Infant and Preschool Team/ Autism Diagnostic Service
The Infant and Preschool Team (IPT) provides diagnostic evaluation and treatment for infants/toddlers and children, ages 0 to 6, who are diagnosed or suspected of having a developmental disorder due to delays in language or motor development, learning, socialization, or behavioral concerns. The team has particular expertise in the early diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The IPT is a multidisciplinary team that includes: developmental pediatricians, psychologists, speech and language pathologists, audiologists, and social workers. Services are available in English and Spanish. Children referred to the program undergo an interdisciplinary evaluation to clarify developmental diagnoses, etiology of the delays, and offer treatment recommendations. Common diagnoses include: language impairment, fine and gross motor disorders, global delays, genetic syndromes, feeding disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Following the evaluation process, a parent conference is held to discuss results and next steps. IPT’s multidisciplinary team also provides a wide range of therapeutic services including: speech and language therapy, occupational and physical therapies, feeding therapy, early naturalistic behavioral intervention for toddlers with autism, social skills, parent support groups, behavior and medication management.
Child and Adolescent Unit
The Child and Adolescent Unit (CAU) provides diagnostic and treatment to children/adolescents, ages 7 to 21, who are experiencing academic difficulties. This includes children and teens with learning disabilities, intellectual disability, language impairment, autism spectrum disorder, and or attentional problems. Through multidisciplinary evaluations, the root cause of the child/teen’s school difficulties, adaptive and/or emotional behaviors consequences are identified, diagnoses established, and therapeutic recommendations offered. The CAU multidisciplinary team is composed by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, speech and language pathologists and social workers. In addition to evaluations, CAU provides services such as psychotherapy, psychoeducational treatment, speech and language therapy, and medication management. CAU also has a large training component, training graduate students and clinicians across disciplines.
Rehabilitation Services
Physical Medical and Rehabilitation Program provide diagnostic, habilitative and rehabilitative management of a wide variety of medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. These may include medical conditions such as
cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, neurological and neuromuscular disorders, SMA, muscular dystrophy, Rett syndrome and musculoskeletal conditions. Physiatrists ensure that the patients receive appropriate medical therapies and treatments needed to improve their functional skills as well as their quality of life.
Physical Therapists (PT) at RFK CERC specialize in the evaluation and treatment of pediatric developmental motor issues that limit age-appropriate activity and participation. PT services at RFK CERC include custom individualized treatment, fabrication of aquaplast lower extremity splints, consultation for durable medical equipment.
Occupational therapy (OT) at RFK CERC uses a family/client-centered approach to enable participation and engagement in meaningful activities of everyday life for individuals with a wide range of diagnoses impacting their development. Occupational therapists treat difficulties in developmental, sensory-perceptual, physical, psychosocial, and cognitive performance to promote independence, well-being, and achievement of family/client goals. Our expert OT’s have specialty training in many areas including Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT), Sensory Integration, upper extremity prosthetics and splinting. OT provides individualized evaluations, treatment, and recommendations.
Speech and language services offer comprehensive assessment and individualized treatment in the areas of language, articulation, voice, fluency, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), social cognition, feeding, augmentative/alternative communication (AAC), selective mutism, and executive functioning. We offer bilingual services and maintain culturally responsive practices. Speech pathologists on staff have advanced training in fluency, PROMPT trained, DTTC trained, PECS, research level certification in ADOS, SOS trained and Early Start Denver Model (ESDM).
Complex Health Assessment Team (CHAT)
The Complex Health Assessment Team is the RFK CERC home for children with complex medical conditions followed by the CHAM Subspecialty Clinics such as congenital heart disorders, cancer, sickle cell disease, chronic renal disorders, genetic disorders, and children followed by the LINCS program with complex chronic medical conditions. These complex children are at increased risk for developmental and behavioral disorders. The team provides multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluations, psychotherapy, and behavioral medication management.
