Evaluation of telehealth in delivering diagnostic developmental assessments for children in South Western Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic: Clinician and family perspectives.

Aims: Children with neuro-developmental disorders faced significant challenges in accessing services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth has been adopted by health services globally to facilitate access to clinical services. Our aims were to evaluate the utility of the telehealth modality for providing developmental assessment services and explore enablers and barriers to using telehealth, in a culturally diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged population in Sydney.

Access to child developmental assessment services in culturally and linguistically diverse metropolitan Sydney: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: Despite the increasing prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), data regarding access to child development services have remained limited globally. Long wait times are a major barrier to developmental assessments, impacting on care and outcomes. The aim is to retrospectively analyse the demographic profile and prioritisation of patients seen at a child developmental assessment service (CDAS) in a vulnerable region of Sydney, and explore factors affecting wait times.

Burden of adverse childhood experiences in children attending paediatric clinics in South Western Sydney, Australia: a retrospective audit.

Objectives: Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are associated with poor short, medium and long-term health outcomes. South Western Sydney (SWS) has a large culturally diverse population, including many disadvantaged population groups. Our aims were to determine the burden of ACE in children attending community paediatric (CP) clinics using a purposefully developed ACE checklist, and explore any association with developmental health of children.

The adverse childhood experiences checklist: Can it serve as a clinical and quality indicator?

Aim: There is strong evidence that adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are associated with poor short-, medium- and long-term health outcomes. In South Western Sydney, we trialled a modified ACE checklist in community paediatric clinics. Our aim was to design the best version of the ACE checklist for routine clinical use to serve as both a clinical and quality indicator.

Tricyclic antidepressants for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children and adolescents.

Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders, ranging in severity and characterised by early onset of delay and deviance in the development of social interaction, and verbal and nonverbal communication. ASD is associated with restricted and/or stereotyped interests or behaviours. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) block noradrenaline and serotonin reuptake, increasing the availability of these neurotransmitters in the central nervous system.