YONKERS - Looking back over more than 50 years of caring for the disabled, Dr. Jerome Strachman recalled how one of his most transformative experiences occurred after seeing the simple dilation of an infant's pupils.

The baby had lain helpless in her crib, severely brain damaged and unable to move her extremities. As the doctor approached, her pupils swelled.

That was enough to tell him she was experiencing fear, and that meant she was capable of feeling emotion, despite her state.

"That experience - and others similar to it - made me realize that no matter what their level of participation, they demand and are entitled to have respect," said Strachman, 84, of Hartsdale. "The appreciation of that was one of the most profound understandings of my professional and personal life."

Strachman has served five decades as the medical director at Ferncliff Manor in Yonkers, a residential-care facility for severely disabled children, where he still holds office.

For his contributions, Ferncliff Manor last week honored the man at a special gala, with live music and auctions for prizes ranging from a trip to Sicily to a puppy.

About 200 guests were expected, from politicians and family members to the children under his care, who planned a surprise song to recognize the doctor.

The event also kicked off a raffle to benefit three local nonprofits: Ferncliff Manor, Navigating the Spectrum and The Music Therapy Institute of Westchester Conservatory of Music. Tickets are $100 each, and the prizes are a Mercedes-Benz and $25,000 cash. The drawing is April 26.

Though Strachman said it was "a little scary" to be the guest of honor at such an event, he was also delighted. "I got my hair cut yesterday, so I'm ready to roll," he joked last week.

Setting up shop in his office early one morning, the doctor flipped through a marble notebook filled with notes of various prescriptions for the children. In and out they came, one after another, for a visit with Strachman.

"Mister Superstar! Good morning!" teacher aide Carrie Robinson said as she wheeled in a child for an examination. "You got to be the best man, the best doctor! We all love and respect him."

Strachman laughed. "Keep going, keep going," he said. "One thing about Carrie, she never lies. She always tells the truth."

Quickly getting back to business, the doctor examined the child, who sat with her head in her hands in a full wheelchair. He zeroed in on a boil on the back of her neck, telling the nurses to keep an eye on it. Then he scribbled a prescription for drops to ease the redness in her eyes.

Working with children such as those at Ferncliff Manor can be tricky, he said. For example, a child might hit himself on the head repeatedly as a destructive behavioral trait, but every so often, it might be because he has an earache and doesn't know how else to communicate his pain.

Successful treatment comes down not only to experience and teamwork, but also to close observation. Strachman demonstrated that kind of observation when noticing the infant's pupil dilation.

"You throw out your conceptions, and you don't take anything for granted," he said. "You have to give attention. You have to respect the observation. As soon as you drop your guard and take the child for granted, that's the time when you're going to be wrong."

Reach Diana Costello at dcostell@lohud.com or 914-694-3528.