Neurology Clinic | Pentest Site

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Children, youth and families Healthcare providers

About the Neurology Clinic

Our clinic cares for children and youth with a variety of neurological disorders. The neurology clinic is staffed with Neurologists, a Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Case Managers, Registered Practical Nurses, Neurophysiology Technologists, a Social Worker, a Dietitian, Patient Service Clerks and Administrative Supports.

About our team

Our team is made up of the following professional groups: Neurologists, a Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Case Managers, Registered Practical Nurses, Neurophysiologist, EEG Technologists, Administrative Assistant and Patient Service Clerks.

Information for children, youth and families

Before your appointment

Please sign-up for a MyChart account, prior to your first visit.

Our scheduling team will contact you by phone to schedule an appointment.

For some types of appointments, we will schedule an EEG to be done prior to your visit in our Neurophysiology Lab. You can find out more about how to prepare for an EEG here.

Missed Appointments & Late Cancellations
CHEO is committed to providing timely care for children, youth, and families. If this is your first appointment in a clinic or department and you miss two appointments without giving at least 48 hours’ notice, your referral will be returned to the care provider who submitted it. They can then follow up with you to confirm whether you still need or wish to proceed with the referral.

We understand life happens and unforeseen events come up. Please notify us as early as possible by calling 613-737-7600 x2222 — ideally at least 48 hours in advance — if you need to cancel or reschedule. This helps us offer the appointment to another family and keep wait times as short as possible. A cancellation 48 hours or more in advance will not count as a missed appointment.

What to expect during the appointment

Please arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time in case there are delays with parking or finding the clinic and to complete any required paperwork that may be required.

We are located in Clinic A on the first floor.

Please bring a list of any medications your child is currently taking.

After your appointment

Your Neurologist or Nurse Practitioner will let you know whether any additional appointments or testing are required after your visit.

Frequently asked questions

What services does the clinic provide?

Seizures
Epilepsy
Headaches
Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy
Developmental delay * (see below)
Movement disorders
Neurologic Sleep disorders
Tourette Syndrome
Angelman Syndrome
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
Neurophysiology Lab

*For patients for investigation of development delay:

Should be referred to Neurology if they have any of the following:

Developmental Regression (also consider referral to Metabolic Genetics)
An abnormal MRI
Seizures
Focal neurological findings (i.e. spasticity, dystonia, ataxia)
Weakness or arreflexia suggestive of a neuromuscular etiology

Should be referred to Clinical Genetics if they have any of the following:

Dysmorphic features
Congenital anomalies
Short stature, failure to thrive or overgrowth
Query Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Should be referred to Metabolic Genetics is they have any of the following:

Abnormalities on biochemical testing
Developmental Regression (also consider referral to Neurology)
History of recurrent unexplained illness

Should be referred to Neurodevelopment Disorders Diagnostic Clinic (NDDC) if they have any of the following:

Unexplained neurodevelopmental disorders (global developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, or other complex developmental-behavioural disorder) who do not meet the above criteria for referral to Neurology, Clinical Genetics or Metabolic Genetics

How can I make an appointment?

All patients must be referred by a Physician or Nurse Practitioner. After a referral is received, we will notify the referring Physician or Nurse Practitioner whether the referral has been accepted or denied. If accepted, we will provide an estimated wait time. This wait time can vary based on demand and urgency. Once we have an appointment spot to offer, our Scheduling Team will call you to schedule an appointment.

Who should I contact if I am worried or have questions?

For any emergency, call 911. This includes emergencies involving your child’s neurological problem.
For patients who are being followed by the Neurology Clinic: For patients who have seen a CHEO Neurologist, call your Nurse Case Manager or send a direct message to them through MyChart. This is not for urgent calls. Our nurses are here to give support, education and will work to coordinate your child’s care. It may take 3-5 days for us to get back to you (and sometimes longer during holidays). We will return the most serious calls first. Please avoid leaving multiple messages for the same issue.
For patients who are waiting for their first visit with the Neurology Clinic: Please do not call the nurses’ line if you have not yet been seen by a CHEO Neurologist. Please call your family doctor, pediatrician or visit your nearest walk-in clinic for everything else.

