The Neurodevelopmental program has updated its referral guidelines to clarify what services the clinic does and doesn’t offer and how best to refer patients for a successful first visit. Current wait times for first appointments are approximately six months.
Neurodevelopmental hopes its new referral guidelines will help patients to be seen in a timelier manner and be directed to the provider at Seattle Children’s or elsewhere who will best meet their needs. They stress the importance of submitting a referral that is complete in order to help the family’s first visit go smoothly and be as productive as possible. A complete referral includes the following documents, when available:
- Therapy reports (occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech) and early intervention notes
- Questionnaires (M-CHAT, Ages and Stages, Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale and other applicable rating scales and/or questionnaires)
- School records or notes, individualized education plan (IEP) or testing results, developmental assessments
- Brain imaging reports
The new guidelines from Neurodevelopmental articulate a list of conditions the program does not see when it is the patient’s primary issue, and provides suggestions for where else to refer them.
- Autism: Refer patients to Seattle Children’s Autism Center or the University of Washington Autism Center or the Child Development Clinic at the University of Washington.
- Behavior concerns: Refer patients to Seattle Children’s Psychiatry and Behavioral health if insurance requirements are met or to your local behavioral health organization that has contracts with the state to provide mental and behavioral health support to families (see list by county in Washington). You may also call the Partnership Access Line (PAL) for help finding a local provider or refer your patient’s family directly to the free Washington Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens.
- Learning disabilities: A family should talk to their local school district for guidance before getting a medical referral. If there is concern for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), consider referring your patient to Seattle Children’s PEARL Clinic within our Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine program. Note: The PEARL Clinic has some insurance restrictions.
- Sexual abuse or sexual aggression: Call the King County Sexual Assault Center at 888-998-6423 or Harborview’s Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress at 206-744-1600.
- Abuse, trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Call Harborview’s Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress at 206-744-1600.
The new referral guidelines provide some new information to help PCPs set families’ expectations when they come for their first appointment. For example, some first visits may be with an APP rather than a doctor; the initial visit is usually long, often 90 minutes; and some visits end without a diagnosis because more time is needed to prepare one. A social worker is frequently part of the team the family meets with on their first visit, to help support the family by identifying resources that are beneficial.
Neurodevelopmental is separate from Seattle Children’s Neuropsychology service and Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. Please call our Clinical Intake Nurses at 206-987-2080, option 1, if you are unsure which is the right clinic for your patient.
Find Neurodevelopmental’s complete new referral policies and related resources for PCPs on their new Refer a Patient page.
