Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program

Our Programs

Treatments and Services

Care for the whole child

Children with congenital heart defects are often at risk for developmental delays. That’s why we care for the whole child – not just their heart condition. Working with the family, we focus on building the child’s speech, motor and neurocognitive skills to help them grow and thrive.

Developmental care rounds

During developmental care rounds, you can meet with your baby’s specialists to discuss your child’s developmental goals and strategies. During this one-on-one time with a specialist, we can teach you things like how to hold and breastfeed your child during your inpatient stay. Our team will regularly come to your baby’s bedside to answer your questions and guide you on how to support your baby’s development.

Frequent screenings from birth to adulthood

Learning that your child has a congenital heart defect can feel overwhelming and you may have many questions about what their future holds. That’s why we put an emphasis on frequent developmental screenings. All high-risk infants are screened for neurodevelopmental differences throughout their outpatient cardiology appointments. We typically do two to four screenings a year from birth until adulthood to monitor your child’s communication and feeding skills, fine and gross motor skills, social and emotional skills, and problem-solving skills. If any concerns come up, we can create a personalized developmental intervention plan that addresses a child’s strengths and weaknesses. It also allows a family to work with their child to support their continued growth.

Bilingual assessment support program

A child needs to be tested in a language that’s familiar to them to make sure their assessments are accurate. That's why between 30% to 40% of our families use our bilingual assessment support program. Assessments start between 12 and 18 months and continue throughout adulthood. During these assessments, we test for potential developmental differences and delays. We have several bilingual providers who can administer these assessments.

Developmental care rounds

During developmental care rounds, you can meet with your baby’s specialists to discuss your child’s developmental goals and strategies. During this one-on-one time with a specialist, we can teach you things like how to hold and breastfeed your child during your inpatient stay. Our team will regularly come to your baby’s bedside to answer your questions and guide you on how to support your baby’s development.

Frequent screenings from birth to adulthood

Learning that your child has a congenital heart defect can feel overwhelming and you may have many questions about what their future holds. That’s why we put an emphasis on frequent developmental screenings. All high-risk infants are screened for neurodevelopmental differences throughout their outpatient cardiology appointments. We typically do two to four screenings a year from birth until adulthood to monitor your child’s communication and feeding skills, fine and gross motor skills, social and emotional skills, and problem-solving skills. If any concerns come up, we can create a personalized developmental intervention plan that addresses a child’s strengths and weaknesses. It also allows a family to work with their child to support their continued growth.

Bilingual assessment support program

A child needs to be tested in a language that’s familiar to them to make sure their assessments are accurate. That's why between 30% to 40% of our families use our bilingual assessment support program. Assessments start between 12 and 18 months and continue throughout adulthood. During these assessments, we test for potential developmental differences and delays. We have several bilingual providers who can administer these assessments.