A subspecialty that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with conditions that affect the developing brain. These conditions occur prior to birth or early in development and impact multiple areas of functioning, including cognition, language, motor, and social skills. Given the occurrence of these disorders occurring early in development, NDD is a pediatric and neurologically based subspecialty.
Common diagnoses that neurodevelopmental specialists see include autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, learning disability, genetic conditions, metabolic disorders, and nerve and muscular disorders.
Multidisciplinary care is a core element of neurodevelopmental medicine, engaging physicians, nursing, therapists, and other specialists.
Physicians are often involved with patients and their families throughout the lifespan from infancy into adulthood.
6 years of total postgraduate training
2 years of an ACGME-accredited categorical pediatric program
4 years of NDD residency (1 year of adult neurology, 18 months of child neurology, 18 months of NDD)
You may also be eligible if you have already completed an ACGME -accredited pediatrics residency.
NDD training encompasses the diversity of neurological disorders that occur during childhood, development, and behavioral medicine and approaches care using a multidisciplinary, team-based focus for patients across the lifespan.
There is greater training and exposure to developmental and behavioral assessment and treatment.
NDD offers greater emphasis on working with a therapeutic team and understanding community resources and offers more training in advocacy.
Completion of NDD training allows you to be board eligible for 3 boards:
Pediatrics (American Board of Pediatrics)
Neurology with special qualification in child neurology (American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, ABPN)
Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (ABPN)
Child neurology allows dual certification (Pediatrics and Neurology with special qualification in child neurology)
The breadth of NDD training allows NDD physicians to work in academic centers with clinical, research, and teaching opportunities. NDD physicians can work in different work settings:
Neurodevelopmental division
Child Neurology division
Developmental and Behavioral division
Rehabilitation or school-based settings
Government agencies or organizations
Private practice
Although NDD is a residency, the longer training period allows for mentored research opportunities.
A strong proportion of NDD graduates have chosen to incorporate basic and clinical research into their careers.
NDD elective: Medical students and prospective applicants can contact programs to inquire about 4th year electives in order to gain preliminary exposure to NDD. Please see program contact list for more information