disabilities have much to give to enhance, enrich, and strengthen our society. They have the same rights as everyone to pursue independence, productivity, integration and inclusion. Meet Your Neighbor is a new project sponsored by the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities to change erroneous beliefs held by too many in our society that individuals with developmental disabilities are incapable of working and being contributing members of society. To kickoff this effort, two posters are being distributed to focus public awareness on these issues.

Information Update On Telephone Services For Persons With A Speech Disability -- If you have a speech disability and live in the USA (including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), you can now use a new, free telephone service 24 hours a day. It is also available (fewer hours of the day) in Sweden and Australia. This FCC mandated service, called Speech to Speech (STS), provides communication assistants (CAs) for people with difficulty being understood by the public on the telephone. Click here for more information and links.

Civitan International Clubs Around The World are recognized at this web site-- More than 1,000 local chapters of Civitan International with 29,000 members are active in 22 nations around the world. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, Civitan International has been involved in a wide range of community service activities since 1917.

Links and More Links...

For more links of national and regional importance visit our Links Archive.

Read about the important benefits of Folic Acid.

Browse our Search Engines

Contacting Us

The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Civitan International
Research Center Birmingham, AL 35294-0021

PHONE: 205-934-8900
TOLL FREE:
1-800-UAB-CIRC
FAX: 205-975-6330
Electronic mail address
info@civmail.circ.uab.edu

For direct feedback bout this web site contact:
willett@uab.edu or call 205-934-1105.

News and Information Section

New Leadership at the Civitan International Research Center 
Richard Marchase, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham Vice President for Research, announced the appointment of Harald W. Sontheimer, Ph.D., as the new Director of the Civitan International Research Center and Dr. Alan Percy as Medical Director for the Sparks/Civitan Clinics. Dr. Sontheimer is Professor of Neurobiology and Cell Biology at UAB and has been a basic scientist with the Civitan Center since 1994. Dr. Sontheimer succeeds Michael Friedlander, Ph.D., who retired from UAB and accepted an appointment as Chairman of the Department of Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. The Civitan International Research Center began in 1990 after UAB received a pledge of $20 million in support from the Civitan International Foundation. Nearly $12 million has been paid to-date on the pledge and Civitan members in many nations work each year to raise funds to support their “Flagship” project. Click here to read the full announcement and additional background on the Center's new directors.

"Can we talk... Autism?" Is First of Round Table Forums Hosted by CIRC
On September 30, 2005, consumers, researchers, families, clinicians, students, and trainees will come together in the first of a series of facilitated discussions hosted by the CIRC. The intent of the forums is to foster greater communication and trust between researchers and consumers/families and to value the role of consumers as partners in the CIRC's mission of research, education, and service on developmental disabilities. The first forum for invited participants will be held at the Bradley Conference Center at Children the Children's Harbor Building.

CIRC Announces Grants for Emerging Scholars in Developmental Disabilities
The Civitan International Research Center is requesting proposals for clinical or basic science research aimed at enhancing our current understanding of normal and abnormal brain development, cognition, autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities and mental retardation. Also encouraged are proposals from investigators studying how exposure to environmental toxins may alter development of the brain. Deadline for the the initial round of proposal submissions was Sept 16, 2006. Click here for a copy of the RFP in the PDF format.

UAB Sparks Clinics have moved to a new location
After more than 30 years of service at 1720 7th Ave. South, the UAB Sparks Clinics have moved to a newly renovated space in the Community Health Services Building at 930 South 20th Street. The clinics and evaluation areas are now in one contiguous space with facilities appointed in colors and décor appealing to children and adults alike. Offices for staff and clinicians are also located in the Community Health Services Building on the 3rd floor and entered at 933 19th Street South. Interested UAB faculty and staff are invited to visit the new facilities. Watch for an announcement regarding a formal open house in 2005. Clinic appointments are still made at the previous numbers: 934-5471 (local Birmingham metro area call) or 1-800-822-2472 from anywhere in the nation.

