Dr. Cecelia Mccarton M.D.

Media Releases

Get to know Pediatrician Dr. Cecelia McCarton, who serves patients in New York, New York.

With over 40 years of experience as a pediatrician, researcher, and lecturer, Dr. McCarton is among the world’s leading experts in diagnosing and treating children with developmental disorders.

She founded The McCarton Center for Developmental Pediatrics, a diagnostic and treatment center dedicated to childhood developmental disorders back in 1998. It is a bright, cheerful 8,000 square foot facility consisting of a large waiting room/play area, four speech/language therapy rooms, two developmental assessment rooms, a large therapeutic gym for fine/gross motor skills and sensory integration work, and an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Treatment Center.

A New York native, Dr. McCarton is also the Founder and Executive Director of The McCarton Foundation for Children with Developmental Disabilities, The McCarton School for children with autism, and the Children’s Academy for children with speech and language delays.

Early in her medical career, she developed an affinity for children who displayed special needs. She received her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the College of New Rochelle and her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

After completing her residency in pediatrics at the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center, where she also served as chief resident, Dr. McCarton received two prestigious post-doctoral research fellowships from the Department of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research in Mental Retardation and Human Development at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Since finishing her formal training in 1977, she has served as Director of the Clinical Research Unit at the Rose F. Kennedy Center and Director of the L.I.F.E. (Low Birth Weight Infant Follow-Up and Evaluation) Program. Her research experience includes national studies of developmental complications in infants with low birth weight, infant health and development, and the prevention of mental retardation. 

Having taught pediatrics for over 25 years, Dr. McCarton is currently a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is also a member of many professional societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Behavioral Pediatrics, the Society for Research in Child Development, the International Neuropsychology Society, and the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.

The doctor is board-certified in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), which is one of the 24 certifying boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties. Founded in 1933, the ABP is an independent, nonprofit organization whose certificate is recognized throughout the world as a credential signifying a high level of physician competence. Certification by the ABP has one objective, to promote excellence in medical care for children and adolescents. 

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends people be under pediatric care up to the age of 21. As a pediatrician, Dr. McCarton provides medical care to people ranging in age from newborns to young adults. She is trained to examine, diagnose, and treat children with a wide variety of injuries and illnesses through all of their developmental stages, as they grow and mature. 

Inducted into the Top Doctors of the New York Metro Area, Dr. McCarton has received numerous honors throughout her extensive career, including grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has also published over 50 book chapters and peer-reviewed articles in journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Child Development, the Journal of Pediatrics, and Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology.

Upon reflecting on a rewarding career, she attributes her success to her belief in the field and hard work. She wanted to be a doctor from a very young age. She remembers her own doctor making house calls and was fascinated by his visits. It made a lasting impression on her.

Recommended Articles

• Complications of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency

  IntroductionGlucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an inherited condition in which the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is not produced enough by the body. This enzyme is needed to help the red blood cells (RBCs) of the body to function normally.If there is a lack of this...

• Treating Autism

  Since symptoms of autism can vary depending on the child, and behaviors can often change over time, treatment solutions should be tailored to individual needs. A program should improve a child’s communication skills while addressing social, behavioral, and learning aspects of a child’s life....

• Is Meningitis Contagious?

  Caused by bacteria and viruses, meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can develop as a result of injury,...

• Mesenteric Adenitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

  Introduction Mesenteric adenitis is the inflammation of the lymph nodes present in the mesentery, which is the membrane that attaches the small intestine to the abdominal cavity wall. It usually causes abdominal pain, especially in children and teenagers. Lymph nodes contain lymphocytes, which are...

• What Is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

  Muscular dystrophies are a group of diseases that make the muscles of the body weaker over a period of time. The muscles become less flexible in this condition. Out of the nine types of muscular dystrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of the most common.The main characteristics of this medical...

• How to Protect Children with Autism from Being Bullied

  It is an unfortunate fact that children have a tendency to find weaknesses and differences in their peers and latch onto it, emotionally or physically hurting the other child in the process. When performed on purpose and repeatedly, this is bullying and is a serious problem. Bullying is violence,...