PROCEDURE
FOR CERTIFICATION
The
following will help you to understand the procedure for obtaining LD
Certification. Please read the instructions completely.
At least
one parent or, a guardian who knows the child well, should accompany the
student.
1) How
to get an appointment for a student’s assessment in PND Centre?
·
On
Wednesday or Saturday, meet doctors in the pediatrics Clinic No.7,1st
Floor New OPD building under Dr. Mona Gajre Unit , Professor of pediatrics
& In-Charge of Pediatric
Neurodevelopment Centre between 9.00 and 11.30 am. The OPD building is the
first building onto your right as you enter from the main gate No.7 (which is
opposite Little Angels School and adjacent to the ST bus depot.)
·
Before
your meeting, you need to have detailed referral note from the school along
with other information if the school is private funded or government aided
institution. The OPD paper will have to be issued from counter 2 at the ground
floor.
·
The
paper should have a referral letter (on school letter head) from the Principal
of the School- describing the reason for referral. The letter should describe
the academic difficulties observed in the child about hers/his reading,
writing, problems with spellings, performing mathematical calculations and the
behavior of the child in the classroom (normal, hyperactive, inattentive,
withdrawn).This information is very important and helpful in diagnosing the
cause of the child’s poor school performance.
·
The
parents should bring along – notebooks of any one subjects and also of mathematics.
This is essential to see the child’s handwriting and school work. Please also
get along with you – photocopies of the last two year report cards. This will
help us get an idea of the child’s scholastic performance.
·
After
being assessed by Dr. Mona Gajre in the pediatric clinic the child will be
given an appointment for assessment in the PND Centre. If the Doctor feels the
need then the child maybe preliminary screened for his/hers intellectual
capacity in OPD 21, Psychiatry OPD, New OPD Bldg., 2nd Floor on follow up of
the report will be referred to the PND Centre for taking an appointment for
child’s further assessment. Please do not seek appointment directly from the PND
Centre without the student having been evaluated first in OPD 7. The PND Centre
Clinic is in the college building, first floor next to the lift, LTMGH, Sion,
Mumbai
2) What
are the assessments done in the PND Centre? 2
The
child has to be brought at least three times to the PND Centre for various assessments
as per appointments given. These cannot be combined into a single session as
this gets very taxing for the child. The dates of appointments for these
testing are given by the Secretary in the PND Centre and the entire procedure
to be followed will be clearly explained by her to each parent.
·
The
first appointment is given for child’s detailed clinical and neurological
examination.
(This takes about 30
– 45 minutes to be completed)
·
The
second appointment for testing the child’s cognitive capacity. (Which takes
about 60 – 90 minutes to be completed)
·
The
third appointment is for the educational testing of the child. (Which takes
about 120 to 180 minutes to be completed)
In general the accompanying parent would
have to take a half day / full day off from work / other family
responsibilities for each of the three appointments.
None of
these examinations are painful or inconvenient to the child. The child needs to
be starving for any of these ‘tests’.
3) What
other tests are required to be done before certification?
·
Vision
testing to be done by an Ophthalmologist (Eye specialist)
·
Hearing
testing (Audiometry) to be done from an ENT Specialist
These two tests can
be done at Sion Hospital or any public hospital near the child’s residence.
They can also be done from a private Ophthalmologist or ENT Specialist – if so
desired by parent. Both the vision and hearing testing reports should be recent
(done in the past 6 months) to be considered valid.
Any questions you may
have about these will be answered at the PND Centre.
·
A
screening test for ADHD will be performed at the Clinic.
·
Associated
psychiatric problems will be screened at the Psychiatry OPD 21, 2nd
floor, New OPD Building.
·
If
the child’s needs an Occupational Therapy evaluation the child will be referred
to the OT therapy department. OPD 23, MOT
Bldg.,5th Floor.
4) How
long does it take for the entire assessment procedure to be completed?
Generally
it takes about eight to twelve weeks, beginning from the time of the first
assessment done in the PND Centre (namely, the child’s detailed clinical
neurological examination). The certificate will be issued to the parent(s)
after a meeting with the Counselor in the PND Centre who will explain the child’s
diagnosis and how to help the child achieve his / her maximum potential.
Contact Information
The
secretary can be contacted for any enquiry from 11 am to 2 pm (Monday to
Saturday excluding public holidays) at telephone number 022 – 24043989/24076381
ext -3697
Or email
us at learningdisabilityclinicsion@gmail.com
We
welcome feedback on your experience at the PND Centre. This will help us make
the clinic more student and parent friendly.
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS
1.
Please
come on time for appointment (especially for psychological and Psycho
educational tests). If Late By More Than 20 Mins then appointments will
be cancelled.
2.
If
the child has exams, take another appointment rather than stressing the child.
3.
Make
sure the child is not tired and has had sufficient sleep on the day of the
testing for more accurate results.
4.
Please
carry the glasses / spectacles along if it has been prescribed.
5.
If
Medications for inattention and hyperactivity have been prescribed,
continue the medication as per doctor’s advice and follow up with the doctor
regarding the effectiveness of the medications.
6.
Carry
along pencils /pens and eraser for the testing.
7.
Carry
a small Tiffin box / napkin during testing.