Outreach Clinics

Outreach Clinics – Brockville and Smiths Falls

Rotating off-site KidsInclusive clinics offer families of preschool and early elementary school-aged children in Lanark and Leeds & Grenville counties with access to a multidisciplinary team assessment. Clinics are held one day per month in either Smiths Falls or Brockville. The priority for this clinic is for the team to see children and families who have not previously received a diagnostic assessment and for whom travel to Kingston would be difficult. There are also a very limited number of follow-up appointments available.

Following their referral to KidsInclusive, families will receive a letter outlining the intake process and the date and location of their appointment. Families are required to confirm their appointment. Depending on a child’s age and reason for referral, a questionnaire to complete may be included with the intake letter. Families are encouraged to bring their completed questionnaires to their clinic appointment.

At the off-site clinic, individual children and their parent(s) meet with a multi-disciplinary team for a screening/assessment and consultation appointment that takes approximately one and a half hours. Typically, the team includes a Developmental Paediatrician, an Occupational Therapist, and a Social Worker. While the child engages in play-based screening activities, caregivers participate in a guided conversation about their child’s development, interests, challenges, and strengths. The team will also ask about other agencies or professionals that are involved with the family and child at home, at day care/school, and in the community. If there is any additional relevant information available regarding the child’s skills or development (e.g. letter of concern from a teacher, professional assessment report, report card, etc.), families are encouraged to bring a copy of this report to their appointment.

Using the information gathered during the screening, the team will work with the family to determine next steps in supporting their child. Recommendations are based on a child’s current skills and interests, and are tailored to the needs and priorities of each family. The plan for next steps may include:

• General activity suggestions to further develop specific challenging skills
• General information regarding appropriate community programs
• Goal-based consultation services by a single discipline or the team in the clinic, at home, or in a day care setting
• Information about appropriate partner agencies in the community, with assistance to make referrals (if needed)
• Internal referrals to additional multi-disciplinary team members, specialized programs, workshops and/or group programs at KidsInclusive
• Formal assessment of the child’s skills by a single discipline or the team in the clinic, in-home, or in a day care environment

If the information gathered through the play-based assessment, questionnaires, and parent interview in the clinic indicates that a child meets diagnostic criteria, the Developmental Paediatrician may be able to provide a diagnosis on the day of the clinic. Families should be aware that additional information or testing in a different setting may also be required.

If a diagnosis is received, the team will provide information regarding additional supports (e.g. financial, respite, etc.) available to families, as appropriate based on eligibility criteria.

By the end of their off-site KidsInclusive clinic appointment, families will have a clear plan of support for their child, including services through KidsInclusive as well as through partner agencies in the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville communities.