Sign up for MyChart to access your CHEO health record anywhere, any time.
MyChart is a secure, online patient portal that connects you to parts of your CHEO electronic health record and allows you to send two-way secure communication to your care team, complete any questionnaires your care team sends and much more.
To learn more about MyChart and sign up, visit our MyChart page and fill out the MyChart Access Request Form.

Looking for more resources or support on Neurology?

Epilepsy Ottawa offers a program called “Clinic to Community”. This program is for teens with epilepsy and families whose children have epilepsy. Whether you’re dealing with a new diagnosis or you feel that your family could use more information about living with epilepsy, reducing the risks associated with seizures, identifying when a seizure is a medical emergency or school support, we’d be happy to meet with you. If you are under 18 and have epilepsy or if you have a child and would like to set up an appointment, visit the Clinic to Community website.

Information for healthcare providers

Make a referral

Our clinic is now accepting e-referrals with Ocean!
If you’re already on Ocean, look us up via your account by searching "CHEO".
If you don’t yet have an Ocean account, no problem - signing up is free.
Make a referral in Ocean

You can make an e-referral using Ocean, or send a referral by mail or fax to our address below.

Epilepsy monitoring unit
CHEO's Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) monitors and assesses patients with suspected and pre-existing epilepsy. Patients will typically come for a stay of about 52 hours. This gives them time to adjust to medication and lets our staff monitor for any effects.

Our EMU has modern tools for diagnosing and treating epilepsy. The EMU is staffed by our Neurology team and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to ensure that all aspects of the patient experience are looked after.

How to make an appointment:
Your CHEO neurologist can refer you to the EMU. Contact our neurology clinic for more information on how to access our services.

Epilepsy monitoring unit referral form

Other information

We do not see the following reasons for referral:

Bell's Palsy

We do not see patients over age 2 with isolated Bell ’s Palsy acutely. These patients may be referred if there is no significant recovery within 4-6 weeks.

Autism

Patients referred for the diagnosis and treatment of autism may be referred to a consulting pediatrician or a developmental pediatrician.

Syncope

Patients with syncope may be referred to a consulting pediatrician or a pediatric cardiologist.

Dizziness

Patients with dizziness (without vertigo) may be referred to a consulting pediatrician or pediatric otolaryngologist.

Simple febrile seizures

Patients with simple febrile seizures may be referred to a consulting pediatrician.

Assessment of learning disabilities or interpretation of Pyschoeducational/Neuropsychological testing

These patients may be referred to a psychologist or neuropsychologist.

Concussion

Patients with concussion may be referred to a consulting pediatrician, pediatrician with an interest in sports medicine or neurosurgery. Consider 360 concussion care (fax: 1-866-740-4694, extra payment may be required), Dr. Kristian Goulet (fax: 613-254-9778) or the Neurology Centre of Toronto (Virtual) (fax: 416-860-7559).

ADHD or behaviour issues

Patients with ADHD or behaviour issues may be referred to a consulting pediatrician or a mental health practitioner.

Developmental dyscoordination disorder

Patients with development dyscoordination disorder may be seen by an occupational therapist for diagnosis and treatment.

Isolated speech delay

Patients with isolated speech delay may be referred to a consulting pediatrician or a speech language pathologist/ audiologist.

Behavioural sleep problems

Behavioural therapies are first line for pediatric sleep disorders. Please consider referral to a general pediatrician or Dr. Hilary Myron (eConsult Behavioral Sleep).

Prenatal consults

Prenatal consults should be redirected to Dr. Ilana Hanes, neonatal neurologist. Please fax referrals to 613-248-1019.

Contact us

Neurology Clinic (C-A), CHEO
401 Smyth Road
Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1
Fax: 613-738-4879