Professor Juan Perera (Ph. D.) is a Doctor of Psychology from the University of Barcelona, with specialisation courses in Clinical Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid (1968) and postgraduate studies at the Universities of Navarre (Spain) (1978) and Fairfield (USA) (1995).
He taught doctoral courses at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Barcelona between 1984 and 1992. Since its founding in 1977, he has directed the Príncipe de Asturias Centre for research and treatment of Down syndrome, which is affiliated to the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB).
His teaching and professional activity has centred on the field of disability, and in particular on Down syndrome, for which he has received worldwide recognition as a result of his research, publications and conferences. He is the author, co-author and editor of the following books, among others:
- Rondal, J.A., Perera, J., Nadel, L., Comblain, A. (eds.) (1996). Down’s Syndrome. Psychological, psychobiological and socioeducational perspectives. London: Whurr
- Rondal, J.A., Perera, J., Nadel, L. (eds.) (2000). Down Syndrome. A review of current knowledge. London: Whurr
- Rondal, J.A., Perera, J. (eds.) (2006). Down Syndrome neurobehavioral specificity. Chichester: Wiley
- Rondal, J. A., Perera, J., Spiker, D. (Eds.) (2011). Neurocognitive Rehabilitation of Down Syndrome. The Early Years. (in press) Cambridge University Press
He has also written some 30 specialist articles and book chapters on aspects of early intervention, language, education, integration into working life and the psychology of Down syndrome.
He is a member of the editorial board of a number of the main scientific magazines that are published on Down syndrome.
He was the President and organiser of the 6th World Down Syndrome Congress which was held in Madrid (Spain) in 1997. He has been on the scientific committee of the last 4 World Congresses and has organised an International Symposium every 3 years in Majorca on the most important scientific aspects of Down syndrome:
- 1990: ‘Chromosome 21: Genotype-Phenotype Relationship’
- 1993: ‘Early Intervention in Down Syndrome: Theoretical Bases and Intervention’
- 1996: ‘Educational Requirements of Students with Down Syndrome: From Research to Practice’
- 1999: ‘Psychology of Down Syndrome. Theory, Intervention and Evaluation’
- 2002: ‘Review of Current Knowledge on Down Syndrome’
- 2005. ‘Specificity in Down Syndrome’.
- 2008. ‘Early Intervention in Down Syndrome (and other Developmental Disabilities). Theoretical Bases, Research and Clinical Implications’.
Moreover, Juan has also devoted much of his time to the organisation of the Down syndrome associations movement. In 1976 he set up the first Spanish association for Down syndrome in the Balearic Islands (ASNIMO 1976), and later on he was the promoter and Co-founder of the Spanish Federation (Down España 1982), of the European Federation (EDSA 1986), and the International Federation (DSi 1993).
He has been President of Down España twice and also President of EDSA twice. In 2009 he received at the World Down Syndrome Congress held in Dublin an award from DSi for his career dedicated to Down syndrome.
