developmental pediatrics
Our developmental pediatrics team provides expert evaluation, diagnosis, and support for children with developmental delays, autism, and learning or behavioral differences.
what is developmental pediatrics?
Developmental pediatrics focuses on children who have delays or differences in growth, learning, or behavior. At Dayton Children’s, our team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and therapists who work together to evaluate concerns, make diagnoses, and provide ongoing support.
Our goal is to build strong relationships with children and families so they can experience the best quality of life possible. We collaborate with other specialists at Dayton Children’s and connect families with community resources to make sure every child’s needs are met—both in the hospital and at home.
developmental care and support
Our developmental pediatrics team provides evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term support across a range of specialized clinics for children and families.
- Developmental diagnostic and follow-up care – evaluations for children from birth through age 4 who may be delayed in reaching milestones
- Down syndrome and genetic conditions – coordinated care, treatment planning, and referrals for children with Down syndrome and related genetic conditions
- Autism diagnostic clinic – specialized assessments for young children who may show signs of autism
- Cerebral palsy program – comprehensive, team-based care for children with cerebral palsy from birth through young adulthood
- Myelomeningocele clinic – multidisciplinary care for children with spina bifida, tethered cord, and related neural tube conditions
- High-risk newborn follow-up clinic – screenings, evaluations, and support for babies who began life in the NICU
developmental diagnostic and follow-up care
Some children take longer to reach milestones like walking or talking, which isn’t always a cause for concern. But if your child is consistently delayed in more than one area, our specialists can help. We provide comprehensive evaluations for children from birth through age 4, connecting families with early treatments that can make a lasting difference. For children over age 5 without a prior diagnosis, we can recommend appropriate referrals.
Down syndrome and other genetic conditions
Children with Down syndrome are living longer, healthier lives thanks to advances in care, but many still face challenges such as heart, breathing, or hearing issues. Our clinic provides comprehensive evaluations, treatment planning, and coordinated referrals to other specialists and community resources, helping families manage current needs and prepare for the future.
conditions we treat in developmental pediatrics
Our pediatric specialists treat children who have developmental disabilities, including:
meet our developmental pediatrics specialists
Dayton Children’s provides extensive services and support for children with conditions that affect their development. Our developmental pediatrics team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers and other providers who specialize in diagnosing, treating and providing long-term care for these children.
developmental pediatrics programs and services
Research shows that early intervention can make a big difference for children with autism. Dayton Children’s autism diagnostic clinic provides evaluations for children ages 18 months through their 4th birthday who may show signs of autism. Our multidisciplinary team, including a developmental pediatrician and a child psychologist, takes time to observe, interact with, and understand each child in order to make an accurate assessment. Families receive answers, guidance, and recommendations for services or referrals so children can get the support they need as early as possible.
Children with cerebral palsy often need care from many specialists. At Dayton Children’s, we bring the experts to one place—so your child can receive coordinated, comprehensive care and a personalized treatment plan without the stress of multiple appointments. Our clinic is led by a developmental pediatrician and includes specialists in rehabilitation, orthopedics, nutrition, therapy, and more, all working together to support your child’s health and development from birth through young adulthood.
Dayton Children’s offers a comprehensive cleft lip and cleft palate program, with a team that includes developmental pediatricians, plastic surgeons, an oral surgeon, an orthodontist, a speech-language pathologist and others. Together, they provide a detailed diagnosis, a comprehensive treatment plan and extensive support every step of the way.
Babies who begin life in the NICU often need specialized follow-up care to ensure they continue to grow and develop as expected. Our high-risk newborn follow-up clinic provides screenings, evaluations, therapies, and referrals, along with education and support for parents. A team of developmental specialists, physicians, nurses and therapists work together to give your baby the best start beyond the NICU.
Dayton Children’s myelomeningocele clinic provides coordinated, multidisciplinary care for infants, children, and teens with spina bifida, tethered cord, and related conditions. Our team includes specialists from neurosurgery, orthopedics, urology, rehabilitation, nutrition, therapy, and more—all working together in one clinic to support your child’s health, development, and quality of life.
