Dr. Frederick B. Palmer Retired from Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities Universities of Tennessee Health Science Center

January 19, 2017

Dr. Palmer retired from the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities, University of Tennessee Health Science Center on January 6, 2017 after 23 years as Director and Shainberg Professor of Pediatrics. The Boling Center is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) program. The center is administratively housed and supported in part through the Department of Pediatrics

Dr. Palmer has been committed to the interdisciplinary training of professionals in comprehensive, coordinated, family-centered care and supports for children and adults with disabilities. He has worked closely with the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in developing certification policies and procedures in the subspecialty of Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Dr. Palmer's special clinical service interests include cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, preschool language disorders and better meeting the needs of children and adults with disabilities and their families within the changing health care delivery and related support systems.

Dr. Palmer served as the President of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) in 2005 and was the recipient of the George S. Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award in 2014. A Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics since 1977, Dr. Palmer has been a prolific contributor to and consumer of research in the field, a passion that he instilled in his faculty, staff, and students. He was a reviewer for five scientific journals and a member of the Editorial Board of Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews. Dr. Palmer co-authored over 30 books or book chapters, 50 journal articles, and more than 80 presentations in the areas of infant reflexes, language development, failure to thrive, learning disabilities, clinical interviewing techniques, developmental and psychometric testing, early intervention, intellectual disability and cerebral palsy.

Established in 1957, the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities has a mission to transfer research and new knowledge related to disabilities from the university setting to communities in Tennessee and the region. The center provides expertise in diagnosis and treatment, statewide training and technical assistance, service to government agencies in implementing best practices and partnership with families and self-advocates with disabilities.

Although retired, Dr. Palmer will continue to contribute to the field by providing clinical supervision to medical residents and education of LEND trainees on a part-time basis as an emeritus member of the clinical faculty.

A retirement reception will be held in the afternoon of January 19 at the Boling Center to honor Dr. Palmer's many years of service. RSVP to Dr. Toni Whitaker: [email protected].