Infant and Toddler Mental Health Program (ITP)
The internationally recognized Infant and Toddler Program (ITP) at Children’s National Medical Center provides early identification, comprehensive assessment and intervention to support the young child’s emerging abilities and healthy development. Intervening as early as possible often makes a major difference in the child’s life-long emotional and behavioral regulation and the healthy development of the brain, and may prevent further difficulties.
ITP assesses and treats young children with various concerns including difficulties with feeding, sleeping, anxiety, moodiness, irritability, aggression, withdrawn behavior, or exposure to loss, violence or neglect.
There are two specialty clinics within ITP, each directed by internationally recognized early childhood specialists, and each focused on integrated provision of care, research, education and advocacy.
The two clinics are:
Infants, Toddlers and Beyond: Comprehensive Assesment and Intervention
Comprehensive Assessment and Intervention addresses a broad range of parental and professional concerns for children birth through 3 years and beyond. Parental concerns include:
- Sleep difficulties
- Anxiety
- Moodiness
- Irritability
- Aggression
- Withdrawn behavior
- Exposure to loss, violence or neglect
For some children these concerns are associated with medical difficulties or cognitive, language, motor or sensory differences that interfere with the child’s developmental progress and emotional and/or behavioral regulation.
The first assessment lasts up to two hours and includes psychiatric assessment with observation of the child during play and clean-up, and brief feedback and recommendations for parents. A comprehensive assessment usually requires at least three visits to understand the complex reasons for the child’s distress and/or behaviors and develop child-specific interventions with the families.
Intervention services include:
- Developmental guidance with child-specific intervention strategies
- Referrals for additional medical and developmental evaluation and treatment
- Family therapy
- Play therapy
- Day care/preschool consultations
- Parenting support groups
- Connections to community resources
- Medication, if needed
Second opinions and consultations are also provided.
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Feeding Disorders Clinic
The Multidisciplinary Feeding Disorders Clinic was established by Pediatric Gastroenterologist Benny Kerzner, MD and Pediatric Psychiatrist Irene Chatoor, MD more than 15 years ago.
The clinic addresses feeding disorders from the medical, behavioral, nutritional, and oral-motor developmental perspective. It serves infants and young children under the age of 6 years who have feeding problems in association with being underweight, normal weight or overweight.
The clinic has seen approximately 500 patients during the last five years.
New patients are first evaluated by nurse specialists in Gastronenterology, who perform a thorough screening assessment including a review of the child’s medical, nutritional, and feeding history as well as a physical examination. After the initial report from the nurse specialist, the evaluation continues with multidisciplinary specialists providing comprehensive medical, nutritional, oral-motor and psychiatric assessments. As part of the oral-motor and psychiatric assessments, children are observed from behind a one-way mirror during feeding and play. The comprehensive evaluation is concluded with a feedback session for the parents in which all of the professionals participate.
The evaluation includes:
- Parent guidance in feeding management
- Medical treatment
- Oral-motor therapy
- Referral to day treatment or inpatient care, if needed
The clinic also offers second opinion services.
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