Development, Behavior, and Learning

Every child develops at their own pace, but sometimes concern arise. If you have concerns about your child’s development or behavior, specialists in the Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics are here to help.

The Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics envisions a world where all children can thrive. Through our clinical services, our goal is to partner with families to better understand their child’s developmental differences and support them in meeting their goals.

Our Clinical Programs Include:

Development, Behavior and Learning Clinic (Chapel Hill and Blue Ridge locations)

Our team includes pediatric psychology, developmental behavioral pediatrics, social work, and nursing. Our services include developmental assessment, psychological testing, medication management and brief behavioral supports.

Conditions commonly seen in our clinic include:

Autism spectrum disorder
Developmental delay or intellectual disability
Behavior problems in children with developmental disabilities

Down Syndrome Clinic

Our interdisciplinary team of specialists work together to optimize the health and wellbeing of people with Down syndrome.

Our goals include:

Making it easy for people with Down syndrome to access healthcare that is tailored to them
Providing care coordination across specialties
Connecting patients and families to community resources
Offering innovative clinical trials

If you have been referred to our program(s) please also consider contacting community-based services that can support your child and family:

For children ages 0-3

The NC Infant-Toddler Program, also called the Children’s Developmental Services Agency (CDSA). Information about services in your area can be found at CDSA.

Age 3-21

Contact your local school district’s Exceptional Children director. More information can be found at Exceptional Children | NC DPI.

Appointment Forms

Once scheduled, please make sure that you have MyChart activated for your child. You can do this by going to My UNC Chart - Login Page. If you have difficulty you can call them at: 888-996-2767. You will receive information about your child’s appointment.

Links are included on MyChart as well as provided below:

Please complete and return the Parent Questionnaire as soon as possible. This allows our team to best prepare for the visit. Please also provide copies of previous evaluations or school testing, like IEPs. You can upload these to MyChart or email them to uncdbl@unchealth.unc.edu.

What To Expect

During your child’s appointment, you will meet with a member of our specialty team to review your goals and concerns. Together we will decide upon an individually designed evaluation based on your child’s age and developmental level. After the evaluation, we’ll provide recommendations based on your child’s individual needs, strengths, and goals.

You will receive a written summary that can be shared with school and community professionals who work with your child. The written information provides documentation typically requested by schools to help determine eligibility for services if applicable.

Initial appointments may take up to 2-3 hours and often require a second visit to complete.