General Developmental Assessments
What is a General Developmental Assessment?
A General Developmental Assessment (GDA) is carried out by our Consultant Community Paediatrician. This assessment helps to identify the areas where a child or young person is stronger, and where they may need additional support. It can also highlight other assessments and investigations that may be appropriate to identify your child's needs.
Referring for a General Developmental Assessment
If your child is having difficulties and you want to know how best to support them, or which other assessments or investigations are appropriate, contact us to request a General Developmental Assessment referral.
Our clinical team will review your referral information and advise if they feel a General Developmental Assessment is appropriate. They may also recommend a particular assessment (such as an ASD or ADHD assessment) if this is indicated by your referral.
What happens at the assessment?
Before the assessment, we'll send out a number of questionnaires to you and your child's school, nursery, or college, which help us gain a better understanding of your child's day-to-day strengths and needs.
When you come for your appointment, the Paediatrician the paediatrician may need to examine your child to explore whether other medical conditions may be contributing to the differences in your child's presentation.
Following this, you'll sit with the doctor for a detailed and thorough parent interview. You'll be asked in depth about any concerns you have and when these were first noted; when your child reached various developmental milestones; their behaviour, how they socialise, their communication, speech, and language; sleep; diet; physical health and immunisations; and other such details. All of this information helps the doctor to gather a full picture of your child's development, their current presentation, and any areas which may need support or further investigation.
After the assessment, we will send out a detailed report which outlines the assessment, the information given, and any recommendations that have been made to support your child, both at home and at school, as well as any additional assessments or investigations that have been identified as appropriate to further support your child going forward.