KIND: Fundaments

Time limit: 360 days

The Fundamentals of Development course introduces critical concepts in early childhood development, including principles of growth, behavioral assessment, and co-occurring conditions. The curriculum guides learners through developmental milestones, effective communication strategies for complex diagnoses, and family-centered support approaches. Advanced topics cover individualized service planning and complementary therapies, providing professionals with practical tools to assess and support developmental progress in clinical and educational settings.

The Fundaments of Development Chapter spans 21 topics across four levels of instruction. Levels 1 and 2 provide foundational knowledge beneficial for medical professionals and allied professionals, including educators, social workers, therapists, and psychologists.

Levels 3 to 4 shift to a more clinical focus, offering advanced insights geared toward medical doctors and sub-specialists.

The table below outlines the complete chapter content.

Chapter Editors

Dr. Mary L. O’Connor Leppert, MB, BCH is a neurodevelopmental pediatrician in the Department of Neurology and Developmental Medicine at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Leppert is also the Division Director of Developmental Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Leppert's focus is on the education on neurodevelopmental disorders. She is the founder and director of the Teaching Excellence in Neuro Development (TEND) program, the director of Kennedy Krieger Project ECHO and is the chief editor of the Kennedy Krieger Instruction in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND) curriculum. In addition, Dr. Leppert is an associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr Megan Bone, MD is a neurodevelopmental pediatrician and neurologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor of neurology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed her medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and her Neurodevelopmental Disabilities residency training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health Dallas. Dr Bone sees patients at Kennedy Krieger Institute in the Center for Development and Learning and the Neurology and Neurogenetics clinics. She has special interests in medical education and improving health care access for people with developmental disabilities.

Content, Featured Experts, and Learner Groups

Level	Neurodevelopmental Topic Content	Featured Expert	Learner Group(s)
Level 1	1.1 Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Definition and Epidemiology	Megan Bone, MD	Allied professionals Medical Professionals Sub-Specialist Professionals
Level 2	2.1 Developmental Milestones	Brooke Kimbrell, MD MSE	Allied professionals Medical Professionals Sub-Specialist Professionals
	2.2 Principles of Development	Brooke Kimbrell, MD MSE
	2.3 Developmental Screening	Ana Maria Wilms Floet MD
	2.4 Failed Developmental Screen	Mary Leppert, MB, BCH
	2.5 Co-occurring Conditions in Developmental Disorders	Benjamin Schindel, MD, MPH
	2.6 Aggressive Behavior - Natural History	Megan Bone, MD
	2.7 Infant Attachment	Raghad Alkhafaji, MD
	2.7a Attachment Disorders	Raghad Alkhafaji, MD
	2.8 Separation Anxiety Disorder	Aime Bettencourt, Ph.D.
Level 3	3.1 Taking a Developmental History Preschool Evaluation	Mary Leppert, MB, BCH	Medical Professionals Sub-Specialist Professionals
	3.2 The Physical Examination	Mary Leppert, MB, BCH
	3.3 Capute Scales of Development	Mary Leppert, MB, BCH
	3.4 Behavioral Assessment - The 8Ss	Mary Leppert, MB, BCH
	3.5 Delivering "Bad (Serious, Difficult) News" in the Medical Setting	Megan Bone, MD
	3.6 The Vulnerable Child Syndrome	Megan Bone, MD
Level 4	4.1 Prescribing Therapies	Mary Leppert, MB, BCH	Medical Professionals Sub-Specialist Professionals
	4.2 Prescribing Therapies for Externalizing Behavior	Joyce Harrison, MD
	4.3 IEP and IFSP	Mallory Legg, Esq.
	4.4 Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicines and Therapies	Benjamin Schindel, MD, MPH
	4.5 Counseling Families on Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicines and Therapies	Mary Leppert, MB, BCH

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Full course description

Chapter Editors

Content, Featured Experts, and Learner Groups