Updates

Developmental Pediatrics and Autism

 Preparing for a Visit

Overview

We understand that coming to a medical appointment—especially for a developmental evaluation—can feel overwhelming for both you and your child. Our goal is to help you feel informed and supported every step of the way as you prepare for your visit to the Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics and Autism.

If your child is currently on our waiting list, we highly encourage you to watch our recorded webinar, The Waitlist Informational Workshop, before your first visit. This video was created especially for families like yours who are new to developmental evaluations. It explains what our clinic does, how long the wait for an evaluation is, the kinds of services we offer, and what you can expect when your child is seen.

The workshop also walks you through how to prepare for the appointment and introduces vital resources for your child that you can use while waiting for an evaluation. Most importantly, it can help you decide whether our clinic is the right fit for your child’s needs—so you’re not waiting for a service that we may not be available within our clinic.

Expectations for the Visit

The evaluation may include extensive history-taking, review of previous evaluations, and standardized developmental-behavioral testing. This testing will look different depending on the concerns identified in the referral, the age and developmental level of your child, and the provider evaluating your child.

Following the evaluation, your child may receive a diagnosis or may be referred for additional evaluation and testing. The family will be given detailed recommendations, including diagnosis-specific resource information and recommendations and referrals for interventions and treatment services in the community. You will receive a summary of recommendations on the day of your visit but will receive a detailed evaluation report a few weeks after your visit.

Because the Meyer Center does not offer treatment services, your child will be referred back to your primary care doctor for ongoing care. You should contact the clinic directly if new medical concerns arise and will be connected with clinical staff to determine if a follow-up visit is necessary. Your family will have access to the Meyer Center social work and nursing teams for ongoing support and education as needed after your visit with your child’s provider.

Preparing Yourself for Your Visit

  • Send required records prior to the initial visit: Fax (832-825-9065) any recent evaluations by the school district (Full and Individual Evaluation-FIE) or other professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, speech/language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and any medical subspecialty evaluations performed outside of Texas Children's Hospital.
  • Allow approximately 2-2 1/2 hours for the first visit: Keep in mind that the visit may be longer depending on the needs of your child.
  • Plan for traffic: There is a 15 minute grace period for your appointment, after which you must be rescheduled.
  • Cancel within 48 hours: “No show” appointments will not be rescheduled, and emergency situations will be considered on a case by case basis only.
  • Parking is free of charge in our lot: If our lot is full, you are welcome to park in the City of Houston parking garage next door for a fee. We are not able to validate parking.
  • Helpful Tips for Caregivers:
    • Bring a spouse, partner, or one family member or friend to the visit as a “second set of ears” and for support. Extra family members and/or children will be asked to remain in the waiting area. If you must bring siblings, another adult must be present to supervise them in the waiting area.
    • Try to recall as much as you can about your child’s developmental milestones.  
    • Keep notes of your child’s behaviors in different places and with different people.
    • Gather your child’s information and have it ready for the evaluation.
    • Write down your questions ahead of time and bring your list to the visit.

Learn as much as you can about expected developmental milestones, here.

Preparing Your Child for a Visit

  • Talk to your child about the upcoming visit. Utilize tools such as short videos or “social stories” to help them know what to expect during a clinic visit.  Explain to your child that this visit is different from other doctor visits and that the doctors will be mostly be talking and playing with them.
  • Familiarize your child with the setting: Take photos of the office prior to your child’s visit to familiarize your child with our office.
  • Utilize visual schedules: Create a visual schedule for your child to follow from the time they leave home to the time the visit is over. (For example: CAR-WAITING ROOM-TALK TO DOCTOR- PARK- HOME)
  • Practice: Practice what will happen during the visit. You can utilize dolls or medical play sets to help your child know what to expect.
  • Stick to your routine: Try to keep to your regular routine as much as possible.  Do your best to make sure your child has a good night’s sleep and a good meal before the visit.
  • Stay calm: Try to stay calm and avoid rushing to the visit so that your child is not agitated upon arriving for the visit. If something unexpected occurs, use a calm and reassuring voice to explain to your child what is happening.
  • Bring distraction items: Let your child pick a favorite item such as a stuffed animal, blanket, or comfort item to bring with them.  Snacks may also be helpful for longer visits as well.  
  • Provide rewards: If possible, arrange for a special reward for your child following the appointment (such as a trip to the park, a special food, extra time to play outside, etc.) This may help your child associate positive rewards with future office visits as well.