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Autism, Developmental and Behavioral Health Services
at Children’s Specialized Hospital

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Developmental and behavioral pediatricians at Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH) assist in the development of treatment plans and may provide recommendations regarding therapies or educational services to help a child reach their full potential. In addition, when appropriate, they may provide medication to improve attention or address specific behavioral changes.

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics counsel children and families with a wide range of developmental conditions including:

  • Developmental Delays, including language and fine or gross motor challenges
  • Developmental disabilities like Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), intellectual disabilities, and cerebral palsy
  • Learning disabilities
  • Externalizing disorders such as Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder
  • Tics, Tourette syndrome, and other habit disorders
  • Challenges with activities of daily living, including feeding, complicated toilet-training (enuresis and encopresis), and sleep

Although children may already receive services through Early Intervention or their public school district, school-based evaluations typically do not make medical diagnoses such as ASD or AD/HD. These diagnoses usually require evaluation by a medical provider, such as a developmental pediatrician.

Autism Program

The Autism Program at CSH is dedicated to improving the lives of children and adolescents with ASD and their families by providing comprehensive evaluations, treatment, community education and research. As the largest regional provider of services for children with ASD, we are focused on early identification and treatment so kids can reach their full potential. And, since our highly qualified staff is committed to family-centered care, professionals and families work together as partners in making sure that children get the services they need.

Behavioral characteristics of ASD may include:

  • Delay or lack of verbal and non-verbal communication
  • Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
  • Impairment of multiple non-verbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction
  • Preference to be alone, difficulty interacting/socializing with others
  • Lack of social and/or emotional reciprocity
  • Impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain conversation
  • Lack of “play” or make believe play
  • Obsessive attachment to objects, persistent preoccupation with parts of objects
  • Spinning, rocking, hand flapping or twisting and/or other self-stimulating behavior

Our program uses a multidisciplinary approach to treatment including the following services:

  • Early Intervention Program (EIP) services are provided primarily in the home for children from birth to three years old who have developmental delays involving two or more of the following areas: cognition; language; fine motor; gross motor; social/emotional; and, self-care. No formal diagnosis is necessary to receive these services.

  • Feeding and Nutrition Therapies coordinate specialized speech, occupational, and psychological treatment for children who only eat a restricted range of foods or who have trouble with eating due to sensory, behavioral or motoric difficulties.

  • Medical specialists include developmental pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, psychiatrists and physiatrists to help coordinate medical management.

  • Occupational Therapy focuses on helping kids participate in everyday life activities including play, eating, bathing, and dressing, as well as participation in school, family, and community functions. Therapists may also help address sensory issues which are common with ASD.

  • Physical Therapy focuses on improving posture, alignment, breathing, strength, movement coordination, and motor planning.

  • Psychology offers individual and family therapy services to help improve child and adolescent behavior, mood management, sibling and family issues, reactions to the diagnosis, and/or advocacy issues.

  • Speech and Language Therapy services are provided to build the child’s ability to follow directions, understand language, communicate, take turns, have a reciprocal conversation, and improve nonverbal communication (such as eye contact and joint attention).

  • Social Skills Groups are available for kids ages five through adolescence with ASD who are high functioning. The groups focus on building peer friendships and typically run weekly for a series of weeks. Kids who participate in the social skills groups generally show significant improvement in social skills and reduction in problem behaviors.