ABP Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics study plan

Build a comparison table of DSM-5-TR criteria for autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, intellectual developmental disorder, and specific learning disorder, listing onset rules, core features, severity specifiers, and exclusion criteria for each.

Discriminate developmental language disorder, speech sound disorder, childhood-onset fluency disorder, and social communication disorder by writing three original case vignettes and defending the single best diagnosis for each.

Rank the neurodevelopmental comorbidities seen most often in developmental-behavioral practice by approximate base rate, and identify the two that most often change the treatment plan.

Complete 40 board-style items on neurodevelopmental disorders and log every miss with the concept it tested, not just the correct answer.

Construct syndrome cards for Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex, neurofibromatosis type 1, Williams syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, each listing inheritance, key dysmorphic features, behavioral phenotype, and surveillance needs.

Sequence the etiologic workup of global developmental delay and intellectual disability, specifying when to order chromosomal microarray, fragile X DNA testing, metabolic screening, and neuroimaging.

Distinguish developmental regression from developmental plateau by writing five paired vignettes and naming the first-line investigations for each scenario.

List teratogenic and acquired causes of developmental disability - including prenatal alcohol exposure, lead, congenital infections, and hypothyroidism - along with the specific history questions that screen for them.

Chart gross motor, fine motor, expressive language, receptive language, and social-emotional milestones at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 months from memory, then verify each entry against a standard schedule and correct errors in a different color.

Separate normal variation from red flags by writing a two-column list covering late talking, toe walking, bowing of the legs, head lag, hand preference before 18 months, and loss of skills.

Interpret growth charts by working through faltering weight gain, macrocephaly, microcephaly, and crossing two major percentile lines, stating the differential and the next step for each pattern.

Summarize the development of temperament, attachment, self-regulation, and sleep from infancy through school age, and explain how each shapes the behavioral concerns parents bring to a visit.

Map the presentation, screening tools, and first-line treatment of anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, and trauma-related disorders in children, noting how symptoms shift with developmental stage.

Write a stepwise assessment for a school-aged child refusing school, including differential diagnosis, screening instruments, and the questions that separate anxiety, depression, and family factors.

Describe validated suicide-risk screening and safety planning for children and adolescents, and state the threshold for emergency evaluation.

Differentiate somatic symptom presentations, pediatric bipolar disorder, and early psychosis from more common childhood conditions, listing the features that should prompt psychiatric referral.

Compare oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder by onset, trajectory, and prognosis, and outline a parent-training-first management plan for each.

Analyze the behavioral and pharmacologic options for aggression and disruptive behavior, stating which medication classes require baseline monitoring and which are avoided in young children.

Explain feeding and eating disturbances, sleep-onset and night-waking problems, and elimination disorders, giving the behavioral intervention that comes first for each.

Describe tic disorders, and distinguish transient tics, chronic tic disorder, and Tourette syndrome by duration and comorbidity, naming the classroom accommodations that reduce impairment.

Pair each developmental and behavioral condition with its appropriate screening instrument, age range, administration time, and cutoff, covering the ASQ-3, M-CHAT-R/F, Vanderbilt scales, SCARED, PHQ-A, and CBCL.

Distinguish screening from diagnosis by naming the confirmatory instruments used for autism, cognitive delay, and adaptive function, and stating what each instrument can and cannot tell you.

Specify when hearing evaluation, vision testing, lead level, thyroid testing, EEG, or neuroimaging is indicated in a child with developmental concerns, and when referral to genetics is warranted.

Draft a complete diagnostic evaluation report for a composite case, including history, observations, test scores, integration, diagnostic formulation, and recommendations.

Explain how limited English proficiency, cultural expectations, and interpreter use alter test selection and interpretation.

Distinguish Part C early intervention from Part B preschool services and Section 504 from an IEP, stating eligibility, timelines, and the parent's procedural rights under each.

Compare applied behavior analysis, parent-mediated naturalistic intervention, speech-language therapy, and occupational therapy by evidence base, target population, and intensity.

Outline the medical home role in care coordination for a child with autism and ADHD, including referral loops, shared care plans, and transition planning to adult services.

Explain the advocacy and systems issues that affect access - insurance coverage of behavioral therapy, waitlists, school funding, and disparities by race and language - and state one concrete action a clinician can take for each.

Complete two timed full-length practice examinations under exam conditions and record the score by domain rather than only the total.

Re-teach the two lowest-scoring domains using your own error log, writing a one-page summary of each misconception and the correct concept behind it.

Drill rapid recall of high-yield numbers, cutoffs, milestones, and syndrome associations until you can produce them without hesitation.

Rehearse structured case vignettes aloud, practicing the diagnosis, next best step, and management sequence for mixed presentations.