Dr. Mark Bertin, a board-certified developmental behavioral pediatrician, provides a thorough overview of ADHD and child development issues.

Dr. Bertin studied at Cornell University and the UCLA School of Medicine then completed his general pediatric training in Northern California at the Oakland Children’s Hospital. Additionally, Dr. Bertin completed his fellowship in neurodevelopmental behavioral pediatrics at the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center at the prestigious Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. His celebrated books, How Children Thrive: The Practical Science of Raising Independent, Resilient, and Happy Kids and The Family ADHD Solution: A Scientific Approach to Maximizing Your Child’s Attention and Minimizing Parental Stress are absolute must-reads on children’s health.

Dr. Bertin discusses ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) a disorder that makes it especially difficult for a person to give their attention and/or control their impulsive behaviors. He describes the developmental path known as ‘executive function’ and explains how it is here that life skills are managed (attention, behavior, emotion, time, etc.) in the same manner that a CEO would manage a company. Children who fall behind in the management of these skills quite likely to suffer from ADHD. He states that the genetics are clear on this disorder, as clear as the genetic map would be for something like height, for example. Dr. Bertin underscores the importance of recognizing ADHD as early as possible in a child for it can be very disruptive in terms of development.

The pediatric expert discusses some of the common symptoms of ADHD, and the signs to look for. However, Dr. Bertin states that some kids can slip through due to their solid academic scores and good behavior. These children may have issues later in life as their ADHD is more internal. Dr. Bertin talks about sleep and exercise, and other issues that can be important to manage, in order to improve the disorder/manage symptoms. He discusses medical vs. nonmedical paths to treatment.

Dr. Bertin’s practice focuses on developmental pediatrics, which is a subspecialty of pediatrics that deals with the overall promotion of a child’s development, and the various developmental disorders that can impact the child, from ADHD to autism, and of course learning disabilities.

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