The adolescent years can be challenging for both the adolescent and their parents. These years are considered a transitional stage of physical and psychological development and can lead to many questions and concerns. TCFAP believes that empowering families with the skills and knowledge to be active participants in their children’s healthy development is important. We focus on prevention based care and age-appropriate education for all our patients. We believe that while the adolescent years are ones of growing independence, they do not have to face all the challenges alone.
Below find several resources for you and your teen, including typical screening tests at adolescent visits, a list of TCFAP specialists and programs that are available to all our maturing adolescents, relevant websites and recommended books.
Screening Tests for Adolescent Visits
The following are some screening tests administered to our teenage population. Some are universal while others are selective depending on identified risks.
- Vision and hearing
- Anemia Screening and Testing
- Tuberculosis Screening and Testing if appropriate
- Dyslipidemia (Cholesterol and lipid blood tests)
- Vitamin D
- Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Urine Testing (universal over age 15)
- STI’s – Sexually Transmitted Infection
- Pregnancy
- Cervical Dysplasia (“pap”)
- Alcohol and Drug Use
- Mental health screening tools including the PSC*, Teen Screen*, and H.E.A.D.S.S. (see below for the description of these mental health tools)
Teen confidentiality Policy and Letter
*PSC
Administered to 11-12 y/o. It is an evidence-based tool used by healthcare providers to improve the recognition and treatment of psychosocial problems in children. It is a one-page questionnaire listing a broad range of children’s emotional and behavioral problems that reflect parent’s impressions of their child’s psychosocial functioning. The screen is intended to facilitate the recognition of emotional and behavioral problems so that appropriate interventions can be initiated as soon as possible.
*Teen Screen
Another evidence-based screening tool that is completed by the teenager themselves. It is designed to detect a broad range of behavioral and psychosocial problems in youth. In order to obtain honest answers, patients should be left alone to complete the questionnaire in a private environment and will be informed of their rights regarding confidentiality before the questionnaire is administered.
H.E.A.D.S.S.
This is a confidential screening tool and is considered as important as the physical exam. It is a psychosocial review of systems that address the home environment, education, peer-related activities, drugs, sexuality, suicide, depression, and safety from injury and violence.
TCFAP Specialists & Programs
- Assessment for Emotional, Psychological, and Learning Disorders by our Mental Health Experts
- Psychiatric Counseling by our Mental Health Team
- Nutrition Counseling by our Adolescent Gynecology/Pelvic exams by our experienced Physicians
- BeFit StayFit Program – Our pediatric weight management program that incorporates nutritional education and physical fitness to help live a healthier lifestyle
Recommended Websites and articles
The Center For Young Women’s Health (CYWH)
CYWH is a collaboration at Children’s Hospital Boston. The Center is an educational entity that exists to provide teen girls and young women the highest quality health services and health information. There is a similar site for young males.
Nemours is a large pediatric health system that has an online teen and parent health web site.
This is the teen area of the AAP’s web site for parents. There are resources geared to teens specifically as well as a parent area. The parent area focuses on what to expect as your child grows as well as helping parents learn how to understand and deal with their child’s changing body and mind through the teen years.
USDA
Great nutritional info for all ages.
Has a special section for teens as well as parenting resources
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
GREAT info for parents on all vaccines including HPV and meningitis and vvaccine-relatedhot topics.
National Geographic, October 2011
“Beautiful Brains” by David Dobbs – a great article about the developing teenage brain.
Recommended Books
Building Resilience In Children And Teens, 3rd ed.by Kenneth Ginsburg, MD
Caring For Your Teenager, AAP, Edited by Donald Greydanus, MD
Raising Kids To Thrive by Kenneth Ginsburg, MD
The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults by Frances E. Jensen, MD
Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J. Siegel, MD