Children with disabilities and their families have a variety of medical, developmental, educational needs that are best addressed through strong partnerships among parents, providers, and communities, according to a report published in Pediatrics.
The clinical report, Parent-Provider-Community Partnerships: Optimizing Outcomes for Children With Disabilities, provides suggestions on how to effectively support children with disabilities and their families.
According to the authors, the purpose of the report is “to explore the challenges of developing effective community-based systems of care and to offer suggestions to pediatricians and policy-makers regarding the development of partnerships among children with disabilities, their families, and health care and other providers to maximize health and well-being of these children and their families.”
The report notes that pediatricians need to be cognizant that the parents and siblings of a child with disabilities also have needs, and should be offered strategies to help them maintain their own physical and mental well-being.
Families should also be made aware of financial support available to them, including programs for health coverage, family medical leave, and supplementary income.
The authors also suggested that policy-makers continue to promote health insurance programs that benefit children with disabilities.
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