Clear answers about your child's development, from a Los Angeles pediatric neurologist.
If your toddler isn't talking, pointing, or meeting milestones by age 2, SimplyPedsNeuro explains what those signs mean and connects you to an in-person evaluation with Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD.
Greater Los Angeles
By appointment
Autism and development in Los Angeles
If you've noticed your toddler in Los Angeles isn't pointing at things, doesn't answer to their name, or lines up toys instead of playing with them, you're not alone, and you're right to look closer. These signs mean something different at 18 months than they do at age 4, which is why every explanation we publish names the age band it's talking about. A child who isn't speaking by age 2 deserves a different conversation than a 7-year-old who struggles with back-and-forth conversation but has plenty of words. Some children who show these signs go on to receive an autism diagnosis; others have a language delay, a hearing issue, or simply their own timeline. We won't pretend the internet can tell you which one your child is, but we can help you understand what you're seeing, how concerned to be, and what a reasonable next step looks like, whether that's raising it at your next pediatrician visit or seeking a specialist evaluation now.
Families across Greater Los Angeles, from the Valley to the Westside, from Long Beach to Pasadena and the communities in between, come to us after weeks of conflicting search results that swing between "totally normal" and "rare and serious." Our job is to sit honestly in the middle: to tell you what is known, what is still uncertain, and when watching and waiting stops making sense. When a developmental concern does call for an in-person evaluation, your visit request goes directly to Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD, who completed residency training in both pediatrics (3 years) and neurology (3 years) and evaluates children from birth through age 18. That dual training matters for development questions, because autism rarely travels alone, sleep problems, seizures, tics, and attention differences often show up alongside it, and a neurologist trained in children's developing brains can look at the whole picture. You don't need a referral or a diagnosis to start; you need a clear explanation and a concrete next step, and that's what we offer Los Angeles parents first.
Development questions in Greater Los Angeles
Parents often arrive with a pediatrician's note, a therapist's impression, or a worry that started at home. The visit uses that history. It does not repeat a screening questionnaire and call it an exam.
Describe the age in months, the skill you are watching, and whether anything has been lost.
Why choose us
Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD completed residency training in pediatrics (3 years) and neurology (3 years).
Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD completed residency training in pediatrics (3 years) and neurology (3 years).
Explanations are written for the parent, with the age band stated when a sign is described.
Explanations are written for the parent, with the age band stated when a sign is described.
No medication doses are published on patient pages.
No medication doses are published on patient pages.
A visit request goes to Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD. Practice address and phone are not published until he confirms them.
A visit request goes to Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD. Practice address and phone are not published until he confirms them.
What to expect.
Map the age
What your child does now, what same-age peers do, and what your pediatrician already checked.
Look for loss of skill
Words, social interest, or motor skills that disappeared are called out specifically.
Name the next step
Watch and recheck, or a neurological evaluation, or a therapist. The reason is explained in plain language.
Watching versus evaluating
Some children need time and a plan to recheck. Others need the exam now because more than one area is late, or a skill disappeared. Dr. Sedgh will tell you which of those he thinks this is, and what he is not ready to conclude.
Frequently asked questions
Do you offer Autism and development across Greater Los Angeles?
Yes. SimplyPedsNeuro serves families across Greater Los Angeles with age-specific, parent-friendly explanations of developmental and autism-related concerns, and when an in-person evaluation makes sense, a visit request goes directly to Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD, whose residency training in both pediatrics and neurology covers children from birth through age 18. Because Dr. Sedgh hasn't yet confirmed the practice address and phone, the best next step right now is to send a visit request, and you'll hear back about scheduling directly.
What makes your Autism and development in Los Angeles different?
Most autism resources are written for clinicians or swing between "don't worry" and worst-case scenarios; SimplyPedsNeuro explains developmental signs in plain language, always tied to your child's age, because a missed milestone at 18 months means something different than at age 5. Every explanation comes from Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD, whose six years of residency training in both pediatrics and neurology means he understands your child's development and nervous system together, from birth through age 18. And when reading isn't enough, a visit request goes directly to him for an in-person evaluation in greater Los Angeles, not to a call center or a generic referral list.
Is a late talker always a neurology problem?
No. Many children are late in one area and catch up. The reasons to ask a neurologist include several areas moving slowly, any loss of a skill, or a pediatrician who wants a neurological exam.
Is this an autism diagnosis?
No. This page is not a screening result. Autism evaluation and a pediatric neurology visit can overlap, and they are not the same thing. Dr. Sedgh will say if a different evaluation is the right next step.