Pediatric development

Caregivers at Medical City Children’s Hospital Developmental Center have been caring for children in North Texas for more than 20 years. Pediatric clinicians can evaluate a child’s gross motor and fine motor skills, language, and social/emotional development. If we determine your child’s development is atypical, we can recommend testing to help identify the underlying cause.

Our center works with numerous other services and programs to ensure each child is given the attention they deserve. We work with primary care providers, other specialty physicians, local early intervention agencies, schools, home health agencies and therapists to help make sure each child receives the treatment to help them reach his or her maximum potential. We also help parents with finding resources and information for support.

If your child’s development is atypical, our pediatric clinicians will provide recommendations for testing that may help identify the underlying cause and what treatments or therapies are available for conditions that include:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Autism
• Developmental delay
• Learning disorders
• Prematurity
• Speech-language delay
• Getting care for developmental disorders

To learn more about the Medical City Children's Hospital Developmental Center, call (972) 566-5777.

Most insurance plans, including Medicaid, are accepted.

The first three years of life are critical for early childhood development. The brain makes significant neural connections as it grows and absorbs information it. This impacts how a child achieves developmental milestones, learns and relates with others.

Children who are born early, experience challenges at birth or have genetic disorders are at high risk for developmental delays. Early intervention is vital to promoting developmental progress and begins with parents understanding what to expect.

Prematurity

Children born before or at 36 weeks gestation are premature. In first year, developmental milestones typically remain consistent with their adjusted (or corrected) age, or how old they would be if born at term. If your child is less than 2 years and was born preterm, the adjusted age is used to monitor development.

The developmental gap begins to close as your child nears 2 years. However, there are some children who may take a little longer to close their gap. If your child was born at 37 weeks gestation or later, there is no need to adjust.

How do I calculate corrected or adjusted age?

Use this formula: Actual or chronological age in weeks) – (weeks of prematurity) = (corrected or adjusted age) Example:

• A child who is 6 months chronologic age, born at 28 weeks
• (6 months x 4 weeks) – (40 – 28 weeks) = (corrected or adjusted age)
• (24 weeks) – (12 weeks) = 12 weeks adjusted age (3 months)

Medical City Children's Hospital Developmental Center provides follow-up care for children who were in the NICU, born prematurely or at high risk for delays. Children are typically seen at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. Additional visits may be scheduled if there are specific needs to monitor more closely. If there are no developmental concerns at 36 months of age, your child will return for a baseline school-readiness assessment prior to starting kindergarten.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts how children and adults experience the world and engage with others. People with ASD have challenges with social communication skills, which impact how they interact and communicate with others. They also can become extremely focused on specific topics or objects of interest and engage in repetitive behaviors, such as hand flapping and lining up toys.

Some people may have significant sensory interests or become overwhelmed by certain stimuli, such as sounds and textures. People with ASD may have other medical and developmental conditions, such as developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, learning disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mood disorders and genetic disorders.

Each person with an ASD diagnosis will have different strengths, symptoms and challenges. As such, the care and resources needed will be unique. Clinicians at Medical City Children’s Hospital Developmental Center partner with children and their families as they navigate receiving an ASD diagnosis and reaching their full potential.

Parent training

All therapy options should have a parent training component. The provider should give parents training and exercises to practice skills between therapy sessions.

Early childhood intervention (ECI)

Children under age 3 can receive evaluations, therapies and support for developmental concerns. This therapy is state funded.

• Find a local ECI service office by city, county or ZIP code

Physical therapy

Physical therapy is used to treat issues related to gross motor skills, coordination and reflexes. This guide provides details on how it can help people with ASD.

Occupational therapy

Occupational therapists help treat difficulties with sensory processing, possible fine-motor delays and limitations in the acquisition of age-appropriate self-care skills. This site has more information about occupational therapy as a part of autism treatment.

Speech therapy

The ability to engage in social interactions and convey emotions in an age-appropriate manner can be negatively impacted by delays and deficits in communication. Speech therapy not only works on speech, but all communication, including following directions, the use of gestures, sharing emotions, social skills and play skills. Some children with speech delays may benefit from alternative communication methods.

Feeding therapy

A speech pathologist or occupational therapist trained in feeding disorders can evaluate for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), which relates to sensory issues around food. They also evaluate and treat other motor eating difficulties, including increased gag reflex, drooling, tongue protrusion, difficulties with chewing, a tendency to stuff the mouth and pocketing food.

ABA therapy

Children with an autism diagnosis may benefit from specialized intensive behavioral therapy called applied behavioral analysis (ABA) to improve behavioral, social, daily living and communication skills. This type of therapy involves the use of reinforcement strategies to teach targeted skills and reduce challenging ones. This therapy can be provided by a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and associated registered behavioral therapist (RBT. An evaluation by a BCBA can determine the recommended hours for treatment and targeted goals.

• Zero to Three
• Pathways
• Child Development – Reach out and Read
• Texas Project First
• CDC Milestone Tracker
• Parents as Teachers
• First Words Project
• Autism Speaks
• CDC Autism Resources
• Autism Society of America
• Texas Autism Research and Resources