What does a Dev Pediatrician really do? Should we get one? (ASD)

coffee bean

My daughter was diagnosed with ASD at Kennedy Krieger last summer.  She was evaluated by both a speech therapist and developmental pediatrician.  My question - what does a developmental pediatrician actually do and how often is a child seen by a dev pedi?  Has anyone had good experiences with one long-term?  I was not impressed with the one I spoke with at KKI at all.  I'm asking around for local references and there don't seem to be many in my area.

My daughter currently receives a lot of services through school and some extra speech help over summer.  I WOULD find it helpful to have someone with deep knowledge of developmental issues help me make sure she is getting appropriate services through the school system, based on their knowledge of the child.  Do they help with things like that?

kcisthebombdotcom

Yes, the main point is to to help devise a plan of the appropriate services your child needs. we got word for word every service my developmental pedi requested from our schools department but I've read this isn't always the norm.

coffee bean

Thanks @kc_13.  How often do you visit with yours?  I have a friend who recommended one that she LOVES, but it's an hour away and I think she does once a month.  That would be tough, require missing school, etc.

typeset

"I WOULD find it helpful to have someone with deep knowledge of developmental issues help me make sure she is getting appropriate services through the school system, based on their knowledge of the child.  Do they help with things like that?"

Yes.

We visit our developmental/behavioral pedi every 4-6 months, but she can push him into her schedule if we need a report sooner. We drive an hour into the city to see her. She's been a great resource. Writes the big report with recommendations for his treatment and school programming. The more respected clinicians typically generate the better reports. The waitlists can be lengthy.

MirandaHobbes

We see ours once a year. It's like a well-child checkup for us- he asks us what types of supports we're seeking and if they are appropriate. Now that DS is school-age I can see us needing him even more. I called him recently when a therapist suggested we needed a pysch. He gave me some suggestions. I plan on asking ours a lot of questions about some new sensory issues that have sprung up recently. Our school district is pretty blunt that they don't deal in "medical" issues. Only those issues that affect DS academically. So the fact that he is walking on his tiptoes all the time doesn't really concern them too much. Same with him mouthing objects all the time. When he was younger his private OT would have prescribed some chewies and whatnot but the school district has bigger fish to fry, so to speak.

funchicken

Ditto everybody else.  The dev. pedi is an expert in child development.  We see ours every six months.  There are some ongoing evaluations that we do because DD has uneven progress in certain areas (really advanced in some areas, much slower progress in other areas), and the dev. pedi wants to keep an eye out for potential learning disabilities.  She'll also be the person we talk to about medication if we decide to go that route.  Our appointments are usually about 2 hours, so she spends a good chunk of time observing/talking to DD and answering questions that DH and I have. 

kcisthebombdotcom

coffee bean said:

Thanks @kc_13.  How often do you visit with yours?  I have a friend who recommended one that she LOVES, but it's an hour away and I think she does once a month.  That would be tough, require missing school, etc.

Every six months. i suppose it depends on your childs issue. dd has mild asd.