Case Presentation: The parents of your 4-year-old patient with Autism level 2 with verbal impairment comes in to ask about leucovorin and whether it will help their child speak. Leucovorin, also known as folinic acid, is the active form of folate (vitamin B9). It is used in cancers that require specific types of chemotherapies and […]

Case example You’re treating a 15-year-old girl with Major Depressive Disorder. She has moderate benefit from a combination of weekly therapy and sertraline. The sertraline dose has had to be titrated slowly because of nausea as a side effect. When the dose was recently increased to 200mg she complained of such severe nausea that she […]

Case example A 16-year-old comes in for a well child check. She has a history of anxiety and depression and is on 20mg of escitalopram daily. She goes to therapy weekly and finds it helpful. The medication has helped her depression but she is still pretty anxious at school most days. The anxiety distracts her […]

A 17-year-old high school senior with a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder presents to the office. He shares that he was recently accepted to college but is worried about keeping up with the coursework. How do you advise him? The transition from high school to college can be daunting, especially for individuals with disabilities […]

Case Presentation: You are seeing a 9-year-old male with preexisting ADHD, predominantly Inattentive Presentation who was recently removed from his biological mother and placed in a foster home. He has been stable on Concerta 27mg every morning for the last year with improvement in his symptoms in the school setting. His foster mother reports he […]

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy effective for both youth and adults. It was originally developed in the 1970s by American psychologist Dr. Marsha Linehan, who sought to create a treatment that could help individuals with borderline personality disorder and chronic suicidality. DBT is particularly helpful for individuals struggling with emotional dysregulation, relationship […]

You have a parent with a child who has seen various specialists and is diagnosed with autism.  The parent then goes to the school to ask for assistance and the school states the child is not eligible for services.  So what is going on? The difference between a medical diagnosis of autism and the educational […]

A 12-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder presents to your office. His mother reports that he has always been a picky eater and will only eat carbohydrate-based foods, such as plain pasta and French fries. He refuses vegetables and fruits stating he does not like the way they taste or feel. He does not eat […]

Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) describe a set of interpersonal relationships between family, friends, at school and in the community that fosters a child’s ability to thrive. Studies show that children who have more supportive experiences may be less likely to have psychological or relationship problems as adults. PCEs can be protective against adolescent substance use […]

For busy pediatricians and primary care providers, anxiety is one of the most common concerns raised in problem visits. Anxiety disorders affect ~1 in 8 youth and parents frequently seek guidance from pediatricians first. Parents often ask what they can do differently at home, yet many feel stuck responding to their child’s distress with accommodations that, although well-intended, […]