Child Development Care
Child Development Care
Child Development Care
No parent wants to see their child struggle with learning, communication, behavior, or reaching developmental milestones.
At Carilion Children's, our Pediatric Child Development team evaluates developmental concerns, identifies the cause of your child's challenges, and creates a personalized care plan to help them succeed at home, in school, and in everyday life.
Child development is how your child grows and changes from infancy to adulthood. It includes:
- Mental development in early childhood
- Emotional development in childhood
- Early literacy and language development in childhood
- Childhood trauma and brain development
Most children meet milestones, such as walking and talking, around the same age. Some children may take longer to reach developmental milestones. They may face challenges because they were born early. They may also have certain disorders that affect their development. Childhood trauma can also impact how they grow and learn.
What Is Child Development?
Child development is how your child grows and changes from infancy to adulthood. It includes:
- Mental development in early childhood
- Emotional development in childhood
- Early literacy and language development in childhood
- Childhood trauma and brain development
Most children meet milestones, such as walking and talking, around the same age. Some children may take longer to reach developmental milestones. They may face challenges because they were born early. They may also have certain disorders that affect their development. Childhood trauma can also impact how they grow and learn.
At Carilion, we want to give each child their best start in life. It starts with understanding your child’s developmental abilities and challenges.
For women giving birth at Carilion, our child development care starts during pregnancy. We can spot early signs of conditions that may affect your child's development. All children get a multidisciplinary evaluation. We work with families to decide on a care plan and treatments focused on your child’s individual needs.
Our clinic focuses on children with developmental differences, including autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and learning challenges. We may also evaluate ADHD when it occurs alongside other developmental or learning concerns.
Our Approach to Care
At Carilion, we want to give each child their best start in life. It starts with understanding your child’s developmental abilities and challenges.
For women giving birth at Carilion, our child development care starts during pregnancy. We can spot early signs of conditions that may affect your child's development. All children get a multidisciplinary evaluation. We work with families to decide on a care plan and treatments focused on your child’s individual needs.
Our clinic focuses on children with developmental differences, including autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and learning challenges. We may also evaluate ADHD when it occurs alongside other developmental or learning concerns.
We treat a variety of disorders and conditions that impact your child’s development.
Common conditions we treat include:
- Childhood anxiety disorders, including childhood panic attacks
- ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders that occur alongside other developmental or learning challenges
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Childhood sleep problems
Conditions We Treat
We treat a variety of disorders and conditions that impact your child’s development.
Common conditions we treat include:
- Childhood anxiety disorders, including childhood panic attacks
- ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders that occur alongside other developmental or learning challenges
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Childhood sleep problems
Early intervention matters. The sooner treatment begins, the better your child's long-term progress and well-being. We provide expert diagnosis and care for developmental and learning challenges.
Developmental evaluations
Our evaluations help us understand your child's strengths, challenges, and support needs. They may include:
- Assessment and care planning for:
- Speech, language, and cognitive development (thinking and understanding)
- Fine and gross motor skills in early childhood
- Learning challenges
- Physical therapy evaluations
- Psychological evaluations, including:
- Achievement testing: This includes regular evaluations to see how your child grows and changes over time. Achievement testing helps us see whether they meet developmental milestones.
- IQ testing: Intelligence quotient testing compares your child’s general abilities to that of other children their age. It measures their thinking, problem solving, and language skills. It helps us see whether your child may need more help in school.
- Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule (ADOS): The ADOS is a childhood autism test. We use it to screen, diagnose, and assess children who may have autism spectrum disorder.
Treatments and support
Based on your child's needs, treatment may include:
- Psychology
- Social work to connect your family with community resources
- Educational consultation to support success at school
- Medication management
- Referral to Carilion's Pediatric Sleep Consultation Clinic for childhood insomnia treatment
Testing and Treatments We Offer
Early intervention matters. The sooner treatment begins, the better your child's long-term progress and well-being. We provide expert diagnosis and care for developmental and learning challenges.
