Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation

Working with a diverse, interprofessional team, you will develop skills and strategies to manage a range of developmental disabilities — from the significant to the ‘milder’ problems of developmental variation.

You will train as part of an interdisciplinary team involving specialists in neurology, including child and developmental neurology; pediatrics; rehabilitation medicine; clinical psychology and special education.

You will learn to conduct assessments of the developmental process, including milestones in the following types of abilities:

  • speech/language
  • cognitive
  • adaptive-social
  • fine motor
  • gross motor
  • visual
  • hearing

Your knowledge base will grow to encompass an understanding of:

  • basic capabilities of newborns, infants, preschoolers, school-age children and adolescents
  • effects of biomedical and environmental factors on development
  • the importance of regular developmental screening and assessment

You also will develop positive clinical approaches and attitudes toward working with children with disabilities, building knowledge and skills in areas such as:

  • sensitively and appropriately interacting with families and children
  • community services for children, adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities
  • ethical issues related to vulnerable populations

Rich, Varied Experiences

Through this broad-based training, you will help care for children of diverse ages in a variety of settings and clinics. Within any given week, this may include experiences focused on:

Patient Population

You will help care for children from throughout Western New York and surrounding areas with:

  • autism
  • spasticity
  • spina bifida
  • developmental delay
  • muscle disorders
  • cerebral palsy
  • mental retardation

Care Team

  • neurologist
  • pediatrician
  • developmental pediatrics specialist 
  • medical director of pediatric inpatient rehabilitation and spina bifida clinic
  • child neurology specialist
  • developmental neurology specialist
  • rehabilitation and physical medicine specialist
  • rehabilitation and physical medicine residents
  • clinical psychologists
  • special educational professionals

Caseload

You will evaluate approximately 20 patients. 

Length of Rotation

1 module

Year Taken

Clinical Sites