Date:
To
The Principal
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Subject: Collaboration for Early Identification, Assessment and Support of Children with Developmental, Learning, Behavioural and Neurological Concerns
Dear Sir/Madam,
Greetings from Aakaar Clinic, Pediatric Neurodevelopment & Child Health Centre, Byculla, Mumbai.
Schools are often the first place where difficulties in a child's development, communication, attention, behaviour, learning or social interaction become clearly noticeable. Teachers spend several hours with children every day and are therefore in a unique position to identify children who may need additional assessment or support.
We would like to propose a professional referral collaboration between your school and Aakaar Clinic for children who may benefit from developmental assessment, medical evaluation, therapy or educational intervention.
Children Who May Benefit From Referral
A child may be considered for assessment when there are persistent concerns such as:
Speech or language delay
Difficulty understanding or following instructions
Poor attention or excessive distractibility
Hyperactivity or impulsivity
Difficulty sitting, participating or completing classroom tasks
Persistent academic difficulties
Reading, writing or mathematics difficulties
Poor handwriting or fine-motor difficulties
Social-communication difficulties
Difficulty interacting with peers
Repetitive behaviours or restricted interests
Developmental delay
Behavioural difficulties affecting classroom functioning
Motor difficulties or abnormal movements
Suspected autism or ADHD
Seizures or other neurological concerns
A significant discrepancy between the child's apparent ability and classroom performance
Assessment Before Labelling
Our objective is not to label every child who is struggling.
A child's classroom difficulty can have many possible causes. Attention problems may be related to ADHD, but may also occur because of language difficulties, learning problems, inadequate understanding of the task, emotional difficulties or other developmental concerns.
Similarly, poor academic performance does not automatically mean a learning disability, and speech delay does not automatically mean autism.
A structured assessment can help identify the underlying developmental profile and determine whether intervention is required.
What Aakaar Clinic Can Provide
Depending on the child's needs, assessment and management may include:
Medical and developmental assessment
Pediatric neurodevelopmental assessment
Developmental evaluation
Pediatric neurological assessment
Autism assessment
ADHD assessment
Assessment of developmental and behavioural concerns
Evaluation of associated neurological conditions
Therapeutic support
Speech and language therapy
Occupational therapy
Developmental intervention
Behavioural support
Parent guidance
Educational support
Cognitive and developmental assessment
Academic assessment
Remedial education
Learning-difficulty assessment
Guidance regarding appropriate classroom and examination accommodations
Where necessary, appropriate investigations or referrals to other specialists can also be advised.
A Collaborative Approach
We believe that the best results are achieved when parents, school and healthcare professionals work as a team.
The school can provide valuable information about the child's functioning in the classroom, while parents can provide developmental and home-based information. Clinical assessment can then help integrate these observations and identify appropriate interventions.
Where appropriate and with parental consent, we can also provide recommendations that may help the school support the child in areas such as:
Attention and classroom participation
Following instructions
Communication
Academic learning
Behaviour
Social interaction
Task completion
Classroom organisation
Examination accommodations
Early Referral Can Prevent Prolonged Difficulty
A child does not need to wait for academic failure or severe behavioural problems before being assessed.
Early identification can allow appropriate support to begin while the child is still developing foundational skills.
We therefore encourage schools to refer children when there is a persistent or significant concern, rather than waiting for the problem to become severe.
At the same time, referral is not intended to create anxiety for parents. It is an opportunity to understand the child's strengths and difficulties and determine whether any intervention is actually necessary.
Our Request to the School
We would be grateful if the school could consider Aakaar Clinic as one of the referral options for children requiring professional assessment or developmental support.
A referral may be suggested to parents when the school observes persistent developmental, behavioural, communication, learning or neurological concerns. The final decision to seek consultation remains with the parents.
We would also welcome an opportunity to interact with the school leadership, counsellors, special educators and teachers to discuss common developmental and learning concerns and ways in which schools can support children more effectively.
Our shared objective is simple:
Identify difficulties early. Understand the child accurately. Provide appropriate intervention. Help the child learn, participate and progress.
We look forward to developing a constructive professional association with your school in the interest of children's development and education.
Warm regards,
Dr. Kondekar
Aakaar Clinic
Pediatric Neurodevelopment & Child Health Centre
Byculla, Mumbai
Appointments: 9869405747
