As I was preparing for a parent conference, gathering information on autism and making copies to provide to the parents, I realized I was anxious. My stomach was in knots and I asked myself why I was nervous. It dawned on me that I was getting ready once again to tell parents that their child has autism. My Read more
ADHD
After 25 years as a developmental pediatrician, I think I have earned the right to claim a favorite developmental milestone. Certainly, the first smiles of a two- to three-month-old are quite special, the first signs of “life” so to speak. Of course, first steps and then the first words really grab the spotlight, warranting phone Read more
Editors’ Note: Last week, Einstein neurodevelopmental pediatrician Lisa Shulman wrote about the tough experience of telling parents their child has autism. The news is often life-altering. This week, Dr. Shulman shares how the attitudes and priorities of parents change over time. I am fortunate as a clinician to have the opportunity to follow long term Read more
I read with interest the recent blog post on The Doctor’s Tablet by Dr. Iris Lesser on using medication to treat ADHD. I appreciate my colleague’s concern about a backlash to overuse of these drugs. I felt compelled, however, to write about a factor in ADHD treatment in children that is often overlooked. That factor Read more
When someone asks me what a developmental pediatrician does, I tell him or her that I treat children who have a variety of developmental problems, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Without fail, that disclosure elicits some sort of an emotional reaction. Many people have strong opinions about whether the disorder really exists. Parents Read more
I recently returned from a 10-day vacation from my position as a developmental pediatrician. I specialize in the early identification and management of autism at Einstein’s Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center. The night before returning to work, I decided to check my voicemail. Since my last vacation, a new office voicemail system had been installed Read more
