Prepare for your new patient appointment by planning to be at home with your child.  Telemedicine allows your child to be more relaxed.  Please turn off the television to reduce background noise and distractions.  Older children should be encouraged to sit with you and younger children should play with toys on camera.  Cell phones work best to observe children at play.  The goal of the first appointment is to understand the big picture and meet your child.  This appointment typically lasts 20 minutes.

The second appointment is typically parent only and telemedicine.  This appointment is to gather detailed information while reviewing the history form.  If the physician or PA determines that an autism evaluation is appropriate, a visit to review the diagnostic criteria for autism will be scheduled followed by an in-person visit.  If ADHD or an anxiety disorder is suspected, an in-person visit will likely follow.

Our office schedules in-person visits when they improve information collection and the care provided.  Most children will have an in-person visit for their third or fourth visit.  Other in-person visits may be required.  These are either one-on-one with the provider or with a group of similarly aged peers.  Your child’s provider will determine which setting will provide the most useful data.  An in-person visit may be used to assess ability to pay attention, anxiety, autism or medication effectiveness.

Medication management visits, advice on managing behavior, and parent coaching on behavioral interventions are generally provided using telemedicine.