Director: Alexa Coon MD

Our board-certified behavioral-developmental pediatrician, physician assistant, and nurse practitioners specialize in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of children with developmental delays, learning challenges, behavioral concerns and emotional difficulties. Our goal is to partner with families to support every aspect of a child's development- from early childhood through adolescence. 

Services

Our services include, but are not limited to:

• Comprehensive Developmental &  Behavioral Evaluations 
• In-depth parent interviews and  developmental history
• Direct observation and interaction  with your child
• Use of validated screening and  diagnostic tools
• Coordination with primary care and  school providers
  

Autism Evaluations:

• Evidence-based assessments tailored  to age and developmental level
• Use of gold-standard tools like the  ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation  Schedule) if indicated.
• Diagnostic clarity to guide services and  treatment planning
• Support in accessing ABA, speech,  occupational therapy, and educational  accommodations

Family-Centered, Holistic Care

• Emphasis on building strong relationships with families
• Coordination with OT, PT, and Speech therapists, teachers, and specialists
• Addressing medical, emotional, social, and academic needs in one care plan
• Support for parent well – being and caregiver stress

School Collaboration & Advocacy:

• Review of psychoeducational testing  (including Full and Individual  Evaluations - FIEs)
• Guidance on 504 Plans, IEP eligibility,  and appropriate school-based services
• Letters and reports to support access to  accommodations
• Communication with school personnel when  needed to support your child's success

Medication Management:

• Thoughtful, individualized medication plans for conditions such as:
  • ADHD
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Sleep Difficulties
• Ongoing monitoring for effectiveness  and side effects
• Emphasis on shared decision-making  with families

Our licensed psychologists and mental health counselors provide assessment and treatment, including individual and family therapy for emotional and behavioral problems. We tailor treatment to the patient and family, providing evidence-based therapies as appropriate: e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-informed therapy, and relationship-based therapy. 

All services are available from our Development, Behavior and Mental Health Clinics in Galveston and League City for children and youth from ages two (2) to twenty-one (21), with a variety of needs, including:

• temper tantrums
• sleep problems
• non-compliance
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• depression and anxiety
• autism
• trauma and loss
• adjustment to chronic illness
  

Psychological, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological assessment services are also available.

In an effort to keep our patients and their families safe and healthy, the Pediatric Complex Care Clinic has transitioned most of our appointments to telehealth visits for patients needing to be seen. We will be making every attempt to schedule a video appointment. You and your child will still have evaluations by our team, but it will be over a few phone calls and/or videos. Each of these meetings will last about 30 minutes.

Every appointment is being reviewed individually, and we may be reaching out to reschedule some appointments for a later date. All appointments must be rescheduled by our Pediatric Complex Care offices.

1. Please read through the instructions below at least 2 days before your appointment.
2. Call us at 409-772-2331 if you have any questions, and we will be happy to assist you.
3. Please check this site daily for updates and changes to UTMB and our clinic.

Preparing for your TeleHealth Visit

• You will receive a phone call at the time of the scheduled visit to start the appointment.  
• Shortly after, you will receive a text message to initiate the Telehealth visit.
• You may want a second person available (if possible) to help with the camera/phone or your child during our TeleHealth appointments.
• Please sign-up for MyChart access here to receive immediate access to your After Visit Summary and instructions from your appointment.
• If you need access to a minor's account:
  • Please click here to access your own MyChart account.
  • Once logged into your own MyChart account, review the Quick Links on the right side below your Profile and click on the Request Minor Access link.
  • Please click here to sign up if you do not have an account. UTMB will get back to you within two business days of your submission.
    • We will mail a copy of your AVS and any other materials to the home address we have on file.

     

Your TeleHealth Appointment

Using Zoom

Setting Up Zoom before your visit:

• When you receive the meeting emails, please click on the link for the first meeting in your email.
• Go through the instructions your phone or device gives to download the Zoom app. You can watch a video of this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEQLjLYhuJQ
• Try out the Zoom meeting before your appointment by clicking on the link below to join a test meeting here: https://zoom.us/test
• At your child’s appointment time, join the first Zoom meeting from either the email link or in the phone app. Your first meeting will be with your child’s physician or nurse practitioner.
• Finally, you will receive a phone call from our Complex Care offices to schedule your next appointment.
• Check your child’s MyChart account for the AVS, and your standard mail for additional handouts.

New patients with bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia or suicidal depression will be seen by Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  Please visit https://www.utmbhealth.com/services/psychiatry/services for additional information.