The developmental-behavioral pediatrics fellowship is a three-year, ACGME-accredited program dedicated to training clinicians in the expert care of children who present with a wide range of developmental concerns and to serve as physician leaders in developmental-behavioral pediatrics for diverse populations through clinical care, scholarly activity and advocacy. Fellows
participate in the longitudinal care of children with developmental and/or behavioral needs where they learn to perform comprehensive diagnostic assessments, targeted evaluations and formulate treatment plans.
Clinical experiences include rotations at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital within the division of Developmental Pediatrics and related pediatric subspecialties (e.g., Genetics, Neurology) as well as at the UTHSC Center on Developmental Disabilities and other community sites. Fellows participate in interdisciplinary training and services at the UTHSC Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) training program (part of the national Maternal and Child Health Bureau network). Fellows receive guidance and appropriate mentorship to help identify, develop and complete a scholarly activity project in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics by the end of the third year.
Research Interests
- Improving health outcomes for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders
- Evaluating developmental and educational services for children experiencing prolonged hospitalization
- Care and management of developmental and behavioral concerns, including autism and ADHD
- Developing best practices for care of children with developmental needs and associated medical complexity
- Evaluating early developmental milestones
- Evaluating early language development
- Exploring the roles of interprofessional teams and systems of care for children with complex medical and behavioral needs
- Assessing training and implementation of developmental surveillance and screening in primary care
- Continuous quality improvement in clinical service delivery
