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PubMed This is a summary of 17 peer-reviewed journal articles Updated
Pediatric Neurology

Building Your Care Team: Finding the Right Experts

At a Glance

A comprehensive Landau-Kleffner syndrome care team may include a pediatric epileptologist, speech-language pathologist, neuropsychologist, and audiologist. For a second opinion, bring native EEG files, MRI images, test reports, and a treatment timeline.

Managing Landau-Kleffner Syndrome (LKS) is a complex task. Because the disorder affects language, learning, behavior, and brain electricity, it benefits from a multidisciplinary team—a group of specialists from different fields who work together [1][2].

The Core Care Team

While access varies by location, a comprehensive care team for LKS often includes several key specialists.

1. Pediatric Epileptologist

While a general pediatric neurologist treats many brain conditions, a pediatric epileptologist is a neurologist who has completed advanced fellowship training specifically in epilepsy [3][4].

  • Their Role: They often help guide medical management, interpret complex sleep EEGs, and manage powerful medications [5][6]. Because LKS involves subtle electrical patterns that only appear in certain stages of sleep, specialized training in these EEGs is valuable [7][5].

2. Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)

An SLP does far more than help with speech. In LKS, they specialize in acquired aphasia and auditory verbal agnosia [8].

  • Their Role: They evaluate how much your child understands versus what they can say. They also guide the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to give your child a way to communicate [9][8].

3. Pediatric Neuropsychologist

This specialist evaluates the “functional” side of the brain using standardized tests to measure memory, attention, and cognitive skills [10].

  • Their Role: Because EEG results do not always match how a child is doing in real life, a neuropsychologist’s evaluation helps measure whether a treatment is helping your child think and learn better [11][12]. Note that this testing can be difficult to interpret during severe aphasia and often needs repetition.

4. Audiologist

The audiologist performs formal hearing evaluations [13].

  • Their Role: They confirm whether there is physical hearing loss and help characterize exactly how auditory processing is impaired. This confirms that the language regression is a brain-based “processing” issue rather than a problem primarily with the ears [2][13].

Additional Supportive Roles

Depending on the child, the team may also include:

  • Primary Care Clinician: To help coordinate care.
  • Psychologist / Mental-Health Professional: To support emotional well-being.
  • Occupational Therapist: To assist with motor skills and daily tasks.
  • Educational Specialist: To help navigate school plans.
  • Genetic Counselor: To discuss genetic testing options and results.

Preparing for a Second Opinion

If you are seeking a second opinion at a major epilepsy center, the quality of that consultation depends on the records you bring.

  • EEG Files (The Native Data): Do not just bring the written report. Request a digital copy (usually on a USB drive or CD) of the actual EEG recording in its “native format.” You can ask your treating center how to obtain compatible EEG/video files [5][6].
  • MRI Discs: Bring the actual images from the brain scan, not just the radiologist’s summary [14][15].
  • Standardized Scores: Provide the full reports from speech and neuropsychological testing, which contain the standardized scores doctors use to track progress [10][16].
  • The Treatment Timeline: Create a simple timeline of every medication your child has tried, the maximum dose, how long they took it, and exactly what happened to their language or seizures [16][17].

Finding a team that treats LKS as a multidisciplinary challenge—rather than just an epilepsy problem—can help ensure your child receives comprehensive care [1][11].

Common questions in this guide

Which specialists are usually involved in caring for a child with LKS?
A team may include a pediatric epileptologist, speech-language pathologist, pediatric neuropsychologist, and audiologist. Primary care, mental-health, occupational-therapy, educational, and genetic-counseling support may be added based on the child’s needs and local access.
What does a pediatric epileptologist do for LKS?
A pediatric epileptologist helps manage medicines and interpret complex EEG recordings, especially patterns that appear during sleep. Because LKS-related electrical patterns can be subtle and sleep-dependent, specialized epilepsy training can be useful.
How can a speech-language pathologist help a child with LKS?
A speech-language pathologist evaluates what a child understands, how the child communicates, and how language has changed. The specialist can also recommend communication supports, including augmentative and alternative communication devices, when speech is difficult.
What should I bring to an LKS second-opinion appointment?
Bring the original EEG recording in its native digital format, not only the written report, along with the actual MRI images. Also bring full speech and neuropsychology reports with standardized scores and a timeline listing each medication, maximum dose, duration, and effects on language or seizures.
Why is hearing testing part of an LKS evaluation?
An audiologist can confirm whether physical hearing loss is present and describe how the child processes sound. This helps clinicians distinguish a brain-based language-processing problem from a problem primarily involving the ears.
Who can help with school and emotional needs in LKS?
A school or educational specialist can help with school plans, while a psychologist or mental-health professional can support emotional well-being. An occupational therapist may help with motor skills and daily tasks, and the primary care clinician can help coordinate care.

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References

References (17)
  1. 1

    Cerebral dominance in an unusual case of Landau-Kleffner syndrome.

    Chowdhury N, Bansal AR, Goyal R, Nikhila G

    BMJ case reports 2021; (14(12)) doi:10.1136/bcr-2021-246696.

    PMID: 34887295
  2. 2

    Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) in an 8-year-old girl: a case report and review of the literature.

    Salahaldin MM, Shehadeh MH, Abu Keshek A, et al.

    Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) 2024; (86(7)):4202-4205 doi:10.1097/MS9.0000000000002156.

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    Education Research: Shaping the Future of Epilepsy Fellowship Training in Canada: A Canadian League Against Epilepsy Delphi Study.

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    PMID: 41551438
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    Education Research: Defining Competencies and Consensus in Canadian Epilepsy Fellowship Training: A Thematic Discourse Analysis of Expert Perspectives.

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    PMID: 42170567
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    Sleep and epilepsy syndromes.

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    PMID: 25965811
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    Treatment of electrical status epilepticus in sleep: A pooled analysis of 575 cases.

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    PMID: 26337159
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    Interictal Epileptiform Discharge Detection in EEG in Different Practice Settings.

    Halford JJ, Westover MB, LaRoche SM, et al.

    Journal of clinical neurophysiology : official publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society 2018; (35(5)):375-380 doi:10.1097/WNP.0000000000000492.

    PMID: 30028830
  8. 8

    Evidence for normal letter-sound integration, but altered language pathways in a case of recovered Landau-Kleffner Syndrome.

    Pullens P, Pullens W, Blau V, et al.

    Brain and cognition 2015; (99()):32-45.

    PMID: 26232266
  9. 9

    Cognitive linguistic Treatment in Landau Kleffner Syndrome: Improvement in Daily Life Communication.

    van der Meulen I, Pangalila RF, van de Sandt-Koenderman WME

    Child neurology open 2021; (8()):2329048X211022196 doi:10.1177/2329048X211022196.

    PMID: 34124282
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    Neurocognitive and behavioral profiles of children with Landau-Kleffner syndrome.

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    PMID: 27355396
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    Clinical and Molecular Genetic Characterization of Landau Kleffner Syndrome: An Observational Cohort and Experimental Study.

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    Annals of neurology 2025; (98(5)):951-966 doi:10.1002/ana.27306.

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    Idiopathic encephalopathy related to status epilepticus during slow sleep (ESES) as a "pure" model of epileptic encephalopathy. An electroclinical, genetic, and follow-up study.

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    Diagnostic challenges in Landau-Kleffner syndrome.

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This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It describes LKS care-team roles and second-opinion preparation; your child’s clinicians should interpret test results and recommend care for your child.

Guide contents Landau-Kleffner syndrome
Research & Literature
05 The Long-Term Outlook