The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine 3rd Issue | Page 9

Developmental Pediatricians:
Developmental Pediatricians

What They Do,
How They Can Help
Your Family, & How
You Can Help Them
>>>>>> Wendy Helfenbaum

W

special needs groups. I don’t know anyone
else that has exactly the same conditions that
Rachel does. That’s what a developmental
pediatrician does for parents: They are the
only doctor that asks about every area of my
daughter’s life, the only one that knows the
whole big picture and understands Rachel as
I understand her.”

hile navigating the medical
system for 17 years on behalf of her daughter Rachel,
Catherine Allen learned a
thing or two along the way.
Rachel was born with CHARGE syndrome,
a complex genetic condition that manifests
itself in extensive medical and physical difficulties ranging from heart defects; swallowing, breathing and balance problems; hearing and vision loss; and multiple sensory
impairment, all of which can delay a child’s
development and communication skills.

Like Allen , many parents
of children with special
needs quickly become
familiar with the drill :
After noticing that
something isn’t quite
right with their baby, a
trip to the pediatrician
ends not with answers
but with more questions.

“Every one of those letters stands for an entire conglomeration of possible abnormalities – we’re like the all-in-one syndrome,”
says Allen, a single mom of three.
Rachel sees nine specialists at least twice a
year, but Allen says her daughter’s developmental pediatrician is the glue that holds everything – and everybody – together.
“One of the hardest things for parents of
children with special needs is having to learn
everything the hard way,” Allen says. “These
children are so different, even among the
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Often, even experienced pediatricians are
not equipped to diagnose and treat complex
problems, including global developmental
delays. That’s where developmental pediatricians (DPs) come in.
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