REFLECTIONS ON THE HISTORY OF THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR CHILD NEUROLOGY

The Canadian Association for Child Neurology (CACN) was founded in Jun e 1971 to combine neurologists interested in children and paediatricia ns interested in the nervous system into an organization which would p romote the development of this subspecialty. Initially, the members of the Association mostly wished to have a training programme under the combined supervision of University Departments of Paediatrics and Neur ology. However under the influence of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada, and its Committee on Neurology, the training of child neurologists was organized in a manner analogous to that of neur ologists for adults, though with an initial one or two years of paedia trics instead of medicine. By 1975, four years within a recognized neu rological training programme could lead to the Certification Examinati on in Neurology, as modified for paediatric neurology. In 1981, the CA CN also joined the Canadian Congress of Neurological Sciences. It has played an increasing part in child care and also in academic studies. However, evidence will be presented to show that the present number of paediatric neurologists in Canada is insufficient. The number of trai nees also appears inadequate, and increased funding for training posit ions is needed. Close cooperation between paediatric neurologists, reh abilitation experts, developmental paediatricians and related subspeci alists is required.