What your developmental pediatrician in Oakhurst wants you to know

If you’ve noticed your child has trouble concentrating or completing tasks, it’s easy to assume it’s just part of your child’s personality. The truth is it could be a treatable condition. Your child could be exhibiting signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD.

Dr. Alison Smoller at Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey in Oakhurst, NJ wants to share the signs and symptoms of ADHD. She proudly serves patients from all over the state of New Jersey including Pennsylvania, and she can help you and your child.

According to the Child Development Institute, the main characteristics of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. These characteristics can show up in many different ways, including:

• Fidgeting, squirming or tapping hands and feet
• Inability to remain seated for long periods of time
• Inappropriately running, climbing or other activities
• Excessively talking and blurting out answers to questions
• Inability to focus on details
• Difficulty listening and following directions
• Poor organizational skills
• Frequently losing items
• Easily distracted and forgetful

If your child does have ADHD, it can dramatically affect many aspects of your child’s life including learning, socialization and behavior. Your child may exhibit:

• Destructive behaviors
• Poor grades
• Inability to form friendships
• Aggressive, belligerent behaviors
• Moodiness, depression, and frustration
• Physical growth issues
• Difficulty sleeping

ADHD is a developmental disorder that can be effectively managed and treated using a combination of therapies including:

• Behavioral therapy, involving both child and parents; this therapy focuses on techniques to minimize destructive, aggressive and inappropriate behaviors.
• Lifestyle modification, including diet (limiting sugar, increasing vitamins and nutrients), and exercise
• Medication therapy, using medications to increase focus, improve brain function, and increase self-control; common medications include Adderall and Ritalin, among others.

If your child is displaying the signs and symptoms of ADHD, it’s time to take action while your child is still young. Early treatment of ADHD can result in a much better treatment outcome and less likelihood of problems as an adult. It’s time to call Dr. Alison Smoller at Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey. She proudly serves patients from all over the state of New Jersey including Pennsylvania. Don’t wait, call today!

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by communication problems, repetitive behaviors and social and cognitive impairments. Because it is a spectrum disorder, it can be mild or very severe and occur in all types of children. Your Monmouth County developmental pediatrician Dr. Alison Smoller at Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey, specializes in diagnosing autism in children of all ages.

Signs of Autism in Children

Some of the most common signs of autism include:

• Not responding to their name
• Not pointing to objects
• Avoiding eye contact
• Preferring to play alone
• Having difficulty understanding other people’s feelings
• Not learning to speak or being delayed in speech development
• Getting upset at changes
• Having obsessive tendencies and/or interests
• Having little to no social skills
• Being unable to answer questions directly
• Having extreme anxiety
• Being hyperactive
• Having a short attention span
• Being impulsive

With the help from your developmental pediatrician in Monmouth County, you can determine whether or not your child is autistic.

Screening for Autism

Development screening is a short test that can tell if a child has the learning basic skills that they should. During this screening, the parent will be asked some questions about the way their child acts and plays. A delay could be a sign of a problem. All children should be screened regularly at their regular well-child doctor visits starting at age 9 months until about 30 months. Additional screening may be required for a child at high risk for problems.

Your Monmouth County developmental pediatrician Dr. Alison Smoller at Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey in Oakhurst, NJ can help diagnose autism in children of all ages. We do comprehensive evaluations that include looking at the child’s behavior hands-on. We also offer recommendations for other medical testing if we see fit. To schedule a comprehensive evaluation call (732) 660-0220 today.

As a parent, your child’s health and development is your number one priority. Getting your child the help they need with developmental delays now can help them continue to advance for the rest of their lives. Dyslexia affects about 5%-10% of the population and is one of the most common reading disabilities. But how can you tell if your child suffers from dyslexia? Find out with your Monmouth County developmental pediatrician Dr. Alison Smoller at Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey.

What is dyslexia? 
Dyslexia is a condition affecting the brain which mostly affects reading but can affect writing and speaking as well. This condition does not necessarily mean that your child will have trouble reading or writing forever. There are many teaching techniques and tools to help your child deal with their dyslexia and to lead a normal and happy life.

Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia
The symptoms of dyslexia vary from patient to patient. Some children’s dyslexia may present itself as trouble reading, though others may not be able to distinguish right from left. Some children may have difficulty speaking while others may have difficulties formulating their thoughts or understanding a joke. Younger children may have issues pronouncing words correctly, distinguishing or recognizing the alphabet, rhyming, or learning to count.

