top of page
TYN07865.jpg

Dr. Milijana Selaković

Dr. Milijana Selaković earned her medical degree and completed her specialization in psychiatry at the University of Belgrade in 1984. After gaining clinical experience at the General Hospital in Valjevo and the Vračar Health Center, she joined the newly established Center for Residential and Day Care of Children and Youth with Developmental Disabilities in 1991— the first institution of its kind in the country. She served as Head of Medical Services there until 2005.

In 1995, together with Prof. Dr. Svetomir Bojanin and Prof. Dr. Sc. Ivona Milačić, Dr. Selaković developed the Belgrade Integrative Method (BIM)—one of the first comprehensive therapeutic approaches to the rehabilitation of children and individuals with autism in Serbia. Inspired by the work of Dr. Kiyo Kitahara from Tokyo, the BIM approach consists of three key components: Daily Life Therapy, psychomotor reeducation, and family involvement. This method is still in use today in day centers for children and individuals with autism across Serbia.

In the 1990s, the global understanding of autism shifted — it was no longer seen solely as a psychiatric disorder, but rather as a developmental condition often accompanied by a range of medical comorbidities. Following this shift, Dr. Selaković attended leading international conferences, became one of the first professionals in Serbia to recognize the importance of sensory integration, and actively incorporated contemporary scientific insights into her clinical work. Her early contributions helped lay the foundation for a more comprehensive approach to autism diagnosis and treatment in the country.

In 1997, together with Dr. Svetomir Bojanin and Prof. Dr. Sc. Ivona Milačić, she co-authored Autism, the first publication in Serbia dedicated to this topic. A year later, she completed a subspecialization in child and adolescent psychiatry, and her final thesis, Differential Diagnosis of the Autistic Syndrome, was published as a booklet.

Books, Research, and Conferences

Books and Monographs

  • Autism and Diet – IOCC, Belgrade, 2001

  • Differential Diagnosis of Autistic Syndrome – IOCC, Belgrade, 2001

  • Autism Today – co-author; author of the chapter Biological Basis of Autism, Zavod za udžbenike i nastavna sredstva (Institute for Textbooks and Teaching Materials), Belgrade, 2001

  • Guide to the Casein-Gluten-Free Diet for Individuals with Autism – M. Selaković, S. Branković, CARE, 2002

Publications and Scientific Papers

  • Pharmacological Treatment of Autism – World Congress in Rehabilitation in Psychiatry, Belgrade, 1997.

  • Barcelona 1996 and Pharmacological Treatment – Serbian National Association for Support to Individuals with Autism, Belgrade, 1997

  • Down Syndrome – Medical Treatment: Treatment and Protection of Individuals with Down Syndrome – Association of Societies for Support to Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, Belgrade, 1998

  • Implementation of a Restricted Diet in Casein- and Gluten-Sensitive Individuals with Autism – Belgrade Journal of Special Education, Society of Special Educators of Yugoslavia; presented at the 5th European Autism Congress, Glasgow, 2000

  • Autism – Pharmacological Treatment – Autism and Other Childhood Psychoses, Struga, 1995

  • Belgrade Integrative Method – II European Congress for Persons with Special Needs, London, 1999

  • Biological Basis of Autism – Children with Autism and Treatment Levels, Skopje, 2000

  • Speech pathology as a result of a medical disturbance – First European Congress on Prevention, Detection and Diagnostics of Verbal Communication Disorders, Patras, 2006.

Conferences and Congresses (Participant)

  • International Congress on Autism, Barcelona, 1996; Glasgow, 2000.

  • International Conferences on Autism, Toronto, 1998; San Diego, 1998; New Jersey, 1999; Budapest, 1998.

  • 3rd IASSID European Regional Congress, Rome, 2010.

  • Biology of Autism, London, 2012; London, 2012; Warsaw, 2013.

  • Biology Basis of Developmental Disabilities, Skopje, North Macedonia

Conferences and Congresses (Lecturer)

  • Biology of Children with Developmental Disabilities, Zagreb, 2014.

  • First Symposium about Pervasive Developmental Disabilities: Scientific Achievements and Practice Implementation, Struga, 2014.

  • Biology of Autism: Mechanisms within Intestinal Dysbiosis, Metabolic Dysfunctions and IgG Food Intolerance, Belgrade, 2014.

  • Biology of Children with Developmental Disabilities, Ljubljana, 2014.

  • Biology of Autism, Rijeka, 2014.

  • Biology of Autism: Mechanisms within Intestinal Dysbiosis, Metabolic Dysfunctions and IgG Food Intolerance, Skopje, 2014.

  • The Importance of the Senses in the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities – M. Selaković, N. Dosevska, staff training program at day centers, Igalo, Belgrade, 2015

In addition to her scientific work, she participated in several projects focused on the socialization and supported living of individuals with autism, such as the Day Center for Children and Youth (Ministry of Social Affairs, 2002), the Weekend Service and Telemedical Support for Children with Autism (Autism Association, 2003), and the Daily and Weekend Work Engagement and Socialization Program for Persons with Autism (Pančevo, 2007).

From 2005 to 2010, she worked at the Institute for Experimental Phonetics and Speech Pathology. In 2010, she founded the Dr. Selaković Clinic, dedicated to the rehabilitation of children with autism and other developmental disorders. Building on her decades of experience, she developed the Special Integrative Method (SIM), which integrates the treatment of comorbid medical conditions—such as gastrointestinal and metabolic dysfunctions—with therapies aimed at improving communication, motor skills, and social interaction.

Throughout her decades-long career, Dr. Selaković has remained one of the leading experts in the field of integrative autism treatment. Her extensive experience, scientific contributions, and hands-on application of contemporary methods have helped shape rehabilitation standards in Serbia and the wider region.

bottom of page