From the moment they are born – and even before – we anxiously watch our babies develop into children, and on into adolescents. We celebrate each new developmental milestone, and cheer each accomplishment, hoping above all that our child will become a “normal” individual, able to achieve independence and function as a contributing member of our world. Setting aside what defines “normal” in society today, the fact is many children don’t follow a predictable developmental path – physically, emotionally, cognitively or socially. It takes a team of pediatric specialists with experience and special insight to tell the difference between normal variations in the process of development or signs of an actual developmental or behavioral disorder.
NuHealth’s Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics (DBPed) division at Nassau University Medical Center helps parents, caseworkers, doctors and other health professionals diagnose emerging disorders and identify the causes of developmental delays. Working closely with our colleagues in Nassau University Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, NuHealth’s DBPed specialists also help diagnose behavioral and cognitive disorders in children and adolescents. Common disorders for which we provide diagnosis and treatment include:
- Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD)/Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Bipolar Disorder
- Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)
- Cerebral Palsy
- Down Syndrome
- Expressive Language Disorder
- Fragile X Syndrome
- IsoDicentric 15
- Learning Disabilities (LD)
- Mental Retardation
- Neural Tube Defects
- Phenylketonuria (PKU)
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Seizure Disorders
- Tourette Syndrome
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Williams Syndrome
Once we diagnose a disorder, NuHealth’s pediatric developmental and behavioral specialists work with other physicians and health care professionals in Psychiatry, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and other departments at Nassau University Medical Center. Together, they create an individualized treatment plan to address the specific physical and psychosocial issues resulting from the patient’s disorder.
But some of our most important work is helping parents manage a process that is inevitably one of the most grueling experiences they have faced…days and weeks alternately filled with fear, self-doubt, anger and denial even before a diagnosis is confirmed. NuHealth’s kind, empathetic staff of pediatric specialists, nurses and other professionals help parents and families understand how their child’s condition will affect their independence and function. We also help connect patients and parents with medical services they will need, as well as other sources of support both in and out of Nassau University Medical Center.
Raising a child with developmental or behavioral disorders will always be a challenge, and NuHealth’s goal is to help every family cope with the emotional and practical impact of their child’s disability, and help each child achieve his or her highest level of function.
To make an appointment with a pediatric developmental and behavioral specialist, please call (516) 572-6355.
Clinical Staff
Micheline Dole, M.D.
Jack Levine, M.D. (sessional)