Child Development Center Guide. A Guide for Families Seeking a Developmental Assessment for Children

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1 Child Development Center Guide A Guide for Families Seeking a Developmental Assessment for Children

2 Welcome to the Child Development Center at Nationwide Children s Hospital Following is the Child Developmental Center Guide which is designed to assist you in understanding the developmental assessment process used by our center. Families seeking a developmental assessment can be overwhelmed by the number of appointments required in the assessment and diagnosis process. To assist families and children in understanding the process the guide is designed to offer insight into the types and length of appointments and an explanation of each. To ensure that children have a comprehensive diagnostic assessment, several appointments are will be scheduled. The guide will also discuss the variety of professionals you may encounter at each appointment. We encourage families to record information on the guide and bring it to each appointment. The Child Development Center in collaboration with the Autism Treatment Network (ATN) believes that families are a valuable part of the care and treatment for every child. We encourage families to ask questions and discuss concerns during appointments. Family Centered Care is an equal partner in the ATN approach to the care and treatment of children with autism. The ATN believes that families are at the center of quality coordinated care. Dr. Daniel Coury ATN Medical Director Family Centered Care The Child Development Center fully supports families as an essential member of the diagnostic and treatment process. Families offer vital information helpful to physicians and clinicians. Family Centered Care encompasses a comprehensive, coordinated, interdisciplinary care approach for children with autism and can include many professionals sometimes referred to as disciplines. In Family Centered Care several of these disciplines work together with the family in gathering information about the child and coordinating treatment options to maximize outcomes for children. Families are encouraged to be active members during the assessment and treatment process. Interdisciplinary Care Why is this important in the diagnosis and treatment of children with Autism? Many ATN sites use an interdisciplinary approach when evaluating a child for autism. Simply put, an interdisciplinary team is made up of a variety of professionals from different backgrounds that work collaboratively with children and their family members. For example a Developmental Pediatrician, Neurologist, Social Worker, Psychologist and Speech and Language Pathologist may all work together during a child s diagnostic assessment process to provide a comprehensive diagnostic view of the child. This interdisciplinary approach is the preferred method as it will reduce the number of appointments children need to attend while maximizing the expertise by infusing the team with many professional views of the child. Interdisciplinary teams engage in discussions during the process to ensure the most accurate diagnosis for a child. Families are central to this process and provide valuable input for the team. Below is a possible list of the many disciplines you may encounter: Families are encouraged to use the guide to follow the process, make notes and record upcoming appointments. Please feel free to ask questions at any time. Thank you, The Child Development Center team Behavioral Specialist Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician Genetics Neurologist Occupation Therapist Psychometrician Sleep Specialist Care Coordinator Gastroenterology Specialist Home Programming Instructor Researcher Primary Care Physician Psychologist Speech and Language Pathologist 1 2

3 Developmental Assessment at Nationwide Children s Hospital Families entering the assessment process at Nationwide Children s Hospital may find it lengthy, but there is a reason for each appointment in the assessment process. Below you will find the name and description of each appointment in the assessment process. Diagnostic Interview The Diagnostic Interview (DI) is an hour long appointment designed to assess current developmental concerns and to move families toward the next best phase of assessment and/or treatment. This is an information gathering session. Interdisciplinary Diagnostic Assessment Follow Up Following the IDA, some families will be scheduled for an Interdisciplinary Diagnostic Assessment Follow Up (IDA/FU). The IDA/FU appointment is for the necessary psychological testing (e.g., intellectual functioning, academic achievement, adaptive skills) and can range from 2 ½ - hours depending on the age of your child. Your child will be given a couple breaks throughout the appointment and is expected to complete a variety of tasks. If you are given questionnaires to complete about your child s behavior, please be sure to complete each one and bring them to the appointment. Interdisciplinary Diagnostic Assessment An Interdisciplinary Diagnostic Assessment (IDA) is conducted by a clinical team including a psychologist, a developmental behavioral pediatrician and/or neurologist, a speech and language pathologist, and a psychometrician. The IDA assessment can last up to hours and may require families to complete needed questionnaires and assessment tools. During the first appointment the Autism Treatment Network staff at Nationwide Children s Hospital will: Collect further background information and behavioral observation Conduct a brief physical examination Assess your child s motor abilities related to speech, his/her understanding of other s speech, and his/her expression of ideas Complete an Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), a standardized play based assessment used to evaluate Autism Spectrum Disorders Explain any further questionnaires we would like for you to complete about your child s treatment team, including doctors and therapists. Feedback The next step in the assessment process will be a final discussion with the Psychologist. This session, referred to as a Feedback, is booked for a full hour to allow you the opportunity to ask questions and review recommendations from the Psychologist. During this session, you will discuss testing results, impressions and diagnosis. The feedback appointment will also offer recommendations for next steps in medical care, subspecialty care and treatment, such as speech. Autism Treatment Network After completing the Feedback session, families will have a brief 15 minute meeting with the Autism Treatment Network (ATN) team. During this meeting, families will learn about ATN initiatives and resources, locally and nationally. The ATN team will also help to coordinate care coordination appointments. 4

