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Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

The Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (D&B Peds) is committed to the delivery of exemplary clinical care, to advancing research and to training future healthcare professionals.

The division provides comprehensive evaluation and management of children with developmental and behavioral differences. Faculty members in the division provide clinical services and research at the UC Irvine Child Development School and Early Intervention Program, CHOC Children’s Hospital and The Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

The UC Irvine Health Child Development School together with the Orange County Health Care Agency, through the Mental Health Services Act, offers a unique, school-based mental health program for children with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and other neuro-developmental conditions. The only program of its kind in Orange County and the surrounding region, the school uses evidence-based methods to help children with behavioral or developmental challenges which make it difficult to function in typical school and in social settings. The school currently provides a regular education curriculum to about 90 children in grades 1 through 6. The mission of the program is to provide education in the manner in which children can best reach their social, emotional, and academic potential.

Providing Help and Hope: Originally founded in 2001 (as For OC Kids), The Center for Autism is home to a team of experts in the field of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. Since our opening, we’ve been a leader in assessment, diagnosis, care coordination, family support and education for children with autism spectrum and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Our goal is to give help and hope to children and families challenged by autism, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. If your family is touched by one of these disorders, we want you to know that we understand, we care, and we’re here to help.

Not only do we provide early identification and intervention, we also provide excellence in clinical care and a wide range of educational resources and research to increase our understanding of these disorders—and hopefully one day eliminates them altogether. Working together through a team approach, we help parents and families navigate the system, overcome obstacles and assist children in reaching their optimal potential.

One thing that sets our center apart is our dedication to truly helping families get the services they need. Not only do we provide initial evaluations and diagnosis, we also offer ongoing follow-up care and coordination to help families successfully navigate the service delivery system in our local community. We also strive to serve all children and all families. Therefore, we accept most any type of insurance, including Medicaid, CalOptima and Medical. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our services and explore our vast resources.

The division oversees CHOC/UC Irvine neurodevelopmental programs. These programs provide access to comprehensive evaluations, diagnosis, support, education and advocacy for children 0-5 who are at risk for or who evidence developmental, behavioral or learning problems. Program faculty and staff support families and health care providers and work with community partners to create a seamless network of developmental services. These programs are supported by the Children and Families Commission of Orange County and include The Center for Autsim & Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Child Behavior Pathways, EDAC, and Help Me Grow

Faculty:

Francis M. Crinella, PhD
Kimberley Dawn Lakes, PhD
Jean G. Gehricke, PhD
Geeta Grover, MD
Marc A. Lerner, MD
David Monkarsh, PhD
Barbara Moore, M.A.
Hyun S. Park,MD
Sabrina E. Brierley Schuck, PhD
Robin Steinberg-Epstein, MD
James M. Swanson, PhD
Julie Youssef, DO