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Clinic at the Royal Children's Hospital

A common time for a child to be referred to a paediatrician is at school entry, with transition from kindergarten being a big change for both the child and family. If learning concerns have been raised in the pre-school years, review by a paediatrician can be invaluable. Such a review would involve a comprehensive history, medical examination and, on occasion, further investigations. The paediatrician will frequently liaise directly with the school and if required, recommend educational psychology reports be undertaken. The results of these assessments may assist some children with learning difficulties obtain funding for teaching aid support in the classroom. As part of the goal of assisting your child achieve their full potential, referral to other healthcare practitioners such as speech therapists, occupational therapists and child psychologists may be helpful.

The following practitioners at CPMG can be of service in helping assess and manage learning difficulties in children:

Daryl is a paediatrician who has worked at the Royal Children’s Hospital for 30 years and currently holds appointments as a general paediatrician in the department of General Medicine at the Royal Children’s Hospital, associate professor in the University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, and senior research fellow in the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

Daryl is active in research into better ways to treat children with developmental disorders such as autism, ADHD and Tourette syndrome.

Annette is a senior clinical neuropsychologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne and research fellow in the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Annette’s clinical interests are in managing children with a range of developmental conditions, from infancy to late childhood.

Her areas of speciality include learning difficulties, craniofacial disorders, ADHD, developmental delay, and genetic conditions.

Ary is a general paediatrician and father, who enjoys caring for babies, children and adolescents in a patient-centred, friendly and caring way. Ary completed a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree following a Bachelor of Biomedicine (BBiomed) both at the University of Melbourne. His paediatric training has included experience predominantly at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Monash Children’s Hospital. Ary currently holds appointments at the Royal Children’s Hospital and is a Clinical Teaching Fellow at the University of Melbourne.

Carolyn is a general paediatrician who manages a wide range of acute, chronic and developmental paediatric problems. She graduated from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and trained as a general paediatrician in South Africa and the United Kingdom, before moving to Australia. She works as a general paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital and is also employed by the University of Melbourne, as co-ordinator of medical student education.

Emily is a General Paediatrician who enjoys managing children of all ages with a family centered, holistic approach. She has a specific interest in managing children with complex genetic or medical problems as well as developmental and behavioural conditions such as autism, anxiety, ADHD and learning disorders. She also enjoys working with children who have constipation, encopresis, wetting issues, sleep problems, headaches and other common paediatric medical conditions.

Julian is an experienced paediatrician who currently holds appointments as a general paediatrician in the department of General Medicine at the Royal Children’s Hospital and as a research fellow in the University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics.

His areas of interest include acute general paediatrics, learning and behavioural disorders and lymphoedema.

Julian also has experience in international child health, working as a WHO consultant in the People’s Republic of China and the Solomon Islands.

Michaela trained as a Paediatrician at the Royal Children’s and The Mercy Hospitals in Melbourne.

During her training Michaela specialised in developmental and behavioural paediatrics, but since then she has continued to work both acute and outpatient settings, seeing children of all ages, including babies.

Michaela’s areas of interests include developmental delay, speech delay, failure to thrive and growth concerns, Autism, ADHD, constipation, encopresis and enuresis, behavioural problems, anxiety, eczema, asthma and urinary tract infections.

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