Our Paediatric Disability Service consists of a team of consultants and trainees with expertise in paediatric disability.
Who can refer to the paediatric diability service?
Parents can seek referral via their GP, Health Visitor or any other professional involved in their care.
If Nursery or School staff are making a referral, it is better for this to be via the GP if possible, in order to optimise communication and reduce the risk of duplication.
Why should a child or young person be referred to the paediatric disability service?
If there are concerns that a child or young person may have a disability or is following a different developmental journey to other children their age, it can be important to identify any health conditions or diagnoses that can be made.
This is so that an explanation can be given for the child, young person and their family as to why they are different, how this might affect them now and in the future.
We know that in the absence of other explanations about why a child is different, parents, especially mothers, tend to blame themselves, thinking it was something they did or didn’t do when they were pregnant or in parenting that has made their child as they are.
Having the right diagnosis or diagnoses:
- Can help the paediatrician to explain what the child’s functioning is likely to be like now and in the future, answering all the important questions that parents want to know: Will she walk? Will he talk? Will she need special support in education? Will she grow up to have a job, have relationships?
- Can help with access to genetic counselling. This means explaining the chances for a family of having other children with the same diagnoses and also explaining the chances of the child themselves having children with the same diagnosis.
- Can help get the management right and to enable early intervention to be put in place, where there is good evidence that this makes a positive difference.
- Can help the paediatrician to think about what else might be going on, that may impact on the child’s ability to take part in everyday activities or enjoy the best possible quality of life
- Stops the need for more tests, which can be painful for the child and inconvenient for the family
- Can open doors to the right support and information
Concerns about social communication, interactions or possible autism spectrum conditions
For pre-school children, please direct these referrals to the family health visitor in the first instance, who can ensure all appropriate services are in place. The health visitor can link with the social communication clinic at Palmer’s Hospital as need be.
For school-aged children, please refer directly to the LifeCycle or Children and Young People’s Service teams for assessment and support.
Concerns about motor coordination, motor planning, possible developmental coordination disorder or dyspraxia
Please refer directly to the paediatric physiotherapy and occupational therapy teams at Palmer’s Hospital.
Where to get support
There are various places that you can get support, whilst waiting for an appointment, diagnosis or in case of any concerns.
South Tyneside Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) local offer: https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/37862/Special-Educational-Needs-and-Disabilities-SEND-
South Tyneside autism hub: Email: autismhub@ttht.co.uk Tel: 0191 816 0550 Facebook: The Toby Henderson Trust at The Autism Hub Website: http://www.ttht.co.uk/home/autism-hub
Contact Us
South Tyneside Hospital: Switchboard 0191 Dr Karen Horridge, Consultant Paediatrician (Disability): Secretary: 0191 202 4130 Dr Carl Harvey, Consultant Paediatrician (Disability): Secretary: 0191 565 6256 Dr Sandia George, Consultant Paediatrician (Disability): Secretary: 0191 565 6256 Dr Rob Bolton, Associate Specialist in Paediatrics Anne Fearon, specialist health visitor
