By Dr. Tamara Zach MD — June 28, 2026
For families in the Phoenix metro, finding quality pediatric neurology care in Phoenix, AZ can feel overwhelming. Long wait lists, confusing referrals, and unfamiliar diagnoses make an already stressful situation harder. This guide explains what pediatric neurology covers, what conditions bring families to a specialist, and how Rose Medical Pavilion approaches that care.
what is pediatric neurology
Pediatric neurology is the medical specialty focused on disorders of the nervous system in children — the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and muscles. Because children's nervous systems are still developing, neurological conditions in childhood often look different from the same conditions in adults. They require a specialist who understands that difference.
Dr. Tamara Zach, MD FAAN, is a fellowship-trained, board-certified pediatric neurologist at Rose Medical Pavilion. She completed specialty training specifically in pediatric neurology after medical school and adult neurology residency, giving her focused expertise in how the developing brain works — and what happens when it doesn't.
conditions treated in pediatric neurology
Pediatric neurologists see a wide range of conditions. The most common ones Dr. Zach evaluates and manages at Rose Medical Pavilion include:
Epilepsy and seizures
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions in childhood. It involves recurrent seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. There are many types — absence seizures, febrile seizures, focal seizures, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures each look different and have different implications. An accurate diagnosis drives the treatment, and getting it right requires an EEG and an experienced eye.
Developmental delays
Developmental delays bring many families to a pediatric neurologist. When a child isn't hitting milestones for speech, movement, or social skills on time — or when they lose skills they had — a neurological evaluation can identify what's behind it. Some delays trace to structural brain differences, genetic conditions, or metabolic disorders that need specific treatment.
Headaches and migraines
Headaches are among the most common reasons children miss school in Arizona. When headaches are frequent, severe, or come with neurological symptoms like vision changes, vomiting, or personality shifts, a pediatric headache specialist is the right next step. Dr. Zach evaluates what's driving the headaches and creates treatment plans that actually fit a child's life — school schedule, sports, and all.
ADHD with neurological complexity
A significant portion of children referred for ADHD evaluation have neurological factors at play — tics, subclinical seizures, sleep disorders — that a pediatric neurologist is positioned to catch. Dr. Zach offers comprehensive ADHD evaluation and management, including workup for co-occurring neurological findings.
Tics and Tourette syndrome
Motor and vocal tics are common in school-age children. Most are transient and don't require treatment. When tics are persistent, severe, or associated with obsessive-compulsive behaviors, a pediatric neurologist can evaluate the full picture and discuss medication and behavioral options.
Autism spectrum disorder
While autism is diagnosed through behavioral evaluation, pediatric neurologists play a role in ruling out co-occurring conditions like seizures (which are more common in children with autism than in the general population) and evaluating children with regression or atypical presentations.
Traumatic brain injury and concussion
Post-concussion symptoms — persistent headache, cognitive fog, mood changes, sleep disruption — that don't resolve within four to six weeks warrant neurological evaluation. Dr. Zach manages post-concussion care for children in Phoenix and surrounding communities including Scottsdale, Chandler, and Mesa.
access to pediatric neurology in Phoenix
Access is a real problem. The Phoenix metro has grown faster than its pediatric specialist infrastructure, and families often face three to six month wait times at large hospital systems for a first neurology appointment. Rose Medical Pavilion was built specifically to address that gap — to provide fellowship-trained, board-certified pediatric neurology care in a private practice setting where appointments are accessible and follow-up is timely.
Dr. Zach sees new patients from across the Phoenix metro, including from Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Glendale, Surprise, and Peoria. Same-week appointments are available for urgent concerns.
what sets pediatric neurology apart from adult neurology
Children are not small adults. Their brains are still developing, which means the same diagnosis can present differently and respond differently to treatment in a child than in an adult. Medication dosing, seizure thresholds, developmental implications, and school and social impacts all require a different framework. That's why fellowship training in pediatric neurology matters — it's specialty training on top of neurology residency, focused entirely on children.
Dr. Zach holds board certification through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with added qualification in child neurology, and her FAAN designation reflects peer recognition within the American Academy of Neurology. You can read more about her training and background on the about Dr. Tamara Zach MD page.
taking the first step
If your child's pediatrician has referred you to a neurologist, or if you've noticed symptoms that concern you, Rose Medical Pavilion is accepting new patients. Dr. Zach offers comprehensive pediatric neurology care in Phoenix, AZ — from the first evaluation through long-term management.
Call (623) 257-ROSE (7673) or schedule online. Our team will walk you through what to bring to the first appointment and what to expect.