Parents may want to talk things over with their GP or health visitor after they have been told their child has a learning disability and some primary care teams include specialist health visitors with skills and knowledge about disability. Some local voluntary groups operate schemes which link parents of a newly diagnosed child with families who have had a similar experience.
Like any child, babies and young children with learning disabilities need love and security, but they are likely to need additional help to develop and the milestones can take longer to achieve than with other children.
The actual provision differs from area to area but health visitors, doctors and local voluntary groups can usually put families in touch with sources of specialist help which might include the following.
- An "early intervention" home teaching or learning scheme such as Portage, where a worker visits the family home on a regular basis and suggests activities which can help the child develop specific skills.
- A named or key worker scheme where the family receives regular visits from someone with whom they can discuss issues and concerns about their child (but which may not involve a structured learning programme).
- An opportunity group, which is a playgroup for children with and without disabilities where some staff have experience of working with children with special needs.
- A specialist toy library where parents can borrow toys that will be particularly useful in helping their child develop new skills.
- A Child Development Centre offering individual or group sessions, e.g. with speech and language therapists or physiotherapists.
In some areas, voluntary or statutory organisations are funded to provide parent and family support services such as: parent groups or meetings, parent workshops, sibling groups and workshops, family outings, and social events for parents. This works best when services are planned and developed in consultation with parents.
Every area will also have generic child and family support services such as nurseries, playgroups and one-o-clock clubs which are used by some children with learning disabilities.
Families may qualify for additional financial support, if they can show that their child’s special needs result in expenditure over and above the normal costs incurred in raising a child. Under-5s may be eligible for the care component of Disability Living Allowance. Where a child is receiving DLA at the middle or higher rate, a parent on low earnings may also qualify for Invalid Care Allowance. The independent Family Fund Trust targets families with a severely disabled child and can make payments for items such as washing machines or holidays.
Back to the top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
