Behavioural Problems in Developmental Disorders: A Paediatrician's Guide

Behavioural Problems in Developmental Disorders: A Paediatrician's Guide helps paediatricians better understand and manage behaviour issues in children and adolescents with developmental disorders. These challenges are common but often not well covered in paediatric training, making them difficult to address in practice.

A key challenge is determining whether a child's behaviour is due to brain differences or shaped by their environment and experiences. Traditional diagnostic labels may not always offer clear guidance. This book bridges the gap between psychiatry and paediatrics, offering practical tools and insights. It covers how to assess a child in context, understand their abilities and experiences, and build a flexible, evolving understanding of their behaviour. It also provides a toolkit for managing behaviour, including what paediatricians can do themselves and how to work effectively with others.

Real-life case examples illustrate the process, and the book ends with a look at specific developmental conditions from a behavioural point of view.

Stewart Einfeld, Professor at Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia,Michael McDowell, Associate Professor, University of Queensland, Australia,Adrian Sandler, Consultant, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Adjunct Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Professor Stewart Einfeld has devoted many years of professional life to the care of children with developmental disabilities and their families. He has conducted research principally in the field of behaviour problems affecting these children. He is the author of over 215 manuscripts and books describing this research in the fields of epidemiology, assessment, behaviour phenotypes of genetic syndromes, and treatment. The Developmental Behaviour Checklist, of which he is co-author has been translated into 20 languages. He led the Australian Child to Adult Development Study, a 20-year longitudinal study of over 800 children with intellectual disability and autism.


Dr McDowell's professional career has focused on clinical services. He was the Foundation President of the Australasian Society for Developmental Paediatrics (ASDP.au), the lead association for this area of professional practice. Dr McDowell trained at Boston Children's Hospital, completing a Masters at Harvard and a PhD at University of Queensland. In addition to clinical work, advocacy, teaching and training, Dr McDowell has authored many publications in the field of Developmental Paediatrics.


Dr. Sandler was educated at the University of Cambridge, England, where he earned his undergraduate and medical degrees in 1982. His pediatrics residency was at Duke University Medical Center, and fellowship training at UNC Chapel Hill. He directed multidisciplinary clinics serving children with spina bifida and other disorders 1990-1994. He was the medical director of the Olson Huff Center, a regional multi-disciplinary center for children with disabilities in Asheville NC from 1994-2021, providing clinical service, and engaging in program development and research. From 2022-2023, he directed CHILD, a translational research center in early child development at National University of Singapore. Dr Sandler is a past-President of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (http://www.sdbp.org), an international interprofessional society dedicated to improving the development and behavioral health of all