Clinic Overview
LEND Clinic
We are an interdisciplinary team of professionals (primary care, social work, psychology, neurology, occupational therapy, and public health) who work with families and individuals with ADHD, autism, and related conditions.
The clinical team works together with patients and families in a collaborative manner to create a care plan that includes short- and long-term goals to meet the unique and individual needs of each patient. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with us, please send us an email at lendclinicadmin@mednet.ucla.edu or give us a call at (310) 315-8900.
What We Provide
Needle Anxiety Program
Some children and adults feel anxious or uncomfortable around needles. Our Needle Anxiety Program provides gentle, step-by-step support. We use coping strategies, distraction tools, and when needed, minimal sedation to make medical visits less stressful. The goal is to help patients feel calm and confident during injections, blood draws, and other procedures.
School Readiness Clinical Program
The transition into preschool or kindergarten can be difficult for both children and parents. This 6-week virtual program helps families address common early challenges such as picky eating, sleep difficulties, tantrums, potty training, and fussy feeding. Parents receive strategies that are tailored to their child’s needs, including support for both neurotypical and neurodiverse children. Families leave the program with practical tools that make school transitions smoother and less stressful.
Weight Management Clinic for Intellectual Disabilities
Our clinic provides compassionate, specialized support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who face challenges with weight, nutrition, or physical activity. Families receive personalized guidance on healthy routines, sensory-friendly nutrition strategies, and preventive screenings to protect long-term health. We also partner with our Needle Anxiety Program to make lab work and treatments less stressful for patients with sensory sensitivities.
How to Refer into LEND
The UC-LEND Program is a multidisciplinary clinic at UCLA that provides comprehensive evaluations and care coordination for individuals of all ages with neurodevelopmental and related conditions. Our team includes experts in pediatrics, neurology, psychology, social work, and more—working together to support you and your family.
To refer yourself or your child, please ask your UCLA primary care provider or specialist to place a “Referral to the UC-LEND Program [Ref 301]” in the electronic medical record. If you are not a UCLA patient, you can call 310-315-8900 and ask to speak with Mary for assistance.
For Patients
As a collaborative team, we focus on patient-centered care. We emphasize the importance patients and families play in their own care, and we empower them to have an active voice with our team.
Our clinic serves patients and families throughout their lifespan, as we serve infants to adults. Our team is here to support patients and families throughout the varying transitions they face.
Please refer to our FAQs below for common questions. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with us, please send us and email at lendclinicadmin@mednet.ucla.edu or give us a call at (310) 315-8900.
FAQ
Each visit is approximately 35-45 minutes. Our team is committed to providing the guidance and support you and your loved ones need. One way to do that is to ensure there is enough time to discuss your concerns and allow time to plan next steps.
Please bring any supporting documents so that our team can best understand you or your loved one’s concerns.
We encourage you to send ahead of time any reports, previous assessments, previous or current IEPs, grade reports, school observations, or any document that will give us more insight as to the patient's needs.
With your permission, we will photocopy documents and attach to the medical record.
While our clinic is not an assessment clinic and we do not conduct neuropsychological assessments, we can refer patients to skilled evaluators, if needed.
The UC-LEND Clinic is an interdisciplinary clinic, with a team of various professionals who are able to bring different perspectives from a variety of disciplines such as primary care, community health, pediatrics, social work, developmental psychology, and public health.
In addition, as part of the UCLA Health System, UC-LEND clinic is also a training clinic. There may be a medical student, resident, and/or a LEND trainee present during the visit.
The UC-LEND clinic visits are done via HIPAA protected zoom. You are also welcome to invite anyone from the patient's care team outside of UC-LEND who can bring insight regarding your care.