Neurodevelopmental Program

The Neurodevelopmental Program is a tertiary care referral resource for children with established or suspected problems with development. The program focus is on children whose development is affected by sensorimotor deficits stemming from nervous system damage or dysfunction.

Approach to Care

The program uses a family-centered, interdisciplinary approach to comprehensive assessment and management of children over the course of their development. The team members consider themselves consultants to providers in the community and work closely with those providers for effective coordination of care.

A Team with a Broad Base of Expertise

The interdisciplinary staff includes developmental pediatricians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, social workers, and audiologists. Often other services are helpful and the team makes recommendations for referral to these as needed. Examples include psychology, special education, nutrition, assistive technology, dentistry, genetics, metabolics, neurology, ophthalmology, and orthopedics.
Referrals are welcome from parents, educators, physicians and other health care providers. Case management and follow-up evaluations are coordinated with local providers and families.

Clinical Services and Special Features

• Initial interdisciplinary assessment.
• Comprehensive and coordinated follow-up evaluation and management to meet individualized medical, functional, educational and social needs.
• Rett Syndrome Clinic: a diagnostic, evaluative and management clinic for children with Rett Syndrome.
• Feeding Clinic: a developmental pediatrician, occupational therapist, speech and language pathologist, nutritionist, and social worker address oral-motor and feeding skills, nutritional intake, parent-child interaction, and behavioral and emotional issues related to meal-time dynamics.
• Equipment Clinic: a clinic consisting of physical therapy and community equipment vendors that provides individualized evaluation and prescription for durable medical equipment, including wheelchairs and specialized seating systems.
• Individual treatment is available from occupational therapy, physical therapy, pediatric dentistry, and speech-language pathology.
• Individual and family counseling is available through psychology and social work.