Get Help in Rhode IslandWhen There are Concerns
If you’re wondering whether something is normal, talking with your medical home doctor about this is very important. Don’t keep your concerns to yourself. If you find it hard to talk about something in front of your child, call the office before the visit or let the office staff know that you would like to speak with the doctor alone for a part of the visit. Mentioning this when you make the appointment will help the office plan a visit that is long enough to talk about it. Keeping a list of your questions can also be helpful (see Care Notebook).
Primary care doctors are trained to look for early signs of problems. Yours may suspect a problem based on findings from a screening test, a full exam, or your child’s past. When families and doctors work together, sharing concerns, knowledge, ideas, goals, and fears, it should lead to the best results for you and your child.
What Happens Next
After a concern has been raised, the next step is to try to find a diagnosis and cause. This will likely involve tests and referrals to specialists. After your child’s health issue has been diagnosed, the best thing is to work with the medical home (your child’s primary care doctor and their team) to decide how to treat it and to arrange any needed specialty care and support.
Diagnosis
- Some children will have more than one diagnosis, and these can be related. For example, a child may have a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and also have spasticity and seizures. The diagnoses help parents and medical and school systems provide appropriate support for the child. The Diagnoses & Conditions section of the Portal has information on over 50 conditions or diagnoses in children.
- In some cases, the diagnostic process is done to “rule out,” or exclude, suspected conditions or health issues for which a child is at risk. For example, if a loud heart murmur is heard, a test might be done to rule out a certain condition, such as a congenital valve defect. If no abnormality is found, the murmur may then be described as “benign” or not harmful.
Testing and Referrals
Follow-Up
- The medical home should gather all the diagnostic information, such as lab and imaging reports, evaluations, and recommendations from specialists, before the follow-up visit.
- The medical home doctor will work with the family to make a care plan, watch for changes, and determine if further testing and referrals are needed. Families should keep track of records, which is very helpful if the child is medically complex (see Care Notebook).
- For children with care plans, such as Seizure Action Plans or Asthma Action Plans, bringing them to visits can help keep them up to date. Bringing or taking pictures of all the medications prescribed to the child helps the medical home keep up-to-date records and check for drug interactions.
- Sometimes a child’s diagnosis is very hard for the family. Talking about this during visits with the doctor can be helpful. He or she may be able to answer questions, help you understand details, sort through your choices, and link you with key resources, support groups, parent-to-parent connections, and more. Also see the Resources and Services sections, below.
Resources
Information & Support
For Parents and Patients
Find Your Parent Center
Parent Centers provide education and referrals for families with a child who has a disability, as well as the professionals
who work with them. There are almost 100 Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers
(CPRCs) in the US states and Territories; Center for Parent Information & Resources.
Learn the Signs Act Early (CDC)
Offers many tools, videos, lists, learning materials, and a developmental Milestone Tracker app (ages 2 months to 5 years);
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Services for Patients & Families in Rhode Island (RI)
| Service Categories | # of providers* in: | RI | NW | Other states (3) (show) | | NM | NV | UT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audiology | 24 | 3 | 22 | 8 | 22 | |||
| Developmental Assessments | 35 | 1 | 105 | 5 | 54 | |||
| Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities/Delays | 13 | 3 | 34 | 30 | 51 | |||
| Genetic Testing and Counseling | 8 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 11 | |||
| Local Support Groups, General | 8 | 2 | 9 | 39 | 63 | |||
| Medical Genetics | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | |||
| Newborn Screening Services | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Occupational Therapy | 21 | 1 | 17 | 22 | 37 | |||
| Physical Therapy | 6 | 12 | 9 | 40 | ||||
For services not listed above, browse our Services categories or search our database.
* number of provider listings may vary by how states categorize services, whether providers are listed by organization or individual, how services are organized in the state, and other factors; Nationwide (NW) providers are generally limited to web-based services, provider locator services, and organizations that serve children from across the nation.