Welcome from the Chief
Thank you for visiting our site today. I am Maya Lopez, Professor and Section Chief of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics and I want to personally welcome you to the section of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
If you are interested in improving the lives of children and families facing developmental and behavioral concerns, we are excited you are considering learning and working with us. We provide assessments and medical follow-up services for autism and developmental disorders, including speech and language concerns, behavioral concerns such as ADHD and tic disorders, toddler behaviors and learning concerns.
Education and training opportunities at our institution are abundant, with our nationally recognized faculty leading the way. We offer programs for medical students, residents, fellows, and community medical professionals through DBP Resident Rotations, the DBP Fellowship Program, the DBP Training Program Grant, LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities), and Healthy Childcare Arkansas (HCCAR). CoBALT (Community Based Liaison and Training) is a standout initiative, a locally-developed program that trains physicians to recognize and screen children for developmental concerns and autism, effectively reducing the wait time for developmental care appointments.
Our program thrives on the expertise and dedication of our diverse and approachable faculty. These professionals are the driving force behind our multidisciplinary approach to care, which integrates the specialized knowledge of developmental pediatricians, nurse practitioners, speech/language pathologists, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, psychological examiners, and other specialists as needed. This collaborative team model enables us to identify and nurture each child’s strengths, ensuring comprehensive and individualized care for all.
Our team also provides valuable care through Community Partnership and PACE program clinics. Our Community Partnership clinics, offered in collaboration with community partners and state agencies, provide additional access to developmental and autism screenings for families outside of central Arkansas. This is done through diagnostic and follow-up care for developmental learning, including behavioral programs and early identification of developmental disabilities in preschool children. Our PACE program has a medical-developmental focus and provides multidisciplinary Comprehensive Health Assessments (CHA) to all children placed in foster care within 60 days of custody. These evaluations are done in one visit and include audiological screening, vision screening, cognitive-developmental assessment, academic assessment, behavioral/emotional assessment, a medical evaluation, an assessment of language, articulation, voice and fluency and an oral motor/feeding evaluation when appropriate.
While you’re here, you’ll spend a lot of clinical time at the UAMS Dennis Developmental Center, which is located on the ACH campus. You’ll also attend clinics at ACH, such as Growth & Development, High-Risk Newborn, Complex Care and Cardio-Neurodevelopmental clinics.
We also welcome trainees with an interest and passion for research. Our providers are involved in several multi-site research networks across the country, and the Arkansas Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (AR ADDM) is a program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to estimate the number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities living in Arkansas. We are also part of the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network (DBPNet), where we participate in coordinated research activities addressing health issues for, but not limited to, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities.
Our program is really quite extraordinary, and I welcome any questions you may have. Please let me know how I can be of assistance. My door is always open.
Harvey and Bernice Jones Endowed Chair in Developmental Pediatrics
Associate Program Director, Developmental-Behavioral Fellowship
Professor of Pediatrics