Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Clinical and Scientific Foundations (International Child Neurology Association)

Neurodevelopmental disabilities are a common problem in child health. This book takes a comprehensive approach to addressing these often challenging clinical diagnoses. In particular, it focuses on the two most common of childhood neurodevelopmental disabilities: global developmental delay and developmental language impairment. It seeks to put forward our present conceptualization of these entities as well as their proper evaluation and assessment and diagnosis from a variety of perspectives. It also provides details on our current understanding of the scientific basis of these disorders and their underlying causes. Issues related to medical management, rehabilitation, and eventual outcomes are also addressed in a detailed way. The book has wide appeal to those in paediatrics, developmental paediatrics, child neurology, and paediatric rehabilitation. Its geographic appeal includes both developed and developing nations as some chapters are devoted to the particular issues faced in underdeveloped countries. The book’s focus on both clinical and scientific aspects is invaluable in this field. It also provides extensive information in a single source relating to often-overlooked areas such as medical management, rehabilitation, public policy, and ethics.

Dr Michael Shevell is a Professor in the Departments of Neurology/Neurosurgery and Paediatrics at McGill University. He is also currently Director of the Division of Paediatric Neurology at the Montreal Children's Hospital-McGill University Health Centre. He has an ongoing research interest in children with or at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities. He was Chairman of the Xth World Congress of the International Child Neurology Association held in Montreal in June 2006. He is the long-standing Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Child Neurology Society and is a currently a Member of the Executive Board of the International Child Neurology Association and former President of the Canadian Association of Child Neurology.