Hasbro Children’s Hospital has changed the name of its new specialty children’s program to the Children’s Neurodevelopment Center. The change reflects the hospital’s effort to develop a title that better indicates the types of specialties offered and conditions treated at the center.

“We wanted to have an all-encompassing title that fully reflects what we can do for our young patients and their families,” says David Mandelbaum, MD, PhD, director of the Children’s Neurodevelopment Center and chief of child neurology at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. “The title ‘Center for Special Children’ suggested that the center was only caring for children with special needs, however, while we continue to be greatly involved with this group of children, we also care for children with other neurological and developmental disorders such as ADHD, tic disorders, seizures and headaches.”

One of the few physicians across the country to be board certified in neurodevelopmental disabilities, Mandelbaum and other hospital staff created the center to provide the best care for children with neurodevelopment disorders, which are often complicated to treat. Opened in 2003, the center evaluates and treats children with various conditions such as autism, feeding disorders, epilepsy, ADHD, cerebral palsy and mental retardation. Physicians, nurses and other clinicians specializing in pediatric neurology, psychology, social work, orthopedics and physical therapy, among others, work together to provide comprehensive care to improve the quality of life for children with neurological and developmental disorders. The center also provides referral and information resources to parents.

The center houses various programs, including:

Early Intervention: A comprehensive program that treats children up to three years old who have developmental challenges.

Families First CEDARR Center: A Rhode Island Medicaid Program that provides Comprehensive Evaluation, Diagnosis, Assessment, Referral and Re-evaluation for children.

The Pediatric Palliative Care Program: A program that provides relief of pain and distressful symptoms to enhance the quality of life for children with chronic or life-threatening medical conditions.

Frequent Flyer Program: Established to provide the ease of transferring medical information seamlessly throughout the hospitals in Lifespan’s care system for patients who require continuous care at the hospital, the Frequent Flyer Program also includes information on the child’s unique needs and is stored in a secure database available to clinicians.

By offering these services in one place, the hospital can streamline the process of caring for children with complicated disorders, offer multidisciplinary care necessary for these conditions and provide convenience for parents. For more information on the Children’s Neurodevelopment Center at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, visit www.hasbrochildrenshospital.org