The Division of Developmental–Behavioral Pediatrics at NYU Langone conducts a one-month, mandatory rotation for all pediatrics residents that helps prepare them to provide primary and subspecialty care to children with developmental–behavioral conditions. Your training takes place in clinics and programs at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.

The resident rotation provides basic knowledge of atypical pediatric development, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, conduct disorder, intellectual disability, learning disabilities and school failure, oppositional defiant disorder, and speech and language disorders. You also gain understanding of common presentations of difficult behaviors, such as encopresis, enuresis, feeding and sleeping problems, temper tantrums, homework refusal, school phobias, and habit disorders such as trichotillomania.

In addition to learning basic screening procedures, you are also introduced to comprehensive neurodevelopment screening and assessment tools. This includes the implementation of tests such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire^® (ASQ^®-3), the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R^™), and the (E=MC2) Einstein Evaluation of School-Related Skills. You become familiar with indications for further assessment, including referral to otolaryngology (ENT), genetics, neurology, psychology, psychiatry, physiatry, and special education.

Residents are involved in the Reach Out and Read^™ program, a national pediatric early literacy program, and observe an on-site childcare center to learn about child, family, social, and school issues from a multidisciplinary team perspective. Trainees learn to identify normal and significant variations of behavior and development and the primary pediatrician’s role in managing common issues and atypical conditions, and to be an advocate for affected children by providing counseling and guidance to parents about behaviors and developmental milestones and expectations.

Residents also have the opportunity to observe the Video Interaction Project (VIP), which builds on Reach Out and Read^™ through a parenting coach who videotapes parents and children reading and playing together with books and toys provided by the program, and then reviews the video together with the parent to identify and reinforce strengths in the parent–child interaction. Through experiences with VIP, residents have the opportunity to learn how to observe and support key aspects of parenting, which can then be applied in their clinical practice.

The experience residents receive in this rotation provides them with an understanding of the roles of medical subspecialists and developmental nonmedical professionals in caring for children with developmental or behavioral dysfunction, including how and when to refer children to specialists. Trainees learn about school, community, and governmental resources that help children with developmental disabilities and their families and how to access the value of the support.