Request an appointment at the NICC
To request an appointment at the Neuroimmunology Clinic for Children (NICC), start with the referral steps below, then gather your child's records before the visit. The clinic's own contact details are being updated on this page.
If your child has sudden weakness, new vision loss, trouble breathing or swallowing, a seizure, or is hard to wake, call 911 now or take your child to the closest emergency room. An appointment request is for planned care, not emergencies.
How referrals usually work
Until the clinic's contact details are back on this page, the most reliable route is through the doctor who already knows your child. A pediatrician or neurologist can send a referral to a pediatric neuroimmunology team along with the notes and test results that explain why. Some insurance plans need a referral on file before a specialist visit is covered, so it is worth calling the number on your insurance card to ask.
When you talk with the referring office, ask three things. Which clinic are they sending the referral to? Which records are going with it? And who will call you to book the visit?
What to bring to a first visit
Neuroimmunology visits lean heavily on records. A clear set of papers and scans can spare a child some repeat testing. This checklist is general and fits most first visits.
| Bring | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| MRI and CT discs, plus the written reports | The team often wants to look at the images, not only read the report |
| Blood and spinal fluid results | Antibody tests and spinal fluid findings shape the next steps |
| Eye exam and vision test results | Optic nerve problems are common in these conditions |
| A list of every medicine and supplement, with start dates | Timing helps the team judge what changed and what helped |
| A short symptom timeline | When each problem started, how fast it moved, and what is better or worse |
| School notes or therapy reports | Learning, attention and motor changes matter in children |
| Your questions, written down | Visits move fast, and a list keeps the important ones from being missed |
Keep full lab reports rather than screenshots. A screenshot of one word, such as "positive", leaves out the test method and the reference range that a specialist needs.
How to write a symptom timeline
A timeline does not need to be long. One line per change is enough. For each line, write the date, what you noticed, how fast it came on, and what happened next, such as a hospital visit, a new test or a new medicine. Add anything that seemed to make it better or worse, like heat, illness or tiredness.
Photos and short videos can help too. A clip of an unusual movement, a stumble or a drooping eyelid shows the team something that may not happen in the exam room.
After the visit
Before you leave, ask who will share test results, how long they usually take, and how to reach the team if something changes. Write down the plan in your own words while it is fresh. For background reading before or after the visit, start with pediatric neuroimmunology or go back to the NICC overview.