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Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in Surat
Assessment and treatment for ADHD, autism, learning difficulty, behaviour problems, school refusal and teenage depression – Dr. Kalpesh Suryavanshi, Ekkyam Clinic, Majura Gate or Karma Clinic, Adajan.
Children do not usually say “I am anxious” or “I feel depressed”. They show it – through falling marks, tantrums, stomach aches on school mornings, refusing to go to school, aggression, or withdrawing into a phone for hours.
As a child psychiatrist in Surat, Dr. Kalpesh Suryavanshi assesses children and adolescents aged roughly 4 to 18, working with parents and, where helpful, with schools. The goal is a clear explanation of what is happening – and a plan that fits a real family's routine.
Parents are often told to wait, that the child will "grow out of it". Sometimes that is true. But when difficulties persist across settings – at home and at school – and last more than a few months, an assessment is worthwhile. Early intervention changes outcomes substantially.
Conditions Assessed and Treated
ADHD
- Cannot sit still or stay focused
- Careless mistakes, unfinished homework
- Loses books, bottles, belongings constantly
- Interrupts, blurts out, acts without thinking
Autism spectrum & developmental delay
- Delayed speech or loss of words
- Limited eye contact or social interest
- Repetitive behaviours, rigid routines
- Sensory sensitivity to sound, texture, light
Learning difficulties
- Reading, writing or maths far below class level
- Dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia
- Bright child with consistently poor marks
- Assessment for school accommodations
Behaviour & emotional problems
- Aggression, defiance, severe tantrums
- School refusal and separation anxiety
- Teenage depression and self-harm
- Exam anxiety, gaming and phone addiction
Also assessed: tics and Tourette syndrome, bed-wetting beyond the expected age, childhood OCD, stammering, adolescent psychosis and eating problems.
ADHD Treatment in Surat
ADHD is the most common reason children are referred here. It is a neurodevelopmental condition – a difference in how the brain manages attention, impulse control and activity level – not a result of poor parenting, too much screen time, or a lack of discipline.
How ADHD is diagnosed
There is no single blood test or scan. Diagnosis requires evidence that symptoms started before age 12, occur in more than one setting (home and school), and genuinely impair functioning. Assessment includes a detailed developmental history, standardised parent and teacher rating scales such as Vanderbilt or Conners, school report review, and screening for conditions that mimic ADHD – hearing problems, anaemia, thyroid disorder, sleep apnoea, anxiety and learning difficulty.
How ADHD is treated
Behavioural parent training
The first-line treatment for younger children. Structured routines, clear instructions, immediate and consistent consequences, and reward systems that actually work.
School coordination
Front-row seating, shorter task blocks, written instructions, and extra time in exams where warranted. Reports for the school are provided with your consent.
Medication
Methylphenidate and atomoxetine are well studied in children and are considered when symptoms are moderate to severe, or when behavioural measures alone are not enough. Growth, appetite, sleep and blood pressure are monitored at every visit.
Skills work
Organisation, time management and emotional regulation, adapted to the child's age.
Further reading: Understanding ADHD in children and adults.
When Parents Should Seek an Assessment
- Marks have dropped sharply without an obvious reason
- Complaints from school about attention, behaviour or aggression that keep recurring
- The child refuses to go to school, or develops stomach aches and headaches only on school days
- Speech or developmental milestones are clearly delayed compared with other children
- Sleep has changed markedly, or appetite and weight have dropped
- Your teenager has become persistently withdrawn, irritable or hopeless, or you have found marks of self-harm
- Screen or gaming use has taken over meals, sleep and studies, with rage when it is stopped
- There is a family history of ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder or severe mental illness
If your child or teenager has talked about suicide, or you have found injuries from self-harm, do not wait for an appointment slot. Call 8460248445, or the national helpline Tele-MANAS on 14416, and go to the nearest hospital if there is immediate danger.
What the First Appointment Involves
- Parents speak first. A full developmental history – pregnancy, milestones, schooling, temperament, family history – usually without the child in the room for the sensitive parts.
- Time with the child alone. Age-appropriate conversation, drawing or play. Adolescents are seen separately and their confidentiality is respected within safety limits, which are explained to both them and you.
- Documents reviewed. Please bring school report cards, teacher remarks, any previous assessments, birth records and the immunisation card.
- Rating scales. Parent and teacher questionnaires, and psychological or IQ testing where a learning difficulty is suspected.
- Feedback to parents. What the diagnosis is, what it is not, and what happens next – in plain language, with time for your questions.
- Plan and review. Parent strategies, school recommendations, therapy referral and medication if needed, with follow-up scheduled.
A Note for Parents
Almost every parent who comes here has been blamed by somebody – a relative, a teacher, or themselves. ADHD, autism and learning difficulties are neurodevelopmental conditions. They are not caused by working mothers, nuclear families, television, or a lack of strictness.
What parents can change is enormous: how instructions are given, how consequences are applied, how homework is structured, and how the school is engaged. Most of the first few sessions are spent on exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age can a child be assessed?
Developmental concerns such as delayed speech or suspected autism can and should be assessed as early as 18 months to 3 years, because early intervention makes the largest difference. ADHD is usually diagnosed from around age 5 to 6, once school demands reveal the difficulties clearly. Adolescents can be seen up to 18.
Will my child have to take medicine for life?
No. Many children need no medication at all – behavioural and school-based measures are enough. Where medication is used for ADHD, it is reviewed at least yearly, and a planned trial off medication is common as the child matures. Decisions are always made with you, never imposed.
Are ADHD medicines safe for children?
Methylphenidate and atomoxetine are among the most extensively studied medicines in child psychiatry. Common side effects – reduced appetite, difficulty falling asleep, headache – are usually mild, dose-related and manageable. Height, weight, blood pressure and pulse are checked at each visit, and the medicine is stopped if benefit does not clearly outweigh side effects.
Will a psychiatric diagnosis harm my child's future or school admission?
Clinical records are confidential and are not shared with schools or anyone else without your written consent. Where a report is needed to obtain exam accommodations or extra time, it is prepared for that specific purpose. Untreated ADHD or a missed learning difficulty carries a far greater risk to a child's future than a diagnosis does.
My teenager refuses to come. What do I do?
Parents can attend the first session alone to get guidance on how to approach it. Framing the visit around something the teenager themselves finds difficult – sleep, stress, concentration, mood – works far better than framing it as a behaviour problem. Many reluctant teenagers engage once they see that they will be heard rather than reported on.
Do you provide reports for school and board exam accommodations?
Yes. Where assessment supports it, reports and certificates for school accommodations, extra time and other provisions under board and NEP guidelines are prepared, and psychological or IQ testing is arranged where required.
Is the child assessment available online?
Follow-up reviews and parent-guidance sessions can be done by video. The first assessment for a child is strongly recommended in person, because direct observation and interaction are an important part of accurate diagnosis.
Book a Child Psychiatry Assessment in Surat
If school complaints, falling marks or difficult behaviour have continued for months, an assessment will tell you whether this needs treatment or simply a change in approach at home and school.
Please bring school report cards, teachers’ remarks and any previous assessments to the first visit.
Ekkyam Clinic – Majura GateC-9, Swaminarayan Complex, Majura Gate, Surat 395002Karma Sex & Psychiatric Clinic – Adajan401, Suhas Building, above Mahalaxmi Juice Center, Adajan, Surat
Dr. Kalpesh Suryavanshi consults at both clinics. Book an appointment on WhatsApp, or call 84602 48445.
Book Appointment 84602 48445