The Division of Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrics provides holistic care for children experiencing developmental, learning and behavioural challenges.
Located in the community at Jurong Medical Centre and Keat Hong Community Club, the Child Development Unit (CDU) primarily serves children from birth up to Kindergarten 2 (before the age of seven), with a range of learning, behavioural and developmental needs. Transition and specialised programmes are also available for selected children, which may extend into the primary school years based on individual developmental and clinical needs.
Recognising the importance of family involvement, CDU has family-centric and community-based clinics, employing the Brazelton Touchpoints method to enhance our engagement with children and their families.
Our team comprises paediatricians specialising in developmental and behavioural paediatrics, alongside psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, learning support educators, nurses and social workers.
Establishing partnerships with patients and providing ongoing support to their families engaging with CDU services
Forming community partnerships with preschools, schools and early intervention programmes to benefit patients and their families
Educating the public and health professionals about learning, behavioural and developmental challenges in children
Building strong connections with community organisations and government agencies
Advocating for the needs and interests of children with special requirements, including those with sensory impairment, along with their families
Conducting developmental surveillance for children with a higher risk of developmental delays, such as those with chronic health conditions
Common conditions seen by our paediatricians include: speech and language difficulties, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, hearing loss, learning difficulties, developmental coordination disorder, behavioural difficulties, sleep difficulties, toilet training difficulties, and children at risk of developmental delay (e.g. those with chronic illnesses or who were born preterm).
These assessment(s) may be ordered by your child’s physician and/or therapists in discussion with you, should they be deemed clinically indicated for your child.
CDU's main intervention approach for autism is via the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) since 2022. ESDM is a naturalistic developmental behavioural intervention for autism, which has been shown to boost children's social emotional, cognitive and language abilities. ESDM uses a data-based approach to child learning and progress. Research internationally and locally have repeatedly shown its effectiveness in helping parents communicate better with their children, while helping children with autism gain developmental skills.
In CDU, our ESDM-trained therapists will coach parents on delivering ESDM-based strategies. We aim to teach parents to use these sensitive, responsive strategies to create learning opportunities for their children in their daily routines. We are currently the only developmental centre/ clinic in Singapore offering this expertise.
In addition, CDU has been delivering early intervention via telerehabilitation since 2019. We are one of the first adopters of telemedicine locally and have developed expertise in delivering early intervention through video conferencing over the years. CDU’s delivery of telerehabilitation has distinct benefits and augments in-person intervention.
Telerehabilitation allows the caregiver to receive remote guidance on delivering therapeutic strategies in the child’s natural home environment. In addition, this is especially helpful for children who may find a clinic environment daunting. By bridging physical distance, telerehabilitation can help families save on the time and cost of travelling.
As a subspecialty with strong affiliations with colleagues in academic teaching programmes from the United States, our division is committed to the training of clinicians in the field of Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrics. Our team of doctors bring forth skills, knowledge and experience from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and the local special needs community. We are one of the main hospital sites for the placement of interns and students in psychology and allied health services.
We offer a comprehensive fellowship programme for paediatricians in Asia. As part of the education team under the Department of Paediatrics at the National University of Singapore, we are also involved in teaching undergraduate medical and nursing students as well as postgraduate paediatric, family medicine and dental trainees.
As part of a tertiary academic centre, our team of doctors are actively involved in research in the field of developmental and behavioural paediatrics. We strive to conduct clinically grounded research that results in meaningful change to practice and benefits children with various developmental needs. More details on our research endeavours can be found here.
Through regular symposiums and educational talks, our doctors and allied health professionals actively impart knowledge on child development. We focus on developmental screening education for primary care physicians and also provide resources for teachers and the public.
We are committed to delivering high standards of clinical care, working closely with community, educational and sector stakeholders. This includes regular educational seminars or workshops, and advocacy for the local special needs community.
In partnership with National University of Singapore’s School of Continuing and Lifelong Education, NUH Child Development Unit offers Brazelton Touchpoints training for early childhood educators and carers, allied health and nursing professionals. Touchpoints is a practical approach for building strong family-child relationships from birth to six years. It equips early childhood providers to build collaborative partnerships with families.
The ESDM Training equips professionals or educators (e.g., Occupational Therapists, Speech & Language Therapists, Psychologists, Early Intervention Therapists and Educators) with knowledge and skills required to implement the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) as it is intended. Through a structured learning process, participants will gain a strong foundation in ESDM principles and practices, develop competencies in assessing children, designing individualised intervention plans and applying ESDM strategies. Ongoing supervision and coaching in direct clinical practice with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) further support participants in delivering effective, family-centred interventions.
To become an ESDM-certified therapist, you will need to complete three courses. Upon successful completion, certified ESDM Therapists are recognised as competent to deliver direct ESDM intervention and treatment to children with ASD.
The three courses are:
1. ESDM Introductory Workshop (offered by the University of California, Davis)
To enrol, click here.
2. ESDM Advanced Workshop (offered by NUH CDU)
3. ESDM Therapist Certification Programme (offered by NUH CDU)
(1) ESDM Pre-Introductory Workshop: This workshop provides an overview of the ESDM framework and is catered to professionals or educators interested in finding out more about the model. In the workshop, we explore the core principles, components and fidelity measures of ESDM, as well as discover ways to apply ESDM-informed strategies in various educational and intervention settings, through several hands-on activities.
(2) ESDM Advanced Workshop: This highly interactive workshop focuses on the practical application of ESDM principles and strategies. Conducted online in small groups over six weeks, the workshop incorporates hands-on learning through reviewing of participant-submitted videos, peer feedback, case discussions and coaching. The workshop also equips participants with the skills to assess a child’s development across multiple domains using the ESDM Curriculum Checklist, develop individualised learning objectives and monitor progress through systematic data collection and outcome tracking.
(3) ESDM Therapist Certification Programme: This competency-based certification programme is the final step in the ESDM certification process. It is designed to guide therapists who have completed the ESDM Advanced Workshop to achieve at least 80% fidelity in implementing ESDM intervention strategies required for ESDM certification. Supervision is conducted through 1-to-1 online meetings.
Please contact us at cdu@nuhs.edu.sg for more information.
For more information and resources on child development topics, click here.
You may also find resources developed and/or curated by our team on the NUHS App chatbot. Chat with us on the NUHS App! Click the 'Chat' icon under 'Services & Useful Links' and pick '(7) Child Development!' to get started.
For more information on our clinics or how to contact us, click here.