Alliance for Full Participation Plans Summit for 2005
September 21-24, the Alliance for Full Participation will host a 2005 Summit: "Many Voices, One Vision" in Washington DC to bring together those committed to making the promises inherent in the Developmental Disabilities Act for Americans a reality. More than 1,200 people are expected to attend to help craft a new strategic policy and social agenda in support of full participation, and to carry that agenda forward in their communities following the Summit. Please join us in making full participation a reality. The Association of University Centers on Disabilities has joined with 11 other organizations help make this summit possible. The Alliance for Full Participation Summit 2005 is now calling for presenters and posters on the topics of Leadership, Community Membership and Self Determination, and Enhancing the Quality of Supports and Services. Please view a PDF of the application for additional information

North Alabama Junior Civitans Are Helping Visits to Sparks Clinics Become a "Colorful" Event!
The Alabama North Junior Civitan District Project is "Operation Education." Last year, their project was Kuddlies for Kids, and they collected hundreds of wonderful stuffed animals for the children at the Sparks Center. Children visiting the Clinics got to pick out their own animal to take home and enjoy. "This was a great project and our district loved it. Our district received District Project of the Year for Kuddlies for Kids," reports Scotty Rainwater, Alabama North Junior Civitan District Governor. "The original idea was that the Junior Civitan clubs in the Alabama North District would collect school supplies for their school systems. But our Junior Civitans love supporting the Sparks Clinics and the Research Center so much that when they were told they could collect coloring books and crayons for the kids who come to the clinics, they leaped at the opportunity!" adds Rainwater. "The project has grown into another way to support the Research Center and Clinics. So far this year we have collected 763 coloring books and 690 boxes of crayons. We anticipate breaking 1000 by the end of the Junior Civitan year." Shown just after delivering the coloring books and crayons to the new Sparks Clinics location are (left to right): Brandon Kennedy, Alabama North Junior Civitan District Lt. Governor, Scotty Rainwater, Alabama North Junior Civitan District Governor, and Rachael Gatlin, Arab High School Junior Civitan Club President.

Civitan International Funding for UAB Research Tops $13.5 Million  
The Civitan International Foundation recently presented the UAB Civitan International Research Center (CIRC) a grant of $900,000. The gift is part of the on-going commitment from Civitan International to UAB, which began with the Center's founding in 1990. Total gifts now stand at more than $13.5 million and ultimately will reach $20 million. "The Foundation's major grant has been a keystone in the Center's efforts to develop world-class research, treatment and service programs in the areas of mental retardation and developmental disabilities,” said Michael J. Friedlander, PhD, director of the Center and professor and chair of the UAB Department of Neurobiology. "The annual contribution from the Civitan Foundation enhances the Center's efforts to be highly competitive in preparing applications for funded research and recruiting outstanding personnel, while creating opportunities to respond rapidly to scientific developments". The latest gift was presented to UAB President Carol Z. Garrison during a ceremonies at the CIRC by Dr. Bobbie Walden and William Hiscott, of Civitan International, along with Charles Smith and Whitfield Mallory of the Chesapeake Civitan District. The Chesapeake District gift will support the acquisition of human functional brain imaging facilities for studies of teenage mothers at risk for child neglect and for studies of children with autism spectrum disorders. It will also fund a new "McNulty Civitan Scientist Award", which honors the memory of Tommy McNulty, a Maryland man who had Down syndrome. The first recipient of the McNulty Civitan Scientist Award is Harald Sontheimer, PhD, professor of neurobiology and senior scientist at the Center. He is among the leading world experts on glial cells in the brain and their functions in health and disease in the developing and mature brain.

Nation's First Pediatric Constraint Therapy Program Attracts Interest From Around The World
The UAB Neuromotor Research Center web site which serves as the online home for the CIRC's Pediatric Constraint Induced Therapy program has received nearly 14,000 visits during it's first 24 months of operation. The program is also attracting the interest of other health oriented web sites and from parents around the world. Dr. Stephanie DeLuca, who played a key role in bringing Constraint Induced Therapy to children, is presently featured in an online interview about the program at Holistic Junction.com. In addition to the interview the article lists key research papers that paved the way for bringing this innovative therapy to children and their families. Research is continuing today on this innovative strategy which is making a significant difference in the lives of children and families.

