Pediatric Psychology is a field of science in which the principles of psychology are applied to pediatric health issues. The Division of Pediatric Psychology is committed to providing outstanding clinical care, education for trainees of all levels, and the advancement of knowledge through innovative and collaborative research.
Education
Education occurs within formal training programs, clinical settings and the context of research. We teach graduate and medical students, residents, medical and psychology fellows. We are also dedicated to education of patients, families, and community members.
Education opportunities include:
- Practicum opportunities
- Additional graduate programs in pediatric medicine
Fellowship Program
Our outstanding Pediatric Psychology Fellowship is dedicated to providing training in working with a broad variety of pediatric patient populations and clinical presentations. The program takes place within the University of Iowa Health Care organization and is housed in the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics and the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The faculty and staff are dedicated to preparing and educating postdoctoral-level trainees to provide psychological services for children and adolescents with various medical and mental health needs.
A Faculty-focused Academic Medical Center
UI Health Care faculty enjoy defined academic time, plus benefits like doubling your retirement contribution. With a short commute and low cost of home ownership, it's no surprise we attract the best academically trained providers.
Research
Innovative and collaborative research occurs to advance knowledge in the areas of development, behaviors, and health. Current research focuses include:
- Assessment and treatment of challenging behavior displayed by children with developmental disabilities (e.g. autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, speech delays, genetic syndromes)
- Changes in brain activity across assessment and treatment of challenging behavior
- Effectiveness of telehealth as a service modality
- Effects of stimulant medications on challenging behavior
- Long-term maintenance of treatment effects (i.e. reductions in challenging behavior, persistence of communication)
- Behavioral conditions
- Autism
- ADHD
- Behavioral persistence/maintenance
- Changes in brain activity during disruptive behavior
- Telehealth
- Neurodevelopment of children and adolescents with complex medical conditions
- Cancer
- Cleft lip and palate
- Kidney transplant
- Huntington’s disease
- Prematurity
- Racial health care disparities
Recent Division Publications
All of our division are involved in research. Several of our faculty are research focused, devoting significant portions of their professional time to research endeavors. However, impressively, even our clinically focused faculty continue to help drive important research progress in our field.
Division Investigators and labs
Labs
Investigators
- Amy Conrad, PhD: Focused on the evaluation of Neuropsychological Development and Outcome in Craniofacial Diagnoses as well as the structural and Functional Imaging of Neuropsychological.
- Kelly Schieltz, PhD: Focused on the training parents in their homes on behavior analytic procedures in-vivo and via telehealth as well as evaluates behavioral persistence and treatment relapse for both challenging behavior and academic behavior when treatment is challenged.
Clinical Care
Clinical services include the evaluation and brief therapy for health-related adjustment for a wide range of chronic health conditions, applied behavior analysis and treatment, and neuropsychological assessment. We work collaboratively with interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams to provide compassionate, family-centered, and state-of-the-art evaluation and treatment to promote the physical and psychological health of infants, children, adolescents, and their families.
Learn about our services and clinics and request an appointment.
Our outpatient services include:
Health Psychology and Pain Services
- Screening for mental health issues related to chronic health conditions across pediatric subspecialities, including:
- Allergy/immunology (e.g., food allergies)
- Cardiology (e.g., congenital heart disease)
- Endocrinology (e.g., diabetes, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
- Hematology (e.g., Sickle Cell)
- Gastroenterology (e.g., celiac, Irritable Bowel Disorder)
- LGBTQ+ gender health
- Nephrology (e.g., chronic kidney disease)
- Neurology (e.g., headaches, epilepsy)
- Oncology (e.g., cancer, bone marrow transplant)
- Pulmonology (e.g., Cystic Fibrosis)
- Screening for mental health issues related to chronic pain through the Pediatric Comprehensive Pain, Multidisciplinary Headache, and Abdominal Pain Clinics
- Outpatient intervention for patients adjusting to new medical diagnosis or coping with illness, chronic pain and mental health symptoms or psychosocial stressors associated with chronic illness
Neuropsychological Services
- Evaluations for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and earning disorders that can affect organization, learning, socialization, behavioral health, and well-being
- Neurocognitive evaluations for children with medical conditions, such as cancer, seizures, renal disease, stroke
Behavior Services
- Evaluation and recommendations for general noncompliance or noncompliance with medical devices, tantrums, disruptive behavior, self-injury, aggression, pica, bedtime/sleep difficulties, separation anxiety, social phobias, toileting fears
- Evaluation and treatment for habits such as skin picking, vocal and motor tics, rumination, nail biting, thumb sucking
Feeding Difficulties and Oral Aversion Services
- Evaluation for patients with concerns for growth and feeding problems with and without G-tube or NG-tube, severe pickiness (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
- Brief and intensive therapy to improve oral intake
Services we offer include, but are not limited to:
- Brief and intensive therapy to improve oral intake
- Evaluations for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Evaluation and treatment for habits such as skin picking, vocal and motor tics, rumination, nail biting, thumb sucking
- Neurocognitive evaluations for children with medical conditions
- Screening for mental health issues related to chronic health conditions
Latest Division News
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Linda J. Cooper-Brown, PhD
Division Contact Information
University of Iowa Stead Family Department of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Psychology
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242
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