Neuro Development Clinic opens at Far East Rand Hospital
“A child diagnosed, is a child helped,” says Darryn Atmore.
The Neuro Development Clinic at the Far East Rand Hospital will officially open its doors on Thursday morning.
The clinic will deal with autistic children in the greater Springs area.
“The idea for the facility came last year when I was doing my community service and I noticed there was a need for it.
“For children to get a diagnosis, they have to go to Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and is very difficult for parents with low-functioning children to go on public transport.
“I then had a chat with our head of department Jacobé Botha and she said let’s do something about it,” says Darren Atmore, a clinical psychologist and head of the new clinic.
Through the help of the local non-profit organisation, Operation Snow Drop, the clinic came to fruition and the facility was able to also get the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) system for the clinic.
Also read: Springs mother wants to open school for autistic children
ADOS is the instrument used for diagnosing and assessing autism.
It is used all over the world and crosses cultural boundaries and assesses social functioning.
The clinic is an important edition in the area, as patients will no longer have to travel to Johannesburg where patients were put on a six-month waiting list.
It also comes at the opportune time as April was Autism Awareness Month.
The clinic will work closely with the pediatric department at the hospital and will have a multi-disciplinary team to ensure patients get the treatment they need.
Also read: What you need to know about Autism
Head of pediatrics Ngwako Ramaboea says, “You have to start treating the family first before you can treat the child as there is a grieving process they have to go through.
“The diagnosis opens the door to education and the earlier you start treating the child, the better.
“We are humbled by the sponsorship, this is a blessing for us.
“This clinic is a treasure that we need to value and we will make a success of it in all our efforts.”
For Operation Snow Drop, the next challenge is opening a crèche next to clinic for autistic children.
“They also deserve an affordable place for their children that gives them great care,” says Ina McDonald from Operation Snow Drop.
Although the clinic is only officially opening on Thursday, there is already a waiting list of 60.
To get your child into the clinic, the parents and the child must bring all their medical and school records to the Far East Rand Hospital who will then make the decision to refer or not refer the child to the clinic.
The clinic is looking for sponsorship for a sign for the clinic.
Follow us on our social media platforms:
