Dr Sameena Shakoor

I have been working in the South West Kent area in the NHS and privately since 1998, when I took up my first Consultant Paediatrics post, and in which I still practice. I provide paediatric assessments and reviews of disabled children at a special school which is predominantly for children with physical disabilities. I am the locality lead for Autism Spectrum Disorder assessments, and training of junior doctors.

I see children and young people who may have behavioural / emotional presentations to assess them for possible underlying causes including Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit and / or hyperactivity disorders. I am trained in using the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales assessment for assessing the development of young children.

I have seen many hundreds of children with neurodevelopmental presentations, neurodisabled children and behavioural difficulties.

I qualified in Oxford University and University College London Medical Schools. My special interests are neurodisability and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention Deficit and / or Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, for which I have received specialist training, including doing developmental assessments, DISCO and ADOS for ASD assessments.

I have held executive offices as the Regional Co-ordinator for the British Association of Community Child Health and British Association of Childhood Disability. I represent the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in the Paediatric Continence Forum, a Parliamentary lobbying group.

I have held the Clinical Lead and Director roles in the NHS Trust in which I work currently, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust.

I am the Designated Doctor for Safeguarding for DGS and West Kent CCGs. I am also the elected South Regional representative for the National Network for Designated Health Professionals (NNDHP).

Children who have cognitive problems, possible Developmental Co-ordination Disorders (dyspraxia) or only sensory processing problems can present with behaviour difficulties at home or school.

I am happy to see them for an initial assessment to rule out medical paediatric problems. However if the only reason for assessment is learning / cognitive problems, possible Developmental Co-ordination Disorder or sensory processing problems you may be better off seeing an educational psychologist (for learning issues) or occupational therapist (sensory and co-ordination) in the first instance. Similarly if you are only concerned about a child's speech and language, see a speech therapist first. I would see them after that if required to rule out a neurodevelopmental cause for the problems.