Pediatric Neuroscience

​​​​​​​​​​​Boys Town Pediatric Neuroscie​nce is a place of hope. A place where national expertise comes together to provide life-changing care to children with neurological conditions, and their families. Our pediatric neuroscience program is uniqu​ely positioned to offer highly specialized patient-centered clinics to care for the whole child fro​m medical diagnosis and treatment to wrap-around services that address physiological, social, emotional and co-occurring conditions.

Our Approach to Life-Changing Care

Our pediatric neuroscience team is the largest in Nebraska and surrounding region bringing expertise across a spectrum of common to complex neurological disorders. We believe a comprehensive patient-centered approach to care provides the best outcomes for children.

We understand the anxiety and uncertainty that come when a loved one is diagnosed with any neurological disorder. There are various causes, complications and outcomes associated with these challenging conditions. That’s why our patient-centered and family-centered care focuses on the unique needs of each individual, so all treatment options can be explored, optimal care can be delivered and the best outcomes can be achieved.

Comprehensive Treatment​ for Neurological Conditions

Children with neurological conditions often require comprehensive care and services as they grow. If your child has a disease of the brain, spinal cord, muscles or nerves, our pediatric neuroscience team of physicians and specialists offers comforting, wholistic care you can trust. From diagnosis and treatment to wrap-around services that address physiological, social, emotional and co-occurring conditions, Boys Town National Research Hospital has the experience and expertise to ensure your child receives optimal care.

• Epilepsy Monitoring Unit

  The pediatric epilepsy monitoring unit is a specially designed inpatient unit that focuses on more advanced diagnostic evaluation with EEG. Hospital stays are typically three to five days when seizures are observed in patients to determine specific diagnoses.

• Behavioral Health Care

  A team of board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrists work alongside our pediatric neurologists in managing and treating neurodevelopmental problems and spectrum disorders. Our child and adolescent psychologists provide ongoing individual and family support.

• Diagnostic Imaging

  We offer the most advanced MRI imaging technology available with a spacious and adjustable exam environments comfortable for children. Our CT scanner tailors radiation dosage based on a child’s weight and age.

• Genetic Counseling

  We have a team of genetic counselors on-site to work with patients and their families that are dealing with various genetic disorders. The ability of genetic testing to identify a specific diagnosis is expanding, allowing specialists to answer questions such as who else in the family may develop neurological problems.

• Keto Diet and Nutrition Coaching

  Our certified dietitians are trained in specific dieting therapies for chronic health condit​ions, such as the ketogenetic diet in severe epilepsy patients. We work with patients and families to create tailored plans based on a patient’s specific health needs and follow up to ensure patients are following and benefiting from their nutrition plans.

• Hearing and Balance Services

  Boys Town National Research Hospital is recognized world-wide as a center of excellence for research and clinical care related to the diagnosis of hearing and balance disorders. Our board-certified otolaryngologists and nationally-certified audiologists and speech-language pathologists provide expert care for children with hearing, balance and related communication disorders.

• Vision Care​

  Our pediatric ophthalmologists specialize in the medical care, diagnosis and treatment of vision disorders and diseases that are unique to childr​en.

• Speech-Language Therapy Services

  We offer assessment and diagnosis of delays in speech-language development and clinical therapy, b​y certified speech-language patholo​gists.

Life-Changing Care in Action: Pediatric Epilepsy is Not Stopping This Teen

Kendall’s parents have two main goals as they move forward: for Kendall to feel empowered and able to care for herself, and for Kendall’s epilepsy to be manageable withou​t medication. With specialized epilepsy physicians on their side, they are confident that they can reach these goals. Read Kendall's story with pediatric epilepsy.

• Transcript

  Pediatric Epilepsy: Kendall's Story - Boys Town National Research Hospital

  I don’t know. I’ve just played it since I was like six. It’s the sport that I stuck with, like I used to play every sport, but volleyball has just always been like my favorite. At first with volleyball it definitely affected me because I had hit my head and I didn’t want to like hit my head like going for a ball and I didn’t want it to get like any worse. Kendall had her first seizure November of 2016. It was the night before Thanksgiving and the girls and I were delivering pies to local police stations and fire stations just to thank them. Kendall actually got up in the fire truck and they encouraged her to turn on the strobe lights. So when she turned on the lights, it didn’t happen immediately but when she started to come back down off the truck, she fell into me and then proceeded to fall to the ground. At that point we didn’t know a whole lot about seizures. We didn’t know why. We didn’t know what to do. We didn’t know how to respond. We didn’t know if this was a lifelong disease. We didn’t know what that meant, so it was a very very scary hollow feeling as a parent. I didn’t even know what epilepsy was. I had never even heard of it. I hadn’t heard of anyone that had it so it just made me feel different from everyone else. I actually, through Kendall’s diagnosis, have become involved with the Epilepsy Foundation of Nebraska. The director for the Epilepsy Foundation actually referred me to Dr. Madhavan, who was starting the Neurology and Epileptology Center at Boys Town. I’m so grateful that she is able to continue with the things that she is passionate about. You wouldn’t know she has epilepsy when you see her on the volleyball court. You wouldn’t know it day in and day out. We know it in the back of our head and we’ve lived through the two seizures that she has gone through and they scared her and they scared us, but seeing her do day in and day out functions and going and diving for balls on the court, there is no more rewarding feeling then knowing she doesn’t have to live in fear and we don’t want her to is exciting for us. I think it is really easy to settle into care, sometimes and especially with Kendall’s epilepsy being controlled it would’ve been very easy for us to just maintain status quo and not ask for more for our child and Dr. Madhavan and everyone we’ve had exposure to at Boys Town has really given me this assurance that I made the right step in converting her care over to Boys Town. Thank goodness for Boys Town where we are today and where we are headed going forward.

Traveling from Out of State?

Boys Town Pediatric Neuroscience is the largest pediatric neurology program in the region – offering care to families traveling from North Dakota, South ​Dakota, Iowa, Kansas and beyond. If you’re visiting from out of state, our clinic team is happy to help you with any questions you may have prior to your appointment.

Boys Town Pediatric Neuroscience has two clinic locations in Omaha, both conveniently located with easy interstate access and proximity to accommodations, dining and more.