Many of the sites listed on the Internet Resources for Parents handout are also useful for professionals wishing to gather a range of information (and handouts) on developmental promotion. The list below focuses on sites devoted to helping professionals learn more about early detection, implementation, keep current with research, etc. 

www.pedstest.com This site offers the “Early Detection Discussion List” where you can post questions about training, implementation, translation. In addition, the site houses training materials including videos, slide shows, a post-test, background information on child development and psychosocial risk, parenting handouts, and additional screens helpful for developmental-behavioral surveillance, etc.

www.dbpeds.orgThis is the web site for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. It houses information on routine as well as challenging aspects of developmental-behavioral pediatrics (e.g., obesity, autism, medication management, etc.).  In addition to numerous articles for physicians, there is also an e-mail discussion in which participants are general and developmental-behavioral pediatricians as well as a few speech-language pathologists and other allied health professionals.  You can post challenging cases, discuss various management strategies, etc. The section has a spiffy newsletter with a coding column, helpful how-to articles, etc. Since membership in the Section (open to medical and nonmedical providers alike) also supports www.dbpeds.org, please join! You can download an application form at www.dbpeds.org or at www.aap.org.

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly You can order free copies of wall charts showing developmental milestones, and developmental indicators/red flags from parents from the Center for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov). You can also order attractive brochures for parents and wall charts for your waiting/exam rooms (for a small fee) from www.firstsigns.org.

www.aap.orgThe American Academy of Pediatrics websites houses policy statements, parenting information, and its online book store offers brochures for families, texts on parenting,  the Vanderbilt ADHD Scale in Spanish, along with an enormous number of texts on health-care related topics. Its official journal, “Pediatrics” allows you to search for articles on topics of interest.

www.medscape.com/pediatrics Medscape houses a journal scan, webcasts, e-mail alerts, highly readable articles on various conditions, news, and resource centers on topics such as addiction, autism, development, depression, ADHD, etc.

www.nichq.orgThe National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality is devoted to quality improvement in health care and has focused on several conditions including ADHD, asthma, and obesity. You can download parent information handouts on this topic, algorithms, etc.

www.brightfutures.organd brightfutures.aap.org The Bright Futures Initative website houses activity books in English and Spanish that can be shared with families. It provides health supervision guides, training and technical assistance in social-emotional development, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, oral health, etc. along with CME and distance learning activities.  The site offers links to Bright Futures Activities in every state and to research supporting the effectiveness of the initiative.

www.mchlibrary.info The Maternal Child Health Library has a helpful guide to locating local services for children and families to address mental health, parenting, child abuse, substance abuse, early intervention, etc.

www.reachoutandread.org Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a simple and very effective developmental promotion process that helps providers promote school success by encouraging book reading. The site explains the process, training requirements, sells appropriate books for different age children, and houses the burgeoning and positive research on book sharing, etc. 

www.medicalhomeinfo.org The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Medical Home Initiative is designed to help establish for children with special health care needs, health care that is “accessible, family-centered, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally-competent.” The site has training materials, rating scales, an e-mail announcement list for providers, training materials, etc. Medical Home also sponsers several conferences each year.

Pediatric Neurological Exam The University of Utah (library.med.utah.edu/pedineurologicexam/html/home_exam.html) has a detailed video on how to conduct a pediatric neurodevelopmental exam with young children.

www.developmentalscreening.org created by Dr. Alison Schonwald at Harvard University, focuses on the challenges of implementing early detection in primary care.  There’s a compelling video about the process—challenges and solutions, strategies for encouraging colleagues and clinic staff, selecting tools, etc. Research on implementation and other screening issues from Alison and colleagues is housed at www.pedstest.com