Specialised intellectual disability health services

Key facts

Usually, you first go to a GP with a health problem. Sometimes, the GP refers you on to a specialist doctor or an allied health professional like a physiotherapist. Children with intellectual disability and complex health conditions will often have a paediatrician to help with their health care.

But sometimes, GPs and other mainstream health professionals struggle to diagnose and treat health problems of people with intellectual disability. You may then need a health service that specialises in working with people with intellectual disability.

This fact sheet tells you about the health services in NSW that specialise in people with intellectual disability. Families, advocates and disability support workers value these services highly but they are very stretched and not well spread through the State. Many are not full-time services.

For children

Diagnosis and Assessment Services can help with complex health conditions of children with intellectual disability. See the Diagnosis and assessment of a disability fact sheet. The Kogarah Developmental Assessment Service has a wide range of clinics in specialist issues and transition to adult health services.

Diagnosis and Assessment Services often have a developmental paediatrician. This is a paediatrician who specialises in working with children with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. An ordinary paediatrician can refer a patient direct to a developmental paediatrician.

For adults

These services usually require a referral from a GP. As well as seeing patients, the services may be able to provide information to the GP and other health professionals. There is generally no charge for the services.

Concord Hospital
Phone (02) 9767 7233
Services – Ageing and Behaviour Changes in Developmental Disability (ABCD) Clinic. Medical assessments by a rehabilitation physician, psychiatrist and geriatrician.
Area covered – Sydney South West Area Health Service. Accepts patients from other parts of NSW for initial assessments.

Disability Specialist Unit, Burwood
Phone (02)9334 3700
Services – Medical assessment by a rehabilitation specialist.
Area covered – Inner western suburbs of Sydney.

Kogarah Developmental Assessment Service
Phone (02)9587 2444
Services – Clinics for medical assessment and a range of specialties including neurology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, nutrition and genetics. Consultancy service for patients at St George Hospital.
Area covered - South Eastern Sydney/Illawarra Area Health Service. Runs some clinics away from Kogarah, especially in the Illawarra.

NSW Developmental Disability Health Unit, Ryde
Phone (02) 9808 9287
Services - Medical assessments. Also, psychology assessments, rehabilitation, ageing and dementia clinics, and clinics for people with Down syndrome, Cornelia de Lange syndrome and Fragile X syndrome.
Area covered - Accepts patients from anywhere in NSW. Sometimes runs clinics away from Ryde.

Westmead Hospital
Phone (02) 9845 9710 (Wednesday-Friday) or 0438 549 466 (Mon-Fri)
Services – Clinics for general medical assessment, dysphagia and nutrition, complex epilepsy, and patients with Rett syndrome & Down syndrome.
Area covered – Sydney West Area Health Service. Also, accepts referrals from anywhere in NSW. Runs some clinics away from Westmead, including Wollongong and Leura.

Developmental Disability Clinic, Goulburn
Phone (02) 4823 7800
Services – Medical assessments.
Area covered – Goulburn and southern NSW.

For more information

See Going to the dentist for information about specialised dental services.
See More information for specialised centres in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.

Maps of the NSW Area Health Services www.health.nsw.gov.au/services/ahs

You might be interested in these fact sheets

Adults – what kinds of health services are there?
Children – what kinds of health services are there?
Diagnosis and assessment of a disability
Going to the dentist
Mental health

This fact sheet was written in July 2009.

The fact sheet contains general information only and does not take into account individual circumstances. It should not be relied on for medical advice. We encourage you to look at the information in this fact sheet carefully with your health professional to decide whether the information is right for you.