Division of Developmental Medicine

Post-doctoral fellows are involved in direct clinical service in the DMC for 60% of their time, including performing diagnostic assessments on multi-disciplinary teams; consulting in hospital-based and community settings; and providing short-term treatment for anxiety, disruptive behaviors, social skills deficits, elimination disorders, and feeding problems. The number and variety of programs contained within the DMC generally makes it possible to adapt the fellow‘s clinical experience to his or her learning needs and professional goals. Rotations are three to six months in length. Fellows are involved in consultation and assessment, participate in multi-disciplinary teams and clinics, and provide feedback to parents and school.  The goals of rotations are to expand knowledge base of learning, developmental, medical, and behavioral disorders and co-morbid psychiatric conditions; provide timely and tailored evaluations; and develop consultation and communication skills in a faced-paced medical environment. There also are opportunities for fellows to work closely with psychology staff to develop supervision and administrative skills. The DMC clinical programs available for fellowship rotations include:

• INFANT & TODDLER TEAMS: This program serves children ages 2 to 3 1/2 years of age who may be developmentally delayed and/or have an autism spectrum diagnosis.  The pediatrician takes a history from the parents and performs the physical examination.  The psychologist evaluates the child including neurodevelopmental assessment, such as Bayley and ADOS.
• PRESCHOOL TEAM: This program serves children ages 3-6 years presenting with developmental and behavioral problems, including language, cognitive, and motor delays; social communication problems; regulatory issues involving toileting and sleep; question of an autism spectrum disorder and emotional and behavior concerns such as attention deficits, noncompliance, learning disorders, mood concerns and anxiety.
• SCHOOL TEAM: This program serves children ages 6-11 years presenting with learning challenges, developmental delays, question of an autism spectrum disorder and social-emotional and behavioral problems, such as attention deficits, learning disorders, mood concerns, and anxiety.
• ADOLESCENT TEAM:This program services adolescents from 12 to 17 years of age who are having academic, social-emotional, and/or behavioral difficulties. During this developmental period, attention deficit disorders are often subtle, and learning disabilities may be masked by “acting-out” behaviors.  Alternately, adolescents with a history of an early history of developmental and social-communication problems may present with mental health issues, like depression or anxiety.
• ADVOCATING FOR SUCCESS (ASK) PROGRAM: This program is a collaboration between Boston-area community health centers (Bowdoin Street, Joseph Smith & Martha Eliot), the Community Care Alliance and the Office for Child Advocacy at Children’s Hospital. The program serves children ages 3 to 14 years within four urban-based primary care centers who are referred by primary care providers because of concerns about developmental, learning, social-emotional and/or behavioral problems. Additionally, children often present with complex psychosocial situations, possible prenatal substance exposure or trauma history.  The goal of this program is to screen children for such concerns and to advocate for appropriate services and interventions. In depth consultations are available at Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center (CHPCC) for complex cases.
• ADOPTION PROGRAM. This program is a consultation team for children who have been adopted domestically or internationally and their families.  Common concerns may include long-term abuse, neglect, or a history of institutionalization. 
• CHILD & PARENT PROGRAM (CPP): This program is a unique clinical program providing psychological assessment, short term parent and child treatment, and school consultation services for young children and their families. CPP specializes in working with children 0-4 with complex medical, developmental, and psychological profiles.  The program also accepts referrals for older children with parents or siblings who are coping with severe mental health disorders and or physical illnesses. CPP is the former “Brazelton Clinic" and uses the Touchpoints care model for working with families.
• DOWN SYNDROME PROGRAM: This program offers multidisciplinary clinical evaluations for children with Down syndrome from birth until the age of 18.  Program staff works closely with children, parents, medical specialists, community physicians, and educators.  The Down Syndrome Program Team consists of a developmental pediatrician, genetics fellow, speech pathologist, physical therapist, nutritionist, dentist and an audiologist as well as a program coordinator and a resource specialist.  Additionally, ongoing psychology consultation, including assessment, parent training, and psychotherapy, is provided. 
• GROWTH & NUTRITION PROGRAM: The program is staffed by physicians, nurses,psychologists, nutritionists, speech and language pathologist and social workers and provides care to children who are severely underweight. Children are treated for organic and nonorganic feeding disorders and failure to thrive.  A broad range of disorders are diagnosed and treated with high-calorie diets, education, federal food assistance, family therapy, behavioral feeding therapy and general behavior modification programs.
• CONSULTATION & THERAPY: Individual, group, and family therapy, such as Toilet Training School for parents and children with encopresis and enuresis, Parent Training for children with ADHD; behavioral and family-based treatment for feeding disorders; school consultation; and cognitive behavioral treatment for anxiety in children and adolescents with social-communication disorders.