Many of ordinary problems that children have can be dealt with by a pediatrician who has some developmental or behavioural experience. These would be minor problems with eating or sleeping, tantrums, or even hyperactivity. Many pediatricians are quite skilled in the first and second line drugs for impulsive and hyperactive behaviours.

Persistent behavioural difficulties including hyperactivity that does not respond to medication, severe impulsive behaviour oppositional behaviour aggression, or self injury, is the kind of treatment that will require the attention of a specialist in behavioural psychology or a child psychiatrist who has experience with the developmentally disabled. Sometimes, individuals need referral to an epilepsy specialist first, if there is suspicion of seizures. But the long-term treatment of serious behaviour or emotional problems in individuals should almost always be the responsibility of a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry, who has the appropriate background.