Children are gifted with different abilities, assessing their full capabilities is important
and they may often perform differently at home, at school or at the clinic. Some
assessments are complex and need a team approach.
Mindful of psychiatric implications and social stigmatisation, our approach is taken
from a unique paediatric perspective. A wide inventory of services include:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the use and importance of developmental screening, and recommends that all children receive standardized screening as a part of well-child care. Regular checks will ensure that development is progressing in the right direction and at the right pace. It will allow any red flags for developmental delay to be picked up early, which will lead to early diagnosis and intervention and eventually optimization of the child’s fullest potential.
Some babies are born premature, develop problems prior to delivery or encounter stormy newborn periods. All these issues may have an impact on brain development and may sometimes result in later effects on development and learning. Such babies therefore require close monitoring and tracking. Follow-up, including regular and serial standardized developmental screens should continue throughout the early years of their lives into school going years.
Developmental concerns, identified either by doctor, schoolteacher or caregiver, need to be addressed early. We look for patterns of signs and clusters of features to decipher if such concerns warrant further assessment and diagnosis. A Quick Guide to Developmental Milestones will provide some guide for you. Some concerns are but passing phases that a child goes through and will fade, with no residual issues. Others are part and parcel of wider categories of developmental disorder.
Disorders that will require a multi-disciplinary team approach include:
Autistic spectrum disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, Asperger Syndrome
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders
Dyslexia and other learning disabilities
Specific language impairment
Slow learners, Cognitive Delay
Developmental Co-ordination Disorder
Sensory Integration Disorder
Sensory Impairment
Central Auditory Processing Disorder
Selective Mutism
Hypothyroidism
Genetic syndromes
Early identification, investigations and diagnosis as well as multidisciplinary management will lead to better outcomes.
Administration of appropriate standardized tests to support the clinical diagnosis paves the way for more individualized intervention goals and educational strategies. This is useful in a variety of conditions such as:
Autism, autistic spectrum disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, Asperger Syndrome
Learning disorders, including specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia
Cognitive impairment
In our centre, we also provide:
School Readiness Assessments – this is often required in the K2 year for the child at-risk for learning delays, to assess for the need for school deferment and delayed primary school entry or alternative placement in some cases
Cognitive and Achievement Assessments – this is necessary for special school application and requests for school accommodations within mainstream, such as exemption from Mother Tongue examination or extra time for those truly in need.
School Preparatory Programme – for the K1-K2 preschool children who may not have acquired adequate school readiness skills
Social Skills Training Courses – this is targeted for those with poor social skills in late preschool or primary school years.
Caregiver Training Courses – this is useful for parents and caregivers of children with special needs.
School Visits – these may be useful to acquire first-hand information on the child’s behavioural patterns.
Early Intervention Recommendations and referrals – both governmental-subsidized and private programmes can be tapped into.
Special School Application – medical and psychological assessments will be required.
Advocacy and School Liaison Work – The child’s needs for learning support must be advocated for and we thus provide liaison between educational authorities and the families of special-needs children.
All assessments remain private and confidential and are only shared with parental permission and at medical discretion.
+65 6451 0028
enquiries@specialkidsclinic.com.sg