Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia recently marked the seventh anniversary since it opened in Statesboro.
Behavioral Pediatrics is led by Michelle Zeanah, MD, who left primary care to start a practice concentrating on behavioral pediatrics. Dr. Zeanah said she wanted to focus on children who needed her the most: those with autism spectrum disorder, complex ADHD and anxiety disorders.
She said when the first patient was seen at the practice was in November 2016, the staff of Behavioral Pediatrics was made up of one full time physician and two part-time support staff. Then in 2018, Dr. Zeanah opened the first Applied Behavioral Analysis clinic in Bulloch County focused on helping patients with autism. The practice has since added services in counseling, parent training on behavioral interventions and case management.
In a release, Dr. Zeanah said the practice now has two physicians, two physician assistants, four BCBAs and an LPC/counselor and the support staff has grown to 26.
According to the release, there are plans to add a special education teacher to assist families in collaborating with their child’s school. Children from half of Georgia’s 159 counties are served in some capacity at Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia.
More than 3,500 patients have been cared for and 1,000 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder since the opening of the practice in 2016. Dr. Zeanah said she has diagnosed children whose families have told her they waited more than five years for an evaluation.
In addition to focusing on behavioral pediatrics, the release states the practice has built partnerships with the Georgia Southern Jiann-Ping Hsu School of Public Health, Mercer University School of Medicine and Philadelphia College of Medicine through providing educational internships for more than 50 students.
“The students leave understanding that autism does not have a look and not all hyperactive children need medication for ADHD,” according to the release. “They have gone on to become physicians, behavior analysists, counselors, speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers and teachers.”
Another sector the practice is looking at is foster children.
“Foster children have always held a special place in my heart,” Dr. Zeanah said. “When Commissioner Candace Broce of the Georgia Department of Human Services asked me to lead a pilot project to determine how common autism is among foster children and what is needed to help foster children with autism achieve permanent homes, I jumped at the opportunity. It turned out to be a part time job in addition to my current full-time job. Fortunately, I have an amazing team to work with.”
Dr. Zeanah said Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia will work to continue meeting the needs for autism diagnosis and management in rural South Georgia.
“Early diagnosis and treatment make a huge difference for children with autism,” she said. “I hope to grow my staff so that we can meet the needs of our community.”