Mental and behavioral health are an important part of pediatric care and an area of medicine that Dr. Maidlow is particularly passionate about. She enjoys helping children and families navigate concerns such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, behavior, and school difficulties as part of their ongoing pediatric care.
We routinely discuss emotional well-being, behavior, attention, and school performance at well-child visits, and separate appointments can be scheduled when a concern needs more time and attention.
Scheduling a visit
If you have concerns about your child's mood, anxiety, attention, behavior, eating habits, school performance, or another aspect of their emotional health, please call to schedule an appointment. Let us know what you would like to discuss so we can schedule enough time for the visit.
You do not need to know exactly what is going on before making an appointment. A change in your child's mood, behavior, eating habits, sleep, school performance, or relationships can be a good reason to check in.
What to expect at the first visit
The first visit focuses on understanding your concerns and getting a complete picture of how your child is doing. We'll talk about what you have noticed, when it started, how your child is doing at home and at school, and anything you have already tried.
Depending on your child's age and the concern, we may use standardized questionnaires and ask for information from parents, teachers, or other caregivers. Older children and adolescents will usually have an opportunity to speak privately with Dr. Maidlow for part of the visit.
From there, we'll discuss next steps together. These may include continued monitoring, changes at home or school, therapy, medication, additional evaluation, or referral when appropriate.
Follow-up visits
Follow-up visits may be offered by telehealth when medically appropriate. This can be particularly helpful for mental and behavioral health follow-ups that do not require a physical examination.
Children taking medication for attention, mood, or behavioral health concerns are seen at least every six months when they are doing well on a stable treatment plan. Visits will be more frequent when starting a new medication, adjusting a dose, or when closer follow-up is needed.
Please request prescription refills through the patient portal or by calling the office and allow up to three business days. Routine prescription refills are not provided through the after-hours triage line.
Working with mental health specialists
Some children benefit from additional care from a therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or other specialist. When this is appropriate, we can help identify the type of care your child needs and place referrals when necessary.
Your pediatric care continues at Belleville Lake Pediatrics while your child works with other members of their mental health care team. When possible, we will coordinate with those providers so that your child's physical and mental health care work together.
As Belleville Lake Pediatrics grows, we hope to eventually have a therapist available within our office to work directly with our patients. Having mental health care in the same office would make it easier for families to access care and allow for closer communication between Dr. Maidlow and the therapist. Our goal is to make mental health care feel like an integrated part of your child's overall pediatric care.