Diagnosing Dyslexia in Oakhurst, NJ 
Diagnosing dyslexia begins with a visit to your Monmouth County developmental pediatrician. If you believe your child has the signs of dyslexia, an appointment with Dr. Smoller will ensure that your child gets the care and attention they deserve. Dr. Smoller can help you pinpoint the problem and whether there are signs of other conditions related to dyslexia, like ADHD or other learning disabilities. After testing and information gathering, she will suggest the best course of treatment for your child. 

For more information on dyslexia treatment in the Monmouth County, NJ area, please contact Dr. Smoller at Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey. Call (732) 660-0220 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Smoller today!

Learn more about the different kinds of development disorders that can appear in children.

It’s amazing to watch your children grow and learn. Of course, if you are noticing some rather odd behavior in your little one, you may be worried that it could be a developmental disorder. Before you panic, take a deep breath and turn to our Monmouth County developmental pediatrician Dr. Alison Smoller for the care you and your child need to make sure he or she leads a happy, healthy life.

Developmental disabilities can happen to any child. In fact, according to the Center of Disease Control, about 15 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 17 have one or more development disorders.

This includes:

• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
• Cerebral Palsy
• Learning Disabilities
• Intellectual Disabilities

Risk Factors for Developmental Disorders

Most developmental disorders can occur at any point in time during childhood and often last the rest of their life. There are many factors that are assumed to be responsible for these developmental disorders including:

• Genetics
• Behaviors during pregnancy (e.g. smoking)
• Birth complications
• Infections during pregnancy

However, for many developmental disorders, there is no known cause.

What You Should Do

It’s important that your child continues to go to routine checkups with our developmental pediatrician in Monmouth County. By coming in for annual visits, you can get professional monitoring to make sure that your little one is hitting all developmental milestones. And if there is an issue, the sooner you come in to address the situation the better. Early interventions can help your child adopt new skill sets and may prevent the need for more aggressive interventions in the future.

Call your Monmouth County Developmental Pediatrician

If you don’t think your child has reached an important milestone don’t wait to seek treatment. Your child’s health is our main concern. Call Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey where our Monmouth County developmental pediatrician are always here for you and your child.

From birth onward, all parents will wonder if their child is meeting the proper milestones for their age and developmental level. If there are deficiencies noticed by the parents, caregivers, or instructors, there may be some concern about learning disabilities. At Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey, Dr. Alison Smoller is well equipped to recognize and diagnose learning disabilities in her young patients in Monmouth County, NJ. It's important to remember that at some point, most children will display at least a few of the behaviors and characteristics discussed here. Many are a natural part of development. Your Monmouth County developmental pediatrician may suspect a learning disability if your child fails to fully master a concept or displays numerous signs that they do not outgrow.

Early signs

These symptoms of learning disabilities are often seen before or during preschool:

• Delayed speech
• Delay in fine motor skills (coloring, using safety scissors, manipulating blocks or other small objects)
• Difficulty learning or remembering shapes, colors, alphabet, numbers
• Inability to follow or remember routines

Intellectual signs

Learning disabilities can fully manifest themselves during elementary-aged classroom activities. They may present with the following:

• Insufficient reading and/or writing ability. The child may reverse letters in words while writing or speaking.
• Sequencing difficulties, such as during math-related exercises
• Difficulty learning to tell time
• Not knowing right from left
• Difficulty distinguishing numbers, letters or other symbols

These signs may not follow a specific pattern; they can differ from day to day. Children with learning disabilities may also display poor physical coordination as well. 

Responsive signs

Your Monmouth County pediatrician often finds that children with learning disabilities display similar behaviors to those with ADD/ADHD. These children may also become frustrated with their impairments and act out inappropriately.

• Does not respond well to discipline
• Difficulty with following or remembering directions
• Poor attention span
• Impulsive or restless behavior. The child may frequently get out of his or her seat, speak out of turn or fidget.
• Disorganization

By working with your Monmouth County, NJ developmental pediatrician, Dr. Alison Smoller, any learning disabilities your child may have can be addressed and treated appropriately. Contact Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey with any questions you may have or to set up an evaluation for your child.