In 1958, while working in Professor Turpin’s laboratory, Dr Jérôme Lejeune discovered the genetic cause of what was then known as Mongolism: an extra chromosome in pair 21. On 26th January 1959, the Academy of Science published his scientific work (Jérôme Lejeune, Marthe Gautier and Raymond Turpin. Human chromosomes in tissue culture. C. R. Acad. Sciences, 26th January 1959).  This condition would henceforth be called Trisomy 21.

For the first time in the world, a link had been established between an intellectual disability and a chromosome abnormality. Parents of children with Down syndrome could now know that their children’s’ condition was not hereditary. He later discovered the cause of many other chromosome abnormalities, thereby opening the way to cytogenetics and modern genetics.

Heading the Cytogenetics Unit at the Hospital Necker- Enfants Malades in Paris, his consultations became among the most sought after in the world. Helped by his co-workers, he investigated over 30,000 chromosome cases and treated more than 9,000 persons with these conditions.

His utmost concern was to one day succeed in healing the maladies of the patients who came to see him from around the world. He showed the personhood of his patients, and reminded us that as a civilization we must always seek to protect our most vulnerable members.

Although the results of his research should have helped medicine to advance towards a cure, they are often used to identify children carrying these conditions as early as possible, usually with the aim of terminating pregnancy.

Lejeune was propelled to the forefront of advocating for the protection of the unborn with Down syndrome. He gave hundreds of conferences and interviews across the globe in defense of life. He died of cancer on the 3rd of April 1994, Easter morning, 33 days after his appointment as president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
 

Professor Lejeune’s work continues today with his triple mission of;
 

Care, Advocacy and Research

Prior to receiving an appointment for the EIG’s and Buddy-Up Sessions, our therapists will contact parents for a telephone call to gain a fuller understanding of where your child needs support. This helps us to plan the clinics and for families to gain the maximum therapy from their sessions.

Parents are contacted on return of the Referral form and an appointment will be arranged. Spaces are limited and we reserve the right to withdraw or review the frequency of therapy but will discuss this with parents.  All parents need to sign our Data Protection and information sharing policy.

“…Every patient is my brother.”

The Lejeune Clinic was set up in 1995 by Dr Margret White and the Guild of Catholic Doctors and was the first center in the UK to provide specialist assessment and therapy for children with Down syndrome and their families. For over twenty years the clinic followed the work of Professor Jerome Lejeune, the French geneticist who in 1959 discovered in the link between Down syndrome and Chromosome 21. Professor Lejeune pioneered a clinic in Paris for the care, research and treatment of children with Down syndrome and devoted his life to working for them and their families and saw thousands of children from across the world at his clinics. 

Today, medical services provided in the UK for children with Down syndrome has improved enormously and there is a network of doctors who are members of the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group who share information with health care professionals involved in the treating and managing of the syndrome and so families can now access support locally. 

At the Lejeune Clinic, we continue to support families by providing essential Speech & Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy Sessions. We run clinics which are jointly led by two specialist therapists in Speech & Language and Occupational Therapy from birth to 18 years old. 

Our Clinics focus on developing the child’s language and communication as well as their physical development. The sessions provide interventions with advice and recommendations for parents and carers on how to help their child with their next stage of development together with practical skills and activities which can be incorporated into their everyday lives.

This shared intervention is proven to have excellent outcomes for the children and enables parents to learn more about their child’s condition and how to practically help them and give them the best start in life. 

Jennifer Warwick

Since training as a speech and language therapist in 2003 Jennifer has worked across a range of health, education and charity contexts providing assessment and intervention for children and young people with neurodevelopmental disorders and complex communication needs. She has extensive experience working with children, young people and babies with Down Syndrome. Jennifer works collaboratively with parents and educators to support and empower them in developing communication and interaction skills in children and young people Jennifer volunteers as a Research Champion and Advisor for ASD and social communication disorders for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. She is committed to research and best practice evidenced through completion of an MSC in Human Communication at City University, London in 2013. Jennifer has an interest in the development of social cognition in young children and is joint author of the ‘Early Sociocognitive Battery.’

I have undertaken specific training in the following assessment and therapy approaches:

• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule
• SCERTS approach
• Picture Exchange Communication System
• Makaton
• Hanen - It takes two to talk and More than words
• Management of eating and drinking difficulties in children
• Solution focused brief therapy
• Clinical supervision training
• Intensive Interaction
• Bobath for Speech and Language therapists

London Children’s Practice

1A Queripel House
Duke of York Square
Sloane Square
London
SW3 4LY

Registered Charity No. 1063847

Email: Enquiries@lejeuneclinic.com
 

Directions

Queripel House is next door to Partridges, a large delicatessen, and opposite the Saatchi gallery.

The nearest tube station is Sloane Square. Several bus routes run through Sloane Square - 11, 19, 22, 137, 170, 211, 319, 360, 452 & C1.

Parking is available at a pay-as-you-go car park in Cheltenham Terrace. Meter parking is available in St Leonard's Terrace, Turks Row and further down Cheltenham Terrace. There is also residential parking at Chelsea and Kensington.
 

Payments

The sessions are subsidised by the Lejeune Clinic for Children with Down Syndrome but do still require parental contribution (See Clinic Costs page). 

Appointments must be paid for in advance of the session to confirm a place: payment details will be provided on confirmation of your booking.
 

Cancelling Appointments

Appointments must be cancelled more than 48 hours before the appointment.
 

If you wish to cancel your appointment, email  Cancellations@lejeuneclinic.com
 

If the appointment is not cancelled within this timeframe, you will be liable to pay the full cost of the appointment.
 

Please be aware that the clinic is not able to help with medical emergencies – for these you should contact NHS 111, your GP or local Accident & Emergency department.