Established in July 1987, the Child Development Center of the National Children’s Hospital caters to almost 5,000 patients annually. With the growing number of patients needing a comprehensive developmental evaluation and collaborative management, the hospital responded to the demand to produce and train more subspecialists by setting up its Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship Training Program.

In 1992 Dr. Joselyn Eusebio became the center’s first developmental and behavioral pediatrician. She and the other allied health professionals have devotedly catered to numerous patients until Dr. Jocelyn Sanchez joined her in 2017, and Drs. Agnes Falcotelo, Francis Dimalanta, Marizel Dacumos, and Ma. Florita Yambao-de la Cruz in 2019. Realizing the burgeoning need for competent, passionate, and dedicated developmental pediatricians under the leadership of Dr. Joselyn Eusebio, a Fellowship Training Program in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics was established on July 1, 2019. Dr. Andrea Martha Bagain and Dr. Sheryll Singzon became the pioneer trainees of the program. The Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics fully accredited the program on February 20, 2020.

Through the relentless support of the administration and the dedication of its founding members and its trainees, the section has excellently continued to live up to its thrusts even during the pandemic. Telemedicine was immediately launched in 2020 to continue delivering services to all stakeholders. To date, it has proven its relevance. We continuously cater to patients in the country’s remote provinces, wherein a physical consultation is not feasible. Through this platform, the section has also been extending its services to the patients referred by the Marinduque Provincial Hospital under the tripartite agreement between the Department of Health MIMAROPA and the National Children’s Hospital.

Cognizant of the necessity and impact of early developmental evaluation and intervention, the section has responded to the call to improve high-risk infants’ developmental outcomes by launching the High-Risk Infant Developmental Clinic. The clinic was conceived last January 2021 with the vision of becoming a recognized prime referral center for the comprehensive care of high-risk infants in the Philippines with the mission to provide early identification, quality assessment, and early intervention based on the tradition of excellence in services rendered at National Children’s Hospital Child Development Center. In March 2022, the Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Section formally launched the High-Risk Infant Developmental Clinic. It was well-attended and well-received by consultants, residents, and other allied health professionals. Four months later, the section unlocked another momentous feat as it finally launched the Interhospital Telemedicine Program with Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital. It broadens its capacity to cater to more indigent patients needing the services. The Fellows underwent special training to ensure proper assessment and are all NBO certified.

In line with our continuing effort to advocate for a medical home for our patients, parents, caregivers, and all the members of the families must realize their significant value as primary stakeholders in nurturing their children. The section has been conducting Parent Training programs to foster awareness of neurodevelopmental conditions, etiologies, clinical manifestations, evidence-based interventions, and what they can do at home to help maximize the child’s strengths and forge a better outcome. This information is vital enough for them to recognize the weaknesses and strengths of their children and, eventually, mobilize them to provide a home environment tailored to their children’s developmental needs. Hence, involvement and empowerment among caregivers are strongly emphasized in these workshops as they are equipped with general home instructions and activities by all the members of the healthcare professionals attending to their children, specifically the therapists.

The Community Program’s conceptualization bridges the community gap in providing services for differently abled children. It aims to facilitate equity for everyone. It will provide a comprehensive and timely evaluation of children with special needs. Furthermore, a collaboration between one special education school in Quezon City was started. We aim to build a doable and attainable partnership to deliver high-quality evaluations and interventions focused on the child’s strengths and needs. Last October 2022, a visit was conducted at Batino Elementary School-SPED in Quezon City. A meeting with the school principal, Ms. Jaida Maglonzo, and their community program coordinator transpired, and the need to conduct a school profiling was highlighted to streamline the proposed plan of action depending on the needs of the students.
The section recently collaborated with the Quezon City-Persons with Disability Affairs Office to facilitate access to services. It will work with the local government to evaluate and manage children with disabilities. Launching the Transition Program in 2024 will provide better opportunities and quality of life for adolescents and young adult patients and their families. With all stakeholders’ collaborative efforts and dedication, the section looks forward to a better future for all Filipino neurodivergent children.