Harald Sontheimer, Ph.D., Receives Goldhirsh Foundation Award To Study Brain Cancer
Harald Sontheimer, Ph.D., professor of neurobiology and senior scientist at the Civitan International Research Center has received a Goldhirsh Foundation award to study brain cancer. The prestigious Goldhirsh awards are designed for researchers who are developing fundamental insights into the biology of brain tumors and whose work offers potential new therapies for treating these deadly cancers. "It is a great honor for UAB to receive its first oldhirsh Foundation award and appropriate for that recipient to be Dr. Sontheimer," said Michael J. Friedlander, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Neurobiology. "His basic research on glial cell biology has paved the way for several exciting new and innovative treatments for gliomas, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer." Only seven Goldhirsh awards were presented in 2004. Click here for more on this story from the UAB Media Relations web site.

Public Forum August 16, 2004 Discussed Developmental Disabilities Services And Issues Related To System Change
Family members and persons interested in developmental disabilities attended a live televised interactive public forum at four locations across Alabama on August 16, 2004 to discuss a wide range of issues related to developmental disabilities, services, service providers and system change. The program was part of a week-longsite visit from the federal funding agency, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, which provides major support for the University Center on Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research, and Service located at the UAB Civitan Center. The forum with sites in Troy, Tuscaloosa, Florence, and Birmingham, was hosted by the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program (ADAP), the Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD), and the UAB Civitan International Research Center. Click here for detailed information about participating, agencies, sites and other information.

KnowKidding Web Site Assists Parents and Professionals with Early Intervention Online Resources
The Health Libraries Access for Alabama Early Intervention grant was written in the spring of 2002 to meet the requirements for a grant RFP (request for projects) by the National Libraries of Medicine, within the National Institutes of Health under the Department of Health and Human Services. We were successful in getting these funds to Alabama to develop an administrative infrastructure, a web site, and a training program for Alabama Early Intervention providers and parents. The emphasis is on teaching and learning how to acquire high quality health information over the Internet and getting that information in the hands of providers and families. The grant to create the site and its related activities was written by Dr. Judy Drews, senior physical therapist for UAB Sparks Clinics at the Civitan Research Center. Sparks Clinics is known as the State's original one-stop center for world class early intervention services and clinical research in developmental disabilities. Please visit KnowKidding to learn more about this resource and please share the link with others who may be interested.

Great Beginnings Interactive Conferences
Seek to Improve Infant Care
The National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality, NICHQ, is pleased to announce "Great Beginnings," an Internet based improvement collaborative, conducted in partnership with the Vermont Oxford Network, designed to help multidisciplinary clinical teams transform the care they provide to newborn infants and their families during the birth hospitalization. In seven interactive action-oriented web conferences guided by a faculty of national experts, organizations will receive tools, training and materials fostering collaboration, measurement, and improvement. Please join us! Visit the Great Beginnings web site. Register your organization today! For a complete program and registration form click here. For more information, check our web site www.nichq.org or contact Lisa Horvitz at lhorvitz@nichq.org.

Who should join?
* All hospitals providing maternal and newborn care * Obstetricians, nurse managers, neonatalogists, pediatricians, family practitioners, nurses
* State hospital associations
* Public health professionals
* State programs with nursery oversight

Dr. Alan Percy Named One of America's Best Doctors
Dr. Alan K. Percy, CIRC Associate Director for Research and Clinical Services, was recently named "one of the best doctors in America" by the www.bestdoctors.com web site. Only about 4% of the doctors in America are recognized as "best doctors" by the site. The site surveys thousands of specialists from around the world to develop its listings of best doctors. The web site has been called one of the top ten medical sites on the Internet. In association with his Civitan Center duties Dr. Percy serves as Medical Director of UAB Sparks Clinics and is internationally known as a specialist on Rett syndrome.

Back to top of page.

Back to graphics based Civitan Center home page.