Paediatric Neurodevelopmental Consultation

You may have noticed some patterns in your child's development that don’t quite add up for their age group, and you're looking for support. You might be worried about difficulties with speech and language, learning, behaviour, or sleep, or something else that suggests they may not be developing as expected.

Our paediatric neurodevelopmental consultation is a private, one-hour appointment with a consultant paediatrician, designed for parents who want an experienced clinical view before seeking assessment for a specific neurodevelopmental disorder. This is not a full diagnostic assessment, instead offering a starting point, for when you're unsure which pathway, if any, is right for your child.

Do I Need an Appointment?

Many parents come to us after noticing one or two things that feel out of step with what's expected, without a clear sense of what they add up to, or which specialist to see first.

This consultation may be a helpful next step if you're unsure whether to pursue an autism (ASD) assessment or ADHD assessment, or if your child's picture doesn't fit neatly into either. It's also relevant if concerns cross several areas at once, such as development, learning, behaviour, and sleep, and you'd value a paediatrician's view on how they connect.

How We Can Help

Our consultant paediatrician will listen to you about what you've noticed, when it started, and how it's affecting your child day to day. We'll consider your child's wider history, including medical factors that can sometimes contribute to developmental or behavioural symptoms, such as sleep, iron levels, cerebral folate levels, or thyroid function.

This consultation is often helpful for parents whose concerns include symptoms and behaviours associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Development and early milestones

• Late walking or slow motor development
• Speech and language delay
• Difficulty with social development
• Feeding difficulties affecting development
• Not meeting expected developmental milestones

Speech, language, and communication

If your child is already known to a speech and language therapist (SALT), a paediatrician's review can still help if a language delay is affecting school or behaviour, if social communication concerns raise questions about autism, if selective mutism is a worry, or if progress has been slow, and the underlying cause isn't clear.

Learning and possible intellectual disability

This includes children whose reading, writing, or maths are well below what's expected for their age, who show low processing speed or slow learning, who struggle to understand instructions, or where the school is discussing significant additional support, such as an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Behaviour and emotional regulation

This covers children with frequent meltdowns or shutdowns, aggression or oppositional behaviour, school refusal or distress-based behaviour, or behaviour that looks very different at home compared to school.

Sensory processing

This includes sensitivity to noise or busy environments, intolerance of certain clothing or food textures, difficulty with grooming such as hair brushing or washing, or a tendency to seek out sensory input through jumping, crashing, or chewing. 

Tics and Tourette-type symptoms

Particularly where motor or vocal tics are affecting your child's confidence at school, or appearing alongside ADHD, anxiety, or autism traits.

Sleep problems linked to development

Difficulty settling, frequent waking, early rising, or sleep that's affecting school function and behaviour, especially where ADHD or autism traits are also present.

Complex or overlapping presentations

If your main question is whether what you’re noticing is ADHD, autism, anxiety, trauma, sensory issues, or something medical, this consultation is designed for exactly that kind of uncertainty. A paediatrician can consider medical contributors, developmental pattern, school reports, and overlapping conditions together, rather than in isolation.

Prices

If a specific assessment, such as our ADHD assessment or autism (ASD) assessment, is recommended following your consultation, this involves a separate appointment and cost, which will be explained clearly before anything is arranged.

We're recognised by a number of major health insurers. If you plan to use private medical insurance, please contact us ahead of your appointment to confirm your cover.

How We'll Work Together

We know it can feel daunting not knowing what's ahead, so we've tried to keep this as clear as possible.

Before your appointment, you’ll have the opportunity to share some background about your child, such as school reports or previous assessments if you have them, so the consultation has as much context as possible. During the appointment, the paediatrician will listen to you (and, where appropriate, your child) about what you've noticed and what concerns you most.

At the end of the consultation, we'll talk through what the paediatrician has observed and what a sensible next step might look like. This may include a specific assessment pathway, a referral elsewhere, or simply a clearer picture of what to watch for.

Meet the Team

Is this the Right Service for You?

This consultation is designed for parents who want a paediatrician's view before deciding on a next step, particularly where concerns span more than one area or the right pathway isn't clear.

If you already have a clear picture that your child needs a full autism assessment, our ASD assessment may be the more direct route. Similarly, if ADHD is your main and clear concern, our ADHD assessment is designed for that. 

If your child's main difficulty is mood, self-harm, OCD, an eating disorder, or severe anxiety as the dominant presentation, our paediatric mental health service or a referral to CAMHS may be a better first step. If your child's needs are limited to isolated speech articulation, or sensory needs without wider developmental concerns, ongoing input from a speech and language therapist or occupational therapist may be more appropriate than a neurodevelopmental disorder consultation.

What to Expect from an Appointment

Our paediatrician will ask about your child's early development, current difficulties, and how these are affecting daily life at home and school. It can help to bring any school reports, previous assessments, or a brief written summary of your concerns, though this isn't essential.

We'll take time to understand your child's situation before discussing possible next steps, which may include:

• A specific assessment pathway, such as for autism or ADHD
• Investigations to check for medical contributors, such as sleep, iron levels, or thyroid function, where relevant
• A referral to another service, such as CAMHS, speech and language therapy, or occupational therapy
• A follow-up appointment to review progress or gather further information

You're welcome to ask questions throughout, and there's no expectation that you decide on next steps immediately.

Follow-Up Steps

Depending on what's discussed at your consultation, we may suggest a follow-up appointment to review how things are progressing, discuss the outcome of any investigations, or talk through referral options in more detail.

If a specific assessment is recommended, we'll explain what that involves and how to arrange it, so you have a clear sense of what comes next.

Why Choose Midland Health

Deciding where to take your child for a consultation like this is a big decision, so we aim to make the process as clear and unhurried as possible.

• No GP referral required
• No waiting lists, with same-day or next-day appointments, where available
• Consultant paediatricians with specific neurodevelopmental experience
• A calm, private setting for you and your child
• Transparent pricing, agreed with you before anything is arranged

Our Clinic

Your appointment will be held at our clinic at 78-79 Francis Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B16 8SP.

The clinic is easily reached by car via Broad Street, the A4540, or the A456 (Hagley Road), with on-site parking available on a first-come, first-served basis (signage directs you to the rear of the building). A multi-storey car park across the road is available if needed.

If you're travelling by train, Five Ways station is around a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute taxi ride away. The Number 1 bus route also serves the area, with a short walk from the nearest stop.

Next Steps

If you'd like a paediatrician's view before deciding on the right pathway for your child, the first step is to book a consultation.

FAQs