Welcome to our adolescent and young adult transition clinic. Transition simply means changeover. For some of you having attended paediatric (child) services for years, moving into the adult “system” can be challenging. Some of you are very familiar with the idea of transition having attended our “Teen Clinic” at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, but for many of you it is your first experience of this type of care. This dedicated transition clinic will allow you to become independent, helping and supporting you to fully understand your condition, your health needs and your treatment. How does it work?
What is self-advocacy?
Rather than moving straight from a paediatric clinic to an adult clinic, you will attend the transition clinic for a number of years where you are looked after by both paediatric and adult doctors and their teams. So, by the time you move into the regular adult service, the clinic and all its staff will be very familiar to you.
Self-advocacy is about learning how to speak up for yourself, making informed decisions about your treatment, finding out who will support you in your journey, knowing your rights and responsibilities, problem solving and communicating with your health professionals, family, friends and teachers.
You will become confident in making your own decisions, in asking questions and deciding what is best for you. The model of care we follow in the clinic is one that supports the development of your independence and self-advocacy skills.
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Your transition clinic