Developmental evaluations
Our evaluations help us understand your child's strengths, challenges, and support needs. They may include:
- Assessment and care planning for:
- Speech, language, and cognitive development (thinking and understanding)
- Fine and gross motor skills in early childhood
- Learning challenges
- Physical therapy evaluations
- Psychological evaluations, including:
- Achievement testing: This includes regular evaluations to see how your child grows and changes over time. Achievement testing helps us see whether they meet developmental milestones.
- IQ testing: Intelligence quotient testing compares your child’s general abilities to that of other children their age. It measures their thinking, problem solving, and language skills. It helps us see whether your child may need more help in school.
- Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule (ADOS): The ADOS is a childhood autism test. We use it to screen, diagnose, and assess children who may have autism spectrum disorder.
Treatments and support
Based on your child's needs, treatment may include:
- Psychology
- Social work to connect your family with community resources
- Educational consultation to support success at school
- Medication management
- Referral to Carilion's Pediatric Sleep Consultation Clinic for childhood insomnia treatment
Our referral coordinator and clinical team review your child's age, your concerns, and the information provided by your child's referring clinician to determine whether Child Development Care is the right setting for your child's needs.
Before our team can review a referral, we need a completed referral form from your child's doctor and a completed family questionnaire from you.
Forms required for referral review
- Referral form: Your child's doctor completes this form to refer your child to Child Development Care. The form must be submitted along with the family questionnaire before our team can review the referral. Download the referral form.
- Family questionnaire: Complete this questionnaire to help our team understand your child's developmental needs and your concerns. Download the family questionnaire.
School questionnaire
We may also request information from your child's school to better understand your child's needs in that setting. For new patients, we may send this questionnaire when there are significant school concerns. For existing patients, our team may request it when behavioral concerns arise at school.
You only need to complete this questionnaire if our team requests it. Download the school questionnaire.
Referrals and Getting Started
Our referral coordinator and clinical team review your child's age, your concerns, and the information provided by your child's referring clinician to determine whether Child Development Care is the right setting for your child's needs.
Before our team can review a referral, we need a completed referral form from your child's doctor and a completed family questionnaire from you.
Forms required for referral review
- Referral form: Your child's doctor completes this form to refer your child to Child Development Care. The form must be submitted along with the family questionnaire before our team can review the referral. Download the referral form.
- Family questionnaire: Complete this questionnaire to help our team understand your child's developmental needs and your concerns. Download the family questionnaire.
School questionnaire
We may also request information from your child's school to better understand your child's needs in that setting. For new patients, we may send this questionnaire when there are significant school concerns. For existing patients, our team may request it when behavioral concerns arise at school.
You only need to complete this questionnaire if our team requests it. Download the school questionnaire.
A National Institute for Children’s Health Quality Awardee, Carilion provides care focused on helping your child reach their full potential. Every child should get the care they need to thrive.
Comprehensive care
We're 1 of 5 Child Development Centers in Virginia offering comprehensive evaluation and medication management for child development challenges.
Specialty team-based care
We bring doctors and healthcare professionals from various specialties to help care for your child’s developmental needs.
Collaborative, community-based care
Our clinic works with therapists, psychologists, educators, law enforcement, social workers, and the foster care system, when needed, for a holistic approach to treatment.
Why Choose Carilion Clinic?
A National Institute for Children’s Health Quality Awardee, Carilion provides care focused on helping your child reach their full potential. Every child should get the care they need to thrive.
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Get Care at Carilion Children's
If your child is facing challenges with development, learning, behavior, or reaching milestones, our Pediatric Child Development team provides expert evaluation and personalized care to support your family.
Get Care at Carilion Children's
If your child is facing challenges with development, learning, behavior, or reaching milestones, our Pediatric Child Development team provides expert evaluation and personalized care to support your family.
Get Care at Carilion Children's
If your child is facing challenges with development, learning, behavior, or reaching milestones, our Pediatric Child Development team provides expert evaluation and personalized care to support your family.
Get Care at Carilion Children's
If your child is facing challenges with development, learning, behavior, or reaching milestones, our Pediatric Child Development team provides expert evaluation and personalized care to support your family.