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Listening to Every Child: An Integrated Approach for Special Needs in Poverty and Abuse

Explore a holistic approach empowering children with disabilities and mental health issues facing poverty and abuse. Learn about risk factors, consequences, and solutions, including a child-centered perspective and case study.

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Listening to Every Child: An Integrated Approach for Special Needs in Poverty and Abuse

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  1. ‘Can you hear me?’How a holistic approach incorporates the voice of children who have a disability and/or mental health issue and are exposed to poverty and abuse.

  2. Susanne LlopisDisability Liaison Professional Community Living

  3. Presentation • Special needs • Additional needs for children and their parents • Risk factors • Consequences of maltreatment • Integrated Child Centred Approach • Holistic Approach • Case Study • Conclusion

  4. Special needs children: • Definition of ‘special needs’ is broad and includes a variety of different disabilities, health and mental health conditions that require special intervention, services, or support. (http://specialchildren.about.com/od/gettingadiagnosis/p/whatare.htm)

  5. Additional needs for

  6. Risk Factors • Primary caregiver • Family • Child/young person – age/disability/mental health • Environmental

  7. Consequences of child abuseand neglect • Physical Health • Psychological • Behavioural (Child Poverty Action Group Inc/New Zealand : Child Abuse: What role does poverty play? June 2013)

  8. Consequences for children with disabilities and/or mental health issues: • More pronounced because of their already vulnerable physical and psychological state (Fact Sheet: Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities: http:/www.ridalaskaofchildabuse.org/Maltreatment.html)

  9. Solutions?

  10. Integrated Child Centred Approach Incorporating the child’s voice: • Understanding and interpreting a child’s concept of the world; their beliefs, values and worries • Engaging children, young people as participants in the process (http://www.unicef.org/adolescence/files/Every_Childs_Right_to_be_Heard.pdf)

  11. Listening To Children “The right to speak is the right to be listened to; in practice there is a gap between speaking and being listened to.” (http://www.unicef.org/adolescence/files/Every_Childs_Right_to_be_Heard.pdf)

  12. Listening to children Hearing and responding to voices of children is critical: • In understanding the impact of harm • In developing new and innovative ways to respond to abuse and neglect • In being responsive to what children identify as the key issues causing them most concern (Children with Disabilities/Australia: Enabling and Protecting /Issues Paper, ABN 42 140 529 273; Children and Youth Services review 3/2011: Maltreatment of children with developmental disabilities: An ecologial systems analysis)

  13. ‘Children’s Teams’ • Multi-Agency Service Response • Right service at the right time • Children have on plan (http://www.childrensactionplan.govt.nz/news/childrens-teams)

  14. Is that enough?

  15. Holistic Approach

  16. Case Study: Ellen, Tom, Mike and Tessa’s story • Mike was diagnosed with a mild Intellectual Disability • Ellen, mother, overwhelmed with situation • Tessa, Mike’s sister, felt misunderstood • Tom, father, was in prison/domestic violence

  17. Ellen’s voice • “... You have been the only consistent support over the last year. That has helped us hugely and has encouraged us. Encouragement was what we have so desperately needed...” • “ ... Agencies came and told us what I have to do. You were listening and supported us in a way I could understand...”

  18. Conclusion

  19. Websites and resources: • Altogether Autism: http://www.altogetherautism.org.nz • Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: http://fasd.alberta.ca/documents/Strategies_Not_Solutions_Handbook.pdf • Needs Assessment and Service Coordination Service (NASC): • http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/disability-services/about-disability-support-services/needs-assessment-and-service-coordination-service • Brainwave Trust: http://www.brainwave.org.nz/ • Listening to young disabled children http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/74024/listening_to_young_disabled_children.pdf • The Risk and Prevention of Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities https://www.childwelfare.gov/

  20. Disability Liaison Professional Susanne LlopisPhone: 07 834 3717Email: susanne.llopis@communityliving.org.nz

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