We are most pleased to present Volume 3 of Developmental-Behavioral
Disorders: Selected Topics, designed to serve as a companion for
standard reference textbooks that address cogent issues in developmental
pedi- atrics. Periodic publications such as Selected Topics and
theme-related articles, as well as continuing education programs,
attempt to supple- ment in a timely fashion the rapidly changing
knowledge base in devel- opmental-behavioral pediatrics. These media are
important as forums for enhancing the quality of clinical practice,
teaching skills, and re- search activities. The need is critical for
periodically disseminating and updating information about issues in
developmental medicine, in as much as this field of study continues to
expand at a meteoric pace. During the past several decades,
developmental medicine has been recognized as a defined subspecialty in
pediatrics. The spectrum of problems encompassed by this discipline is
relatively broad and at times clinically overwhelming. The ultimate goal
of preventing delays, disor- ders, and/or dysfunctions from becoming
chronic handicapping condi- tions has, by volume per se, created
clinical dilemmas for pediatric health care providers. There are
numerous facets of providing efficient and effective care, which in the
field of developmental-behavioral pediatrics are often exaggerated
impediments to the delivery of services by pri- mary health care
specialists, e. g., time, clinical skills, need for inter- disciplinary
management, medical-legal responsibilities, financial reim- bursements.
These issues, as well as clinical problems, are still very much part of
the information base to be disseminated to concerned pro- fessionals.
