FARMINGTON -- A medical program aimed at treating children with special needs such as autism and attention deficit disorder is opening in Farmington in August.

The Evergreen Child Development Center will be under the direction of Dr. Iris Silverstein, a pediatrician with a specialty in developmental-behavioral pediatrics who practiced for 15 years at Pine Tree Pediatrics and Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington.

In 2004, Silverstein left the area to pursue full-time work in developmental-behavioral pediatrics at Children's Hospital Boston and currently works at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston.

The new Evergreen center, a program of Franklin Community Health Network, will be affiliated with Franklin Memorial and the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland, which has a behavioral and development pediatrics department. It will be only the third such clinic in the state.

The center will be in Mt. Blue Health Center next to the hospital and will serve children and adolescents suffering from developmental and behavioral concerns such as autism, autism-spectrum disorders, Asperger's Syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and difficulties with learning and school performance, said Evergreen's director, April Giaquenti.

"Dr. Silverstein will bring exceptional medical knowledge and skills in developmental pediatrics to this area," Richard Batt, president of the Health Network, said in a statement Friday.

Developmental disabilities, learning difficulties, attention deficit disorder, and behavioral concerns affect at least 20 percent of children and adolescents, according to the National Institutes of Health.

All these disorders are characterized by impaired communication skills, social interactions, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. Autism disorders can often be detected by the age of 3 and in some cases, as early as 18 months. Early evaluation is critical, the national health agency advises.

Patients and families involved in the Evergreen program can benefit from other child behavioral services available under the supervision of child psychiatrist Dr. Lourdes Soto-Moreno. It will also work with services already available to children with special needs through the state's Child Development Services office in Farmington and local schools.

"There is a huge unmet need for medical diagnostic and treatment services for children with special needs in our communities," Soto-Moreno said. "More than 800 children in greater Franklin County have special needs. On average, one in 150 every children born develops autism."

"The wait locally and throughout Maine is often more than a year for families needing to see a specialist for a diagnosis," Batt said. "Incredibly, families often have to wait yet another year after the diagnosis is made before treatments can begin."

According to the National Institutes of Health, early intervention is critical. But even though it can have a dramatic effect on reducing symptoms and increasing a child's ability to grow and learn new skills, it is estimated that only 50 percent of children are diagnosed before kindergarten.

Families also need help dealing with the stress these disorders place on a family. Studies show 80 percent of parents with autistic children eventually divorce, Soto-Moreno said.

To support this new program, the Health Network has launched a community-led fund raising campaign. A recent basketball tournament, sponsored by RaNor Inc. of Jay and the St. Pierre family, raised $7,000 and Clem and Rolande Begin of Carrabassett Valley hosted a fundraising event at their home for 60 people that raised $45,000.

Appointments are not yet being made for the Center, but interested physicians and families can call Evergreen Behavioral Services at 778-0035 or 1-(800) 394-1900.