en requires a range of different clinicians such as paediatric neurologists, paediatricians, general practitioners, nursing staff, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists. As such, children with complex and chronic neurological diseases are increasingly cared for by teams composed of clinicians from many different disciplines.
The impact of neurological disorders in childhood
Children with severe neurological disorders often require very high levels of care. Severe neurological disease is often complicated by problems with other body systems such as the lungs, sleep and the gastro-intestinal system. Children with severe neurological disorders often have a significant disability and as such their needs for care are very high.
This burden of care has a major impact on the parents/carers and the families who look after these children. The families of children with severe neurological disability often suffer significant financial and social disadvantage as a result of the need to care for their children. One of the prime roles of the ANZCNS is to provide advocacy for better care for children with neurological disease and to address the needs of their families.
Who are paediatric neurologists?
Paediatric neurologists are doctors who are specifically trained in the care of children with neurological diseases. Most Australian and New Zealand paediatric neurologists are doctors who have trained in paediatrics and passed their examination in paediatrics before undertaking further specialised training in child neurology. Australian and New Zealand training in paediatric neurology is supervised by the Royal Australian College of Physicians and the Specialist Advisory Committee of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists (ANZAN). Paediatric neurologists trained in Australia and New Zealand are qualified doctors who have undertaken at least three years training in paediatrics before training for at least a further three years in paediatric neurology in a specialised child neurology centre.