Prior to the creation of the Children's Learning Institute, the Department of Developmental Pediatrics at UTHealth housed two nationally recognized centers: the Center for Academic and Reading Skills and the Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education. Established in 1996, CARS was devoted to improving academic skills in children through research and implementation. CARS enhanced the educational experience of students by bringing evidence-based learning approaches to the classroom, developing teachers’ knowledge about the conditions under which students learn, and helping teachers assess students’ strengths and weaknesses, form instructional plans and monitor progress. In the fall of 1999, Texas First LadyLaura Bush identified CIRCLE to lead then-Governor George W. Bush’s early childhood education initiative. CIRCLE was established as the state's premier center for early childhood education and focused on providing training to early childhood teachers and caregivers by positively impacting teachers’ skills in language and literacy. The goal was to help families and teachers assist young children in preparing for reading and learning before they entered kindergarten. Texas Governor Rick Perry designated CIRCLE as the State Center for Early Childhood Development in 2003. Pleased with the changes occurring in participating early childhood classrooms, the 78th Legislature passed Senate Bill 76 that same year, appointing the State Center with the task of implementing the statewide school readiness demonstration research project known as the Texas Early Education Model. The University of Texas System Board of Regents officially merged the two centers and their various programs in 2003, creating the Children's Learning Institute.
Clinics
The Children's Learning Institute operates the following clinics:
Center for Autism and Related Conditions – part of the Dan L. Duncan Children's Neurodevelopmental Clinic, its mission is to enhance opportunities for successful living for children with autism spectrum disorders by providing them with individualized, research-based assessment and clinical services.
Neuropsychological Services for Neurological Conditions Clinic – evaluates both children and adults with a wide variety of learning disabilities as well as illnesses affecting the central nervous system.
CLI's clinics also offer hands-on tutoring throughout the school year and during the summer months for children in pre-kindergarten-grade 8.
Programs
The Children's Learning Institute oversees several programs:
