Navigating the journey of life with a special needs child requires a team of professionals, knowledgeable and motivated to work together towards a common goal, providing your child with an enjoyable life experience, maximizing their true potential, within a community of acceptance, love, and respect. 

Dr. Rivelli, along with her colleagues at Pedi-Care strives to provide this type of   comprehensive and coordinated care. Every family has a unique perspective and priorities, and that is respectively taken into account in assisting with case management and referrals.

Because of the importance of early identification of developmental disabilities, Pedi-Care utilizes the mCHAT at 18 and 24 months in conjunction with The University of Connecticut’s department of psychology.  We also strongly encourage families who have a child on the autism spectrum to enroll any newborn family members in the

Yale Baby-Sib Project: www.childstudycenter.yale.edu / 203-785-6237 for closer monitoring of development and behavior.

Once concerns have been identified, proper diagnostic evaluation is essential.  We will assist with referral information regarding type of resources to obtain this evaluation.  

Monitoring progress, coordinating specialty evaluations, and assisting with finding appropriate resources, services, and support, as well as ensuring proper medical evaluation are essential to our approach.

We encourage parents to prepare the child prior to their first visit and as needed with future visits.  Hints to assist with this include:

·         Having the parent come in for consultation without the child to review records, history, and concerns

·         Taking photographs of the office and physician to show the child prior to the visit and if appropriate, make a brief social story to introduce the child to our practice and their first visit (or subsequent visits).

·         Scheduling the child’s first visit at an optimal time for the child, when they are not sick, to allow them to meet the doctor and allow the doctor to interact with them during an informal session utilizing play and the child’s area of interests.

We are a general pediatrics practice and adhere to the vaccination guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  We strongly believe that vaccines are safe and an important component of your child’s preventative health care.  With this in mind, and with concern for our newborn and immune compromised patients, we require that our patients comply with these recommendations.  For further information on vaccination schedules and safety please see our web site and provided links.

There are times when a child or teen demonstrates difficulties with mood,

behavior, activity and attention level or sleep.  Once any underlying medical factor is eliminated, an evaluation with a mental health professional may be recommended.  Because of the importance of proper diagnosis, and the complexity of treatment options, recommendations, prescribing, and follow-up regarding medication use for these difficulties should be performed by this mental health professional.

            It is important to remember, that most importantly your child is a child first, and that some concerns and behaviors may be typical and part of the normal process of infancy, childhood, and adolescence.  We are here, along with the rest of your team, to help in assessing and addressing these concerns. 

This is a journey.  It will require a team of professionals, family, and friends.  It will take time.  It will take patience and perseverance.  It is not only possible, but holds the promise of many triumphs.  It is important to know that you do not need to journey alone.  We encourage you to seek the answers and help you and your child need.                                                                                                

Dr Michelle Rivelli and the Pedi-Care Doctors and Staff