Transition from paediatric to adult care in adolescents with neurological diseases and handicap

International audience; The transfer of adolescents from paediatric care to adult health facilities is often difficult for the patients and their families and can lead to a breakdown in medical follow-up and therefore serious complications. Existing recommendations for the successful transition of patients with chronic disorders do not specifically address patients with handicap. Preparations for the transfer must be made well in advance. They must aim to achieve the autonomisation of adolescents by making them responsible and providing them with the knowledge that will enable them to manage their care themselves, the know-how to react appropriately if there is any change in their condition, and to move comfortably within the adult health system. This requires the active participation of the patient, his or her family and the paediatric and adult care teams. It involves multidisciplinary management plus the production and maintenance of an educational therapy programme. Finally, the identification of doctors trained in handicap, relevant sub-specialists and even expert patients could enable improvements in the continuum of complete and appropriate care for these patients within adult medicine.