Patient Care

The Division of Developmental Medicine offers developmental and behavioral assessments and services for children and adolescents with a range of behavioral, developmental, and learning challenges at multiple sites within the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, including the Developmental Medicine clinics at the Mission Bay and San Mateo campuses and a co-located primary care consultation clinic within the Primary Care Pediatrics Claremont Clinic at Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.

Our team of providers, which is comprised of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatricians and Neuropsychologists, specializes in the diagnosis and management of neurodevelopmental conditions such as developmental delay, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as mood and anxiety problems that may accompany these neurodevelopmental conditions. We work with parents and their children to assess and develop strategies for behavioral and developmental problems in the areas of self-regulation, peer and family relationships, attentional issues, and academic performance. Other areas that may be addressed include trouble with following directions, learning daily routines, or managing patterns of sleep.

The Mission Bay Developmental Medicine clinic also offers pediatric neuropsychological assessment and consultative services to children and adolescents with underlying complex medical conditions or neurological disorders for whom the disease process and/or associated medical treatment have affected brain development and functioning.  Additionally, our pediatric neuropsychology team provides direct consultative clinical care in a variety of specialty settings including the Cardiology Healthy Hearts and Minds Program, the Multi-disciplinary Spina Bifida Clinic, the Multi-disciplinary Neuro-Oncology clinic, and the Multi-disciplinary Neurofibromatosis Clinic.

At this time, the Division of Developmental Medicine primarily offers consultative care to create a treatment plan. Recommendations for psychoeducational or neuropsychological testing or ongoing symptom management are typically made through referral to local, community service agencies appropriate to the child’s needs. Children or adolescents with urgent psychiatric needs (e.g., psychosis, active suicidality, and/or recent psychiatric hospitalization) will be referred to appropriate psychiatric care.