Addressing the major advances in biomedical, psychological, social, and environmental sciences over the past decade, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, 5th Edition, remains the reference of choice for professionals in a wide range of fields, including medicine and health care, education, social service, advocacy, and public policy. This foundational, pioneering resource emphasizes children's assets and liabilities, not just categorical labels. Comprehensive in scope, it offers information and guidance on normal development and behavior, psychosocial, and biologic influences on development, developmental disorders, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and mental health conditions. It also discusses tools and strategies for diagnosis and management, including new assessments that can be used in telehealth encounters.



Offers a highly practical focus, emphasizing clinical approaches to evaluation, counseling, treatment, and ongoing care.


Provides new or expanded information on theoretical foundations of human development and behavior; trauma, adverse childhood events, and resilience across the life span; mechanisms of genetic, epigenetic, and neurological conditions; and principles of psychological assessment, including a broad array of evaluation approaches.


Discusses management and treatment for developmental and behavioral conditions, spanning common factors, cognitive behavior therapies, rehabilitative services, integrative medicine, and psychopharmacology.


Contains up-to-date chapters on celebrating socio-cultural diversity and addressing racism and bias, acute stress and post-traumatic stress disorder in youth, sexuality and variation, and alternatives to restrictive guardianship.


Begins each chapter with a colorful vignette that demonstrates the importance of the human dimensions of developmental-behavioral pediatrics.


Offers viewpoints from an interdisciplinary team of editors and contributors, representing developmental-behavioral pediatrics, general pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, occupational and physical therapy, speech-language pathology, and law.


Provides the latest drug information in the updated and revised chapters on psychopharmacology.


Includes key points boxes, tables, pictures, and diagrams to clarify and enhance the text.


Enhanced eBook version included with purchase. Your enhanced eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.


SECTION 1 Foundations of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

1 An Introduction to the Field of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

2 The Biopsychosocial Model: Understanding Multiple Interactive Influences on Child Development and Behavior

3 Theories of Human Development

4 Theories of Learning and Behavior Change



SECTION 2 Life Stages

5 The Maternal-Fetal Dyad: Challenges and Adaptations

6 Infancy

7 Toddlerhood and the Preschool Years

8 Middle Childhood

9 Adolescence

10 Transition to Adulthood

11 End-of-Life, Death, and Bereavement



SECTION 3 Social and Environmental Contexts of Children

12 Understanding Child Development and Behavior in the Context of Family Systems

13 Parenting and Parenting Behavior

14 Foster Care and Adoption: Implications for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

15 Trauma, Resilience, and Child Development

16 Childcare

17 Peers

18 Schools as a Milieu

19 Neighborhoods and Personal Networks

20 Celebrating Sociocultural Diversity in the Exam Room and Addressing Racism and Bias

21 The Influence of Digital Media on Children and Families

22 Natural and Human Disasters



SECTION 4 Biological Factors, Medical Conditions, and Exposures Affecting Development and Behavior

23 Biological Mechanisms of Human Development and Behavior

24 Genetic Disorders and Their Associated Mechanisms

25 Chromosome Disorders and Inheritance Patterns

26 Sex Chromosome Aneuploidy

27 Down Syndrome

28 Fragile X Syndrome and FMR1 Variants

29 Nervous System,

30 Neuromuscular Disorders

31 Seizures and Epilepsy

32 Diffuse Acquired Brain Injury

33 Congenital Infections

34 Consequences of Preterm Birth

35 Nutritional Disorders

36 Inborn Errors of Metabolism

37 Prenatal Exposure of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drugs

38 The Impact of Environmental Chemicals on the Developing Brain



SECTION 5 Developmental Disorders

39 Cerebral Palsy and Other Motor Disorders

40 Intellectual Disability

41 Autism Spectrum Disorder

42 Developmental Considerations in Deafness

43 Blindness and Visual Impairment

44 Language and Speech Disorders

45 Sensory Processing Disorders



SECTION 6 Variation in Behavior, Learning, Emotion, and Mental Health

46 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

47 Learning Disabilities

48 Talent and Giftedness

49 Mood Disorders in Children and Adolescents

50 Suicide Prevention Care in the Pediatric Setting: A Trauma-Informed Approach

51 Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents

52 Psychotic-Spectrum Disorders in Children and Adolescents

53 Substance Use Disorders and Other Risk-Taking Behaviors in Youth

54 Dual Diagnosis of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

55 Aggression and Disruptive Behavior Disorders

56 Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Youth

57 Adjustment and Adjustment Disorders in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics



SECTION 7 Developmental and Behavioral Considerations Related to Medical Care

58 Impact of Hospitalization and Acute Medical Care on Children and Families

59 Children with Chronic Illness and Medical Complexity

60 Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumors: Developmental and Behavioral Considerations

61 Neurodevelopment in Children With Congenital Heart Disease

62 Medications With Developmental and Behavioral Side Effects

63 Palliative Care for Children With Medical Complexity

64 Chronic Pain



SECTION 8 Variations in Functional Domains

65 Feeding and Swallowing Disorders

66 Growth Faltering

67 Childhood Obesity

68 Urinary Incontinence and Nocturnal Enuresis

69 Toileting and Encopresis

70 Sleep and Sleep Disorders In Children

71 Movement Disorders

72 Habit Disorders in Children and Adolescents

73 Sexuality and Its Variations

74 Sexuality in Children and Youth With Disabilities

75 Gender and Its Variation in Youth



SECTION 9 Assessment and Measurement in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

76 Fundamentals of Developmental, Behavioral, and Psychological Assessment

77 The Interview in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

78 The Physical Exam: Laying on of Hands.or Not

79 Evaluation of Children Who Are Nonverbal/Minimally Verbal

80 Assessment of Temperament

81 Developmental Surveillance and Screening

82 Evaluation of Emotion and Behavior

83 Evaluation of School Readiness: Beyond ABCs

84 Observational Assessment in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

85 Developmental, Cognitive, and Intelligence Testing

86 Educational Testing and Evaluation of Academic Performance

87 Neuropsychology in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Practice

88 Evaluation of Adaptive Functioning

89 Assessments of the Central Nervous System

90 Integration of Data Sources and Uncertainty



SECTION 10 Interventions, Management, and Treatment of Developmental and Behavioral Conditions

91 Counseling and Readiness to Change

92 Common Factors and Lifestyle Interventions

93 Behavioral Parent Training and Consultation

94 Applied Behavior Analysis for Autism Spectrum Disorder

95 Crisis Management in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

96 Individual Therapy for Children and Adolescents: Play Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy as Developmentally Centered Relational Change Modalities

97 Family Systems Therapy and Its Importance in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

98 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

99 Psychopharmacology

100 Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and Meditation

101 Growth Mindset as a Brief Intervention: Research to Practice

102 Treatment of Developmental, Behavioral, and Mental Health Conditions via Technology

103 Early Intervention

104 Special Education Services

105 Transition to Adulthood for Young Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

106 Rehabilitation Services: Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy

107 Speech-Language Pathology for Developmental-Behavioral Disorders

108 Art and Music Therapy

109 Integrative Medicine for Disorders of Development and Behavior

110 Community-Based Interventions

111 Endocrine and Gynecologic Management of Children With Severe Disabilities



SECTION 11 Societal and Legal Contexts of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

112 Social Inclusion

113 Education Law: Implications for Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

114 Health Care Systems for Children With Disabilities

115 Interprofessional Team-Based Care

116 Ethical Considerations

117 The Pitfalls of Guardianship (Conservatorship) and the Promise of Alternatives



SECTION 12 Conclusion

118 The Right to Belong, The Right to be Differen