Julia S. Anixt, MD

My areas of clinical practice include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental-behavioral conditions associated with complex congenital heart disease (CHD).

During my residency, I enjoyed working with patients in my primary care clinic who had learning difficulties and ADHD. After residency, I decided to pursue a fellowship in research and public health through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. I chose a project that looked at adolescents' perceptions of having ADHD growing up.

Caring for this population excited me, so I decided to do a developmental and behavioral pediatrics fellowship. During my fellowship, and when I started my work at Cincinnati Children's, I had the opportunity to work more with children with ASD. I found that diagnosing children and supporting them and their families long-term throughout childhood and adolescence was extremely rewarding. I love seeing children make progress and learn new skills.

On the research side, I’m interested in quality improvement (QI) projects that improve the quality of life (QoL), developmental outcomes, health and well-being of children with ASD and other developmental disabilities. This work includes improving developmental outcomes for children with CHD at risk for developmental delays. I also study shared decision-making (SDM). My goal is to optimize the treatment of behavioral conditions by better aligning medications and therapies to best fit family preferences, values and priorities.

My research interests are informed by the practical, everyday challenges I see in my clinical practice. This work aims to identify and manage behavioral conditions in children and support and inform families about treatment options to choose the best fit. I strive to improve care practices to optimize the developmental outcomes for children with ASD and other behavioral conditions. I want patients to consistently receive the highest standard of care to reach their full potential.

I was listed in Cincinnati Magazine's "Top Doctors" (2019, 2020). I am an associate editor for the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. I also received the Morris Y. Krosnick, MD Award from Yale University Department of Pediatrics — awarded to the senior resident who most exemplifies a caring, compassionate and dedicated pediatrician.

In addition, I serve as an improvement advisor for two learning health networks: Autism Learning Health Network (supported by Autism Speaks) and the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC QIC). In these organizations, I lead a developmental screening initiative to improve the identification of developmental delays and referrals to early intervention services. I’m certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics (2004) and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (2011).