Neurological Consultation/Physician Referral

To make an appointment with a pediatric neurologist, please call the Children's Neurology Center at 973-993-8777.

What to Expect During a Neurological Consultation

The first component of your child's consultation is a complete neurological evaluation. During this evaluation, a complete history will be taken followed by a neurological examination.

The complete history includes:

Chief complaint or present illness
Developmental history
- Gross and fine motor skills
- Language
Social/personal history
Past medical history
Family history

The neurological examination includes:

Mental status exam
Cranial nerve examination I through XII
Examination of the motor system including reflexes
Test of coordination including reflexes
Sensory examination including primary and cortical
A review of test results from the hospital and/or school
A discussion of findings and recommendations with the parent

If indicated by the initial neurological examination, one of the following testing procedures will be performed on a follow up visit:

Assessment of aphasia, including speech and language, with interpretation
Developmental testing including motor, language, social adaptive and/or cognitive with interpretation
Neurobehavioral status exam including thinking, reason, judgment, knowledge, attention, memory and visual
Administration and medical interpretation of developmental tests

The tests are used to determine the appropriate placement needs of your child, proper patient management, and individual educational and medication decisions.

What to Bring to Your Appointment

Your insurance card
Physician referral forms if required by insurance
A list of current prescription or over-the-counter medications your child is taking, including dose and frequency
Pertinent information about your child's medical and surgical history, including details of birth and developmental milestones
Any recent CT scans/MRIs or appropriate records you may have
If there are concerns about school issues, please bring any school reports, including child study team evaluations and any related educational materials