Referring Your Patient to the Developmental Pediatrics Clinic

The Developmental Pediatrics Clinic at Kentucky Children’s Hospital offers personalized care for children who have documented concerns related to or a formal diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders. (If you are a parent or guardian, please see this page instead.)

We deliver focused treatments to children with critical needs, including:

  • Children under 5 years old with documented concerns related to autism spectrum disorder who have not been evaluated by a developmental-behavioral pediatrics provider.
  • Children under 5 years old with documented concerns for global developmental delay (delays in several areas of development) who have not been evaluated by a developmental-behavioral pediatrics provider.
  • Any child identified as a student with autism by a school district or First Steps who needs a formal medical evaluation/diagnosis to receive outside services.

Any child who has received a formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, global developmental delay and/or intellectual disability from a medical provider and who would like a consultation from our clinic for treatment recommendations.

Conditions we do not evaluate

Our team offers specialized diagnoses and high-quality treatment guidance only for children with a formal diagnosis or documented concerns for a neurodevelopmental disorder. We do not accept referrals for:

  • ADHD diagnoses for children over 12 years old
  • Behavioral problems not linked to a neurodevelopmental disorder, including:
    • Encopresis, a leakage of stool that a child cannot control.
    • Enuresis, an inability to control urination.
    • Isolated sensory concerns.
    • Isolated sleep disorder.
    • Isolated toilet training difficulties.
    • Pica, an eating disorder involving eating non-nutritive substances.
    • Tantrums.
  • Learning disorders, including:
    • Dyslexia.
    • Mathematics disorder.
    • Written expression disorder.
  • Psychiatry disorders diagnosis and treatment management, including:
    • Anxiety disorders.
    • Bipolar disorders.
    • Mood disorders.
    • Oppositional defiant disorders.
    • Obsessive compulsive disorder.
    • Treatment for past trauma or abuse.
  • Motor delays (fine or gross) not linked to a neurodevelopment disorder.
  • Speech or language disorders not linked to a neurodevelopment disorder.

Referral documentation needed

If your patient meets the requirements for our referral program, please gather the following information before submitting a referral. We can only review and accept requests that include all the required documentation, including:

  • Referring provider’s developmental behavioral concerns, which should include:
    • Medical history.
    • Past evaluations from any developmental-behavioral pediatrics provider.
    • Specific office notes related to the developmental-behavioral concerns.
    • Records of any previously recommended treatments, such as outpatient developmental therapies or medications to address the symptoms of concern.
  • ADHD: Vanderbilt or Conners behavior rating scales.
  • Autism spectrum disorder: M-CHAT or Social Communications Questionnaire.
  • Global developmental delay: Developmental screenings, including Ages & Stages Questionnaire, PEDS or others.
  • Relevant school evaluations, including:
    • IEP.
    • 504 plan.
    • Integrated reports (IQ testing, psychoeducational evaluation, school academic testing, etc.).

Providers

Developmental Pediatrics