Dayton Children’s offers comprehensive specialty care for children with permanent hearing loss. This clinic offers patients a comprehensive approach to hearing loss through a team of specialists, including pediatric ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists, pediatric audiologists, developmental pediatrics specialists and speech-language pathologists. Together, they offer:
- Complete evaluation and care for hearing loss
- Referrals to other pediatric specialists who can offer additional care, including neurologists, pulmonologists, endocrinologists, psychologists and others
- Referrals for comprehensive testing, including imaging tests, auditory brainstem response testing and speech-language evaluations
- Cochlear implants
- Bone-anchored hearing aids
- Support to help parents decide how they want to communicate with their child, whether using American Sign Language, cued speech, etc.
- Supportive resources for families and children
- Consultations with the child’s classroom teachers to help address the child’s academic needs
- Genetic testing for families whose child has sensorineural hearing loss, if appropriate. This can help determine whether the child’s hearing loss is associated with inherited genetic factors—factors that may be present in siblings or other family members.
scheduling an appointment with developmental pediatrics
The first step in making an appointment with one of our clinics is for your child’s primary care physician to make a referral. After we receive this referral, our team will send you a questionnaire form to better understand your concerns. We understand it is a long form, but fill it out as much as possible. This will help us provide a more productive first visit. You can return this form by mail or fax or complete it online.
Once we have all the information we need, we will ask our scheduling department to call you to set up an appointment. We will try to schedule your child’s appointment as soon as possible, but we are seeing long wait times.
resources while you wait
While you wait for the appointment, we suggest a few things:
- If your child is under 3 years old, please contact Help Me Grow in your county. If your child is over 3 years old, contact your school district to see if your child is eligible for an IEP.
- If you have specific fine motor, gross motor or speech-language concerns, please discuss those with your child’s primary care doctor. They can refer you for therapies to help address these concerns. Examples include speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, hearing evaluation.
- If you have behavior concerns:
- Read about the Triple P program.
- You can also find additional resources in the community with the Mental Health Resource Finder.
Our team is always available to provide information and answer your questions. Call us at 937-641-4073.
what to expect
Your child’s first appointment in the Developmental Diagnostic/Follow-Up Clinic will last about 90 minutes. It will include a physical examination, testing and a detailed conversation with the doctor about your child’s medical history and development. At the end of this appointment, you will receive written notes about your visit and our initial recommendations and diagnosis. Your treatment plan may include:
- Recommendations for educational and developmental planning
- Recommendations for behavioral management
- Medication recommendations
- Referral to genetics
- Referral to other specialists or therapists
- Recommendations for medical equipment
- Our team will coordinate your child’s care and make adjustments to the treatment plan as needed.
We will want to see your child regularly to see how he or she is responding to the treatment plan and to recommend additional therapy or testing if needed. We will schedule follow-up appointments at the end of each visit. These appointments usually take 30-45 minutes.
find more resources for your visit
Get checklists, resources, and helpful tips for before, during, and after your visit to Dayton Children’s—so you know exactly what to expect.
news and blogs
Stay up-to-date with the latest insights from Dayton Children’s Hospital. We’re always working to share helpful, real-world content for families dealing with conditions that affect their development.
patient stories
Our patients motivate everything we do. From children reaching developmental milestones with early support to families finally getting answers after months of questions, each story shows how our trusted developmental pediatrics team partners with families to understand each child’s unique needs and help them thrive.
Explore how Dayton Children’s developmental pediatrics has gone above and beyond for kids just like yours.
resources
The laboratory department and child life department at Dayton Children’s Hospital worked in collaboration to become the first of its kind to earn the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation, granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). This designation means that the lab and child life teams had to complete a rigorous training and certification program to help them better assist autistic patients or those with other sensory sensitivities. The CAC certification also includes an onsite review to provide support and guidance to accommodate patients with sensory needs.
While you wait for the appointment, we suggest a few things:
- If your child is under 3 years old, please contact Help Me Grow in your county. If your child is over 3 years old, contact your school district to see if your child is eligible for an IEP.
- If you have specific fine motor, gross motor or speech-language concerns, please discuss those with your child’s primary care doctor. They can refer you for therapies to help address these concerns. Examples include speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, hearing evaluation.
- If you have behavior concerns:
- Read about the Triple P program.
- You can also find additional resources in the community with the Mental Health Resource Finder.
Our team is always available to provide information and answer your questions. Call us at 937-641-4073.
hours & locations
Our developmental pediatrics team sees patients at convenient Dayton Children’s locations.
get started with developmental pediatrics
If you’re concerned about your child’s development, talk with your primary care provider about a referral or call us at 937-641-3000 to learn more. Our team is here to provide answers, connect you with resources, and support your family every step of the way.
