Clinical Observations

Fellows are expected to visit a clinical setting twice a year. LEND has a variety of clinics that are available for fellows to join for observation.

Multidisciplinary Team Assessments: Fellows will have the opportunity to observe a variety of team pediatric developmental assessments in our Developmental Medicine Center. This experience allows fellows to learn how to work with colleagues across disciplines and value the contribution that each specialty makes towards understanding and treating a patient.

ASK (Advocating Success for Kids): is a clinical seminar series that precedes each of the monthly team evaluations. These seminars address a broad range of clinical issues ranging from detailed review of specific conditions to ethical principles.

Down Syndrome Program: This program offers comprehensive evaluations to children with Down syndrome from newborn to 22-years old. The Thursday morning team offers a multidisciplinary approach including a developmental pediatrician, speech pathologist/feeding specialist, physical therapist and audiologist.

Audiology (in person): Fellows may also opt to observe a 2-hour shift of audiology assessments, which would entail watching a child respond to auditory and visual stimuli in a booth. (The two-hour shift will optimize the opportunity to observe children of different ages and developmental levels). Clinics are held at the Boston, Waltham, Lexington, and Peabody locations.

Adoption Team (in person): This program provides clinical evaluations for children who are either adopted, domestically or internationally, in foster care, or in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. We sometimes see unaccompanied minors who are refugees from their home countries. The children we see commonly have complex developmental and psychiatric needs stemming in part from prenatal substance exposure, adverse experiences and developmental trauma, and serious mental illness.