Audiology - Children’s Hearing Program (CHP)
The Children’s Hearing Program offers a full range of diagnostic and habilitative services, including evaluation for infants who do not pass the newborn hearing screen across the institution, confirmation of hearing loss, hearing aid fitting and management of hearing loss in children through young adults. loss. Our team of highly skilled audiologists have extensive experience working with children with hearing loss and other developmental disabilities and tailor the program to meet each child’s hearing assessment and treatment needs, working closely with the Department of Education in the Bronx and NYC, as well as school programs for the hearing impaired, to facilitate appropriate educational settings and supports for children with hearing loss.
Group Attachment-Based Intervention (GABI)
The GABI program at CERC provides trauma-informed care to young children (ages 0-5) and their families. The program provides parent-child therapy to support the attachment relationship for children birth through age five who have experienced difficulties such as loss of a parent, exposure to a traumatic events, or any disruptions in their young lives. The dedicated staff of psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed mental health counselors, and Family Health Workers (often former GABI parents to assist in helping parents engage with the programs) work with children and their mothers and/or fathers, primary caregivers and foster parents through group sessions, individual and parent-child sessions. The Group Attachment Based Intervention (GABI) program is offered at the main CERC location where we can accept referrals from any source and/or the parent themselves. The GABI Expansion program is offered city-wide at 7 sites throughout the 5 boroughs to families receiving Prevention Services through the Child Welfare system
Psychiatric/Medication Management
Individuals with developmental disorders have an increased prevalence of psychiatric and behavior problems which require specialized treatment. These commonly include impulse control difficulties, ADHD, mood, or anxiety problems among others. RFK CERC mental health services include evaluations, psychotherapy, and medication treatments for those patients who have had evaluations within the CERC program. Treatment may be provided within RFK CERC or referrals will be made to other appropriate providers.
Neurology/Seizure Management
RFK CERC neurology clinic is a consultant service working closely with our Developmental-Behavioral Pediatricians for evaluation of common neurological conditions such as headaches, tics, and movement disorders as well as evaluation and treatment of seizure disorders in individuals with developmental disabilities.
Nutrition
Rose F. Kennedy's CERC Nutrition Clinic provides nutritional evaluations to children with disabilities who struggle with excessive weight or poor weight gain. We provide nutritional counseling to improve diets by educating and assisting families with meal planning. Behavioral intervention recommendations are offered for children with restrictive eating patterns. We also coordinate with the CERC Feeding Therapy Program.
Special Care Dentistry
The Harold Diner Special Care Dentistry Clinic at RFK CERC provides comprehensive dental care to children and adults of all ages with developmental disabilities and chronic medical conditions. The clinic offers a wide variety of services including preventative, restorative and pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, oral surgery, and outpatient IV sedation for those patients with unique behavioral challenges. The program has expertise in Autism/DD friendly strategies that allow the provision of dental care in a non-traumatic manner and prevents the need for dental care under general anesthesia. Patients and families also receive individualized treatment with an emphasis on prevention and education.
Adult Programs
Adult Literacy Program and Adult Self-Advocacy Groups
The Adult Literacy Program at the Fisher Landau Center for the Treatment of Learning Disabilities of Montefiore/Rose F. Kennedy Center provides evaluation and intervention services to a culturally and ethnically diverse population of adults who have severe learning difficulties, stemming from underlying learning disabilities or other neurodevelopmental disorders. The program provides diagnostic clarification, treatment/educational recommendations, and support for skill development and associated social-emotional concerns stemming from long-standing learning struggles.
The Rose F. Kennedy Adult Primary Care Program offers primary care, psychotropic medication management, and nutritional counseling to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The program, staffed by a family practice physician and a psychiatric nurse practitioner serves individuals living independently, with their families and in group home settings. The mission of the program is the provision of high quality, coordinated medical services within the Montefiore Healthcare System to the IDD adult population as well as transitional care for young adults aging out of pediatric care and developmental-behavioral pediatrics services in a person-centered, culturally responsive manner involving shared decision-making.