A Paediatrician has completed training as a medical doctor, then undertaken further specialised training in the medical care of children. The specialty training program is supervised by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
A Developmental Behavioural Paediatrician is a subspecialist within the practice of paediatric medicine. This subspecialty remains interdisciplinary integrating Psychology, Paediatrics and related disciplines.
Developmental Paediatricians (either Developmental-Behavioural Paediatricians or Neurodevelopmental Paediatricians) can perform neurological examinations, interpret the results of psychological testing (as well as the results of testing by other specialists such as OT's, PT's and Speech-Language Pathologists), prescribe medication, oversee the medical evaluation of developmental disabilities, and serve as long-term members of a child's care team.
The ability to synthesize information from multiple sources, and the ability to provide comprehensive follow-up of developmental issues, are hallmarks of Developmental Paediatrics.
Working with children and young people means that early intervention at this critical period is possible with the potential for making a lifelong difference to those being seen.
Developmental Paediatricians believe in the importance of family and community and this is reflected in service provision. The work emphasises a multidisciplinary and multi-agency approach. This means collaborating with colleagues with skills in different areas, or with partners from other organisations such as schools, social services, hospitals, private therapy providers or the Justice System. Consultation with other agencies is an important part of the work, to ensure integration of interventions at all levels.