4 Care Coordination The final step in the assessment process includes working with our Clinical Care Coordination team. Care Coordination sessions are a full hour and can be booked multiple times. The Care Coordination team will review with you treatment recommendations by your child s diagnostic team. Care Coordinators assist families in moving recommendations into action steps and can help families coordinate treatment options. The Child Development Center Care Coordination team is here to help you ensure your child has options and opportunities for success by: Gaining understanding of needed services and recommendations Exploring strategies for accessing treatment services Overcoming barriers that may arise when seeking treatment options Identifying and managing family and sibling issues affecting your child s care identify available resources for your child and Developing ways to increase communication between your child s treatment team, including doctors and therapists. As part of our model of care, we suggest that a Care Coordination appointment be held within one month of your Feedback appointment. Due to the waiting lists at our clinic, we suggest booking a Care Coordination appointment during the ATN meeting. If you need to reschedule, please contact our office (614) at your first convenience. Annual Appointment During the assessment process at our clinic, a Lead Autism Specialist will be part of your child s diagnostic team. A Lead Autism Specialist (LAS) is a medical provider (Medical Doctor or Nurse Practitioner) that has specialty training in working with children with developmental and behavioral concerns including autism. As a part of the Child Development Center/Autism Treatment Network model of care, annual follow up appointments with an LAS are highly recommended. The Autism Treatment Network at Nationwide Children s Hospital What is the Autism Treatment Network? The Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN) is a ground-breaking network of hospitals, physicians, researchers, and families at 17 locations (our sites ) across the United States and Canada. We are working together to develop the most effective approach to medical care for children and adolescents affected by autism. The ATN s aim is to provide comprehensive, high-quality care by teams of healthcare professionals who understand autism spectrum disorders and excel at treating associated medical conditions including the sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal problems that can vex children with ASD and their families. The ATN at Nationwide Children s Hospital Nationwide Children s Hospital provides comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, care to children with autism and their families. Coordinated subspecialty care such as Sleep, Genetics, Neurology and GI as well as family participation play a vital role in our Family Centered Care approach. Nationwide Children s provides diagnostic, assessment and Care Coordination at our ATN site, located in Westerville. Our dedicated Care Coordination team supports families in assessing recommendations and designing next steps for children diagnosed with autism. Nationwide Children s practices Whole Care for the Whole Child. Please contact us if you would like to schedule an appointment. Nationwide Children s Hospital Child Development and Autism Centers 187 West Schrock Road Westerville, Ohio 4081 (614) atn@nationwidechildrens.org NationwideChildrens.org/Autism-Treatment-Network For more information on the ATN, please visit Annual appointments offer you the opportunity to discuss your child s progress, behaviors, medication, overall health and/or other concerns you may have. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (614) , and requesting the Child Development Center front office staff. If you would like to be seen prior to your annual visit please contact our office and we will make every effort to see you as quickly as possible. 5 6

5 Child Development Center Locations Polaris Pkwy. Cleveland Ave. Main St. Schrock Rd. Westerville Rd. Holt Rd. Discovery Blvd. Post Rd. Wall St. Wall St. Perimeter Dr. Commerce Pkwy. Cooper Rd. Park Meadow Rd. Brooksedge Blvd Brooksedge Blvd. Child Development and Autism Centers Venture Dr. Dublin Close To Home SM Center Emerald Pkwy Child Development and Autism Centers 187 West Schrock Road Westerville, OH 4081 (614) Dublin Close To Home SM Center on Venture Dr Venture Drive Dublin, Ohio 4017 (614) Executive Campus Dr. Westerville Surgery Center 270 Main St. N. Cleveland Ave. Polaris Pkwy. Westar Crossing County Line Road West Westerville Recreation Center Schrock Rd. S. State St. Westerville Rd. Westerville Surgery Center 455 Executive Campus Drive Westerville, OH 4082 (614)