What
does the Learning Difficulties Clinic offer?
Children
accepted to the RCH Centre for Community Child Health - Learning Difficulties
Clinic are seen over 2-3 sessions by a paediatrician to support primary school
aged children with concerns about learning progress. There may be teaching and research activities in the clinic.
Patients are bulk billed for their consultations and therefore will need a referral from their general practitioner.
Who should I talk to about my child's learning
difficulties?
Learning difficulties
should first be discussed with the child's classroom teacher and/or school
leadership team. Schools may also have
access to psychologists and speech pathologists for further assessment and support. School based student support services are
best placed to review a child's academic progress and cognitive profile, as
well as to provide advice and guidance on teaching approaches.
We recommend you
discuss your concerns about your child's learning with their teacher and
request implementation of an Individual Education Plan (IEP).
When might I need a
referral to the Learning Difficulties Clinic?
Following discussion
with your child's teacher and implementation of an Individual Education Plan,
if you or your child's teacher still have concerns or unanswered questions
about your child's learning progress a referral for additional assessment may
be appropriate. This may include:
- Referral to student
support services within your child's school (or school network), and/or
- Referral to a local
paediatrician or psychologist, and/or
- Referral to the
Learning Difficulties clinic.
What do I need to provide in a referral to the
Learning Difficulties Clinic?
Following discussion
with school, if you and/or your child's teacher feel that an appointment at RCH
is still required, please ask your GP refer to the RCH Developmental Intake
Team and include the following to help us triage the referral
appropriately:
- A copy of the
student's IEP - detailing goals and intervention strategies implemented.
- Copies of reports from
any educational, cognitive, or language assessments (if available).
Does
the Learning Difficulties Clinic offer cognitive assessments?
Depending
on availability, educational and cognitive assessments may also be
carried out by a provisional psychologist in the clinic, alternatively school
and private (paid for by the family) alternatives for seeking these assessments
may be discussed.
Where
can I access a cognitive assessment for my child?
Cognitive assessments are completed by psychologists. Should
this referral specifically require a cognitive assessment, it is recommended the referral is directed to either school (Department of Education or Catholic
Education), private psychologist, or university psychology clinic.
What if I have
additional concerns about my child's development and behaviour?
If you are concerned
about additional areas of your child's development (such as social skills,
communication, movement, eating and/or sleep) we suggest talking with your GP
about whether a referral to your local community paediatrician is appropriate
to access ongoing care.
Clinic time
Supervisor
- Associate Professor Gehan Roberts