Children’s will soon expand neurological assessment services available to patients and their families with specific days devoted each week to different suspected diagnoses.

The service is led by neurologist Dr. Patricia Evans, an associate professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center; and Mary Ann Morris, Ph.D., a diagnostician and adjunct professor at the University Of North Texas College of Educational Psychology.

A different service every day
On Mondays, Neurology services will see four patients with suspected autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) for a full day of assessments that will include an appointment with Dr. Evans and Morris, as well as with occupational therapists and physical therapists. Children will undergo testing on days other than the initial assessments under the direction of Morris.

Tuesdays will be set aside for children with cognitive delays and special needs who may not fit any particular category of neurologic deficit but who are experiencing a wide variety of processing delays.

On Thursdays, Neurology will see up to four new patients with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or learning disabilities.

ASD assessments also are conducted through the Psychiatry service at Children’s in conjunction with UT Southwestern. The diagnostic assessment and identification service for children with suspected ASD takes place every Wednesday for children from 18 months to the age of 5. Additionally, ASD diagnostic assessments for older children (6-18) are available at other times during the week.

The service offers:

• Multidisciplinary assessment with each case receiving collaboration from professionals in Psychology, Psychiatry and Speech Pathology.
• Same-day evaluations results for children from 18 months to 5 years.
• Referrals made within Children’s and to outside community agencies.
• Ongoing psychopharmacological evaluation and treatment, when applicable.

Resources
Children's Medical Center: Autistic Disorders

Last reviewed: July 2008