Patient Care

The Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics provides outpatient care at Scottish Rite for Children and Children’s Medical Center in nine specialized clinics.

Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic

The Clinic offers comprehensive developmental/behavioral evaluations and care for children, from birth through adolescence.

We strive to help families understand:

The complex developmental processes of children and how these fit into the context of their families and communities
The influences of biological, psychological, and social factors on the cognitive, language, and social-emotional development of children
The mechanisms for the prevention or treatment of developmental and behavioral disorders

Areas of expertise include:

Delayed development in speech, language, motor skills, and thinking ability
Attention and behavioral disorders including ADHD and ADHD co-morbidities
Developmental disabilities including intellectual disabilities, communication disorders, visual and hearing impairments
Learning disorders
Oppositional-defiant behavior/disorder
Anxiety disorders
Behavioral and developmental problems complicating/secondary to chronic illnesses and conditions such as genetic disorders, epilepsy, prematurity, diabetes, asthma, cancer
Follow-up of premature babies and other high-risk newborns

Services available:

Diagnostic evaluation
Developmental-Behavioral assessment
Neuropsychological assessment
Medication consultation and management
Speech and language evaluation and therapy
Educational assessments and support

For referrals:

Please fax the general referral form found on the Referring Provider Tools page to (214) 456-5702. In order to expedite the referral process, please specify the reason for appointment with as many details as possible. For additional questions, please contact the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic at (214) 456-5558.

Faculty contacts: Veronica Bordes Edgar, Ph.D., and Sari Bar, D.O.

Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders

Located at Scottish Rite for Children
Staffed by a multidisciplinary team of developmental-behavioral pediatricians, clinical and school psychologists, educational diagnosticians, speech-language pathologists and academic language therapists
Children served in diagnostic clinic are between the ages of 5 and 15 with academic learning problems and associated disorders. Each consultation involves extensive information gathering and careful consideration of all factors that could contribute to academic difficulties. Appointments are offered only after review of information from parents and educators. There are no financial or insurance requirements
Provides outreach and staff development programs for teachers and schools on dyslexia and learning disorder identification and management
Develops curricula and trains educators that provide intervention for dyslexia
Hosts an annual seminar to strengthen knowledge and skills of community physicians and affiliated providers on identification and management of developmental-behavioral issues
Hosts a monthly developmental pediatrics journal club for medical and behavioral health professionals
Current research projects focus on reading intervention, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the genetics of dyslexia

Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine

Dedicated to improving adolescent health through health care delivery, education, and research
Staffed by faculty with special interest and training in the areas of Adolescent and Sports Medicine
Cares for patients 11-21 years old and welcomes referrals from community physicians and clinics
Approximately 3,000 annual visits
Research interests include racial ethnic disparities and the Human Papilloma Virus

Faculty contact: May Lau, M.D.

Down Syndrome Clinic

The Down Syndrome Clinic is a specialty clinic designed to provide comprehensive medical care, with a primary focus on behavioral health needs, to children with Down syndrome. A team of providers from different disciplines come together to provide a variety of services, often within one office visit. Providers include a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics fellow, Developmental Nurse Practitioner, Geneticist, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Genetics Counselor, and Social Work.

Services offered:

Physical examinations, referral for necessary tests and lab work
Developmental assessments and recommendations for further testing if needed
Review of school records and school educational testing
Genetic counseling, family history analysis and discussion of recurrence risk and reproductive options
Psychosocial assessment and social work support
Referrals to medical specialists, early childhood intervention programs, therapy services, community resources and support groups
Financial counseling and referral for supplemental income programs
Parent-to-parent support and networking opportunities with representatives from the Down Syndrome Guild
A transition clinic when the child is approaching adulthood to assess skills and independence level

Faculty Contact: Sari Bar, D.O.

Referral and Evaluation of At Risk Children Program (REACH)

Staffed by board-certified child abuse pediatricians, experienced pediatric nurse practitioners, clinical psychologist, social workers, a child life specialist, and program coordinators
Provides medical evaluations of cases of suspected child physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect
Special multidisciplinary clinic for children diagnosed with failure to thrive. The WIN (weight intervention and nutrition) clinic provides services to children with and without CPS involvement.
Medical evaluations are done in the inpatient setting, emergency department, at Parkland Memorial Hospital's burn unit, or in the outpatient REACH Clinic
Provides medical education to medical students, pediatric residents, and the local medical community on topics related to child abuse medical evaluations
Hosts a monthly educational program known as Child Abuse and Neglect Grand Rounds on a variety of medical topics related to child abuse and neglect; CME and CNE credits offered for attendees; Grand Rounds talks are attended by a multidisciplinary audience that includes medical staff, local advocates groups, Child Protective Services, attorneys, and law enforcement agencies; monthly sessions occur on the first Friday of the month at 8:30 a.m. between September and June
Medical providers and social workers work closely with child protection services and law-enforcement agencies through North Texas to help identify and protect abused and neglected children; REACH is closely linked with the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center and the Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County; REACH medical team also works with Child Protective Services throughout North Texas to provide expert medical case review and assessments on a variety of cases (a program known as the Forensic Assessment Center Network); REACH providers are called to testify in criminal and family court proceedings regularly to educate juries and judges on the medical issues involved in cases of child abuse and neglect
Developing a subspecialty fellowship in Child Abuse Pediatrics to train young pediatricians in this new subspecialty
Expanding research efforts in areas aimed at improving the identification of abuse and the primary and secondary prevention of child abuse

Faculty contact: Suzanne Dakil, M.D.

The Child Abuse program at UT Southwestern and Children's is poised to help improve the lives of victimized children in North Texas by being a strong advocate and medical voice for this vulnerable population.

Rees-Jones Center for Foster Care Excellence

Dedicated exclusively to providing comprehensive primary medical care for children in the custody of Child Protective Services
Provides placement exams, medical homes, and pre-adoption physicals for children from infancy to age 19 living in out-of-home placement due to child abuse or neglect
Staffed by faculty and pediatric nurse practitioners experienced in treating children who are in foster care as a result of abuse or neglect
Clinicians work with Child Protective Services and community agencies to optimize each child’s health, health care, safety, and well-being
Serves any child in foster or kinship care, regardless of county of residence
Approximately 1,600 annual visits

Pediatric Palliative Care

The Pediatric Palliative Care Team is made up of physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses with expertise in palliative care for children. Its mission is to provide an extra layer of support for children with complex, difficult-to-treat disease and their families. The team provides services in the inpatient and outpatient setting. Because all children are unique, the support we provide is individualized and varies through the changing phases of illness.

We are experts in pain optimization and symptom management, particularly when symptoms are severe or refractory to traditional measures.
We have special training in communication, and we work to engender clarity and transparency between patients, families, and health care providers. In so doing, we help families negotiate the complexities of advanced illness and make health care decisions in accordance with their values.
In some cases, we work with patients who will die from their disease. In such instances, we work with patients and their families to navigate the end-of-life and the grief which follows.
Our goal is to enhance quality of life for all those that we serve.