Overview
Pediatric Neurology Clinics Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics Neurophysiology
Information for Families
Your first visit
Insurance and billing
Prescriptions & refills
Patient stories
Referring Physicians
Research
Education & Training
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Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience

Information For Families
Your First Visit: What to Expect

You will need to get a few things done before your child’s first visit to the Blue Bird Circle Clinic for Pediatric Neurology at Texas Children’s Hospital or the Texas Children’s Health Centers in Clear Lake , Sugar Land and The Woodlands.

  • Have your primary care provider fill out the new patient referral form and fax it to us in order to schedule your first appointment. We do not accept self-referrals.
  • Make sure you meet all of your insurance company’s requirements for your child to see a specialist.
  • Collect your child’s most recent MRI, CAT scan, EEG and other test results relating to his or her condition and bring these to your first appointment.
  • Get to your appointment on time. We recommend allowing about 30 minutes to park and find your way to the clinic the first time. Families who miss their first appointment may not be rescheduled.
Important: If your first visit takes place on Texas Children’s Hospital's main campus, allow plenty of time to park and find your way to the clinic on the 9th floor of the Clinical Care Center building.

Your First Visit
Before your first  visit, you will receive an information packet that includes:

  • A new patient history form to be completed before you arrive
  • A map of the Texas Medical Center
  • A letter with your appointment date and time

You must arrive on time. If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment will be canceled and you will need to reschedule.

During your child’s first visit, our staff will conduct a complete physical and neurological exam. This generally includes:

  • Height, weight and blood pressure measurements.
  • A complete discussion of your child’s current problem, such as when it began and how things have changed.
  • Collection of the new patient history form and recent test results.

After the exam, you and the clinician will discuss a diagnosis, if there is one. Sometimes more tests may be needed before a diagnosis can be determined. A nurse will help you learn more about your child’s condition, explain any additional tests that may be needed and describe medications that may be prescribed.

Blue Bird Circle volunteers will schedule tests and any follow-up appointments.

Common Tests
 Your child may need additional tests for the clinician to determine the cause of your child’s disorder. Common tests for children with neurological conditions include:

  • MRI or CT scan
  • EEG (measures electrical activity of the brain)
  • Laboratory studies (blood tests, urine tests, sleep studies and more)

Blue Bird Circle Clinic volunteers can schedule these tests for you or provide you the contact information for the testing centers so that you may arrange the appointments yourself.

Guidelines for Follow-Up Tests
 When scheduling appointments for follow-up testing, it is important to:

  • Make appointments as soon as possible.
  • Keep the appointments. If you must cancel an appointment, call the test center or clinic immediately.
  • Make sure any needed referrals are processed before the test appointment date.
  • Call your Texas Children's clinician 4 days after the testing for results.

Learn More About Tests
 Learn more about Neurophysiology, the department that handles neurological testing.