Behavioral and Development

Does Your Child Need A Behavioral Evaluation?

Despite all the love and care they receive from their parents and family, some children have developmental, learning, or behavioral problems, such as:

• Being on the autism spectrum.
• Toddler temper tantrums.
• Sleep disorders.
• Anger management or stress management issues.
• Attention deficit /hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) .
• Learning disorders.
• Delay development in speech, writing, motor skills, and thinking ability.
• Addiction (screen time, smoking/vaping, and drug or alcohol use).

Dealing with these problems can be challenging for even the most attentive and competent parents. Thankfully, our developmental pediatricians at Children’s Medical Center have the experience to provide the medical and psychological support families need to tackle these behavioral problems. Services provided may include:



• Prescribing and monitoring medication if your child has an issue such as ADHD or anxiety.
• Helping you understand the reason for your child’s behavior in order to formulate discipline strategies.
• Recommending accommodations and services at your child’s school, as well as therapies outside the classroom.

Completing the Assessments

• You will be directed to complete the Parent Assessments through the patient portal.
• Your child will be given a portal account so that they can complete their assessments through their private patient portal. 
• You will be directed to invite your child’s teacher to complete their assessment through the patient portal as well.

Important! All Assessments must be completed before the day of your child’s appointment.

At least one week prior to your appointment, complete assigned assessments noted above. On the day of your child's behavioral evaluation, please arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. Ideally, your child should eat a nutritious meal prior to the appointment and be well-rested.

You and your child will meet with a nurse. Your nurse will spend approximately 20 minutes with you obtaining pertinent medical and behavioral history. Both you and your child will then meet with the doctor who will perform a thorough assessment and develop a behavioral health management plan for your child. Our providers may recommend additional counseling to best serve your child. 

If the doctor prescribes medication, he/she will want to follow up with your child within 28 days to assess your child's progress and to determine if the medication can be refilled. A patient coordinator will schedule this appointment with you before you leave the office.

Ongoing Medication Management

After your child's initial evaluation, if medication is started, your child must be seen within 28 days in order to continue the medication. If your child is doing well with his/her medication, subsequent appointments will be scheduled every 3 months. If a medication or dosage change is needed, your child must be seen within 1 month to assess your child's progress and to determine if the medication can be refilled.