Neurodevelopment Clinic

The Neurodevelopment Clinic deals with all specialities related to the process of brain maturation, which starts long before birth and ends approximately during adolescence. Certain internal and external factors can interfere with the process of neurodevelopment and cause alterations to normal development.

Neurodevelopment disorders start to become apparent during childhood and are expressed in different ways during growth stages. Neurodevelopment disorders can be manifested in behavioural problems, such as excess impulsiveness or distractibility, and may be found in adults or children who do not seem to present any developmental pathology. The boundaries between a disorder and normality can therefore be imprecise and depend on the context.

Neurodevelopment disorders normally manifest early and are characterised by deficits that produce difficulties in the child’s personal, social and/or academic functioning. The range of deficits varies from very specific limitations of learning or control of executive functioning, to generalised deficits involving social skills or intelligence.

The aim of the Neurodevelopment Clinic at Guttmann Barcelona is to diagnose and treat children and adolescents with cognitive, behavioural and/or emotional problems that can have an impact on the family environment and schooling.

The diagnostic process used by the Neurodevelopment Clinic involves examining the child using a set of tests, questionnaires, clinical interviews and other diagnostic tests. Through this diagnostic process, we obtain a current profile of the child or adolescent’s physical, cognitive, behavioural and emotional skills, allowing us to design a personalised intervention and therapy plan for each patient.

The diagnosis determines the ideal treatment plan for each individual, and this approach is comprehensive, considering the whole person and all the dimensions that play a part. It is therefore essential that the therapeutic approach takes into account direct intervention with the child or adolescent, the empowerment of the family, and guidance in the school and academic environment. In addition, the treatment approach is always interdisciplinary, with different professionals from a variety of disciplines working together.