A State-run clinic in Chennai that offers all services to children with neurodevelopmental disorders

One-stop centre: The Child Guidance Clinic at the Institute of Mental Health handles children with Specific Learning Disability and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and those with behavioural and psychological issues.
| Photo Credit: M. VEDHAN

At the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), a Child Guidance Clinic has been providing comprehensive services to children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).

IMH Director M. Malaiappan says the clinic offers assessment of children with NDDs, such as Intellectual Disabilities, Learning Disorders, and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Services, starting with assessment, certification, counselling, and treatment, are provided under one roof.

Counselling for parents

“Here, children are first assessed, and based on the assessment, and if necessary, appropriate treatment is prescribed. If necessary, children and adolescents are admitted and treated at IMH, along with their parents. Parents are educated and counselled about their children,” he says. At least 20 to 25 children visit the clinic every day.

According to the National Medical Commission’s norms, the Departments of Psychiatry at all government medical college hospitals should run a Child Guidance Clinic once a week. Such full-fledged clinics have been functioning at IMH and the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Egmore. These services are provided at other government medical college hospitals, he adds.

“The clinic deals with problems of children and adolescents. We see children with Specific Learning Disability (SLD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as those with behavioural issues, psychological issues, and emotional disorders,” says V. Venkatesh Mathan Kumar, psychiatrist, IMH.

Concessions at school

For SLD, a team of mental health professionals assesses the Intelligence Quotient level of the children, makes a clinical and psychological assessment, and certifies them. “Usually, students with learning difficulties are referred to us for assessment. There are certain concessions for these children at school such as exemption from one language, extra time, the use of calculator for maths, overlooking of spelling errors, and scribes,” Dr. Kumar explains. Parents are educated in how to manage the emotions of children during counselling.

Dr. Malaiappan says children and adolescents referred from the Child Welfare Committee and the Juvenile Justice Board are also assessed, certified, and treated.

Besides the Child Guidance Clinic is the multimodal therapy centre for children with autism. He says the centre has an occupational therapist and speech-language pathologist. “A multidisciplinary approach is taken. We have a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, social worker, along with the therapists. Once a child arrives at the clinic, he/she is sent to the multimodal therapy centre , after assessment by a psychiatrist,” he says.