‘can you hear me?’ how a holistic approach incorporates the voice of children who have a...
TRANSCRIPT
‘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.
Susanne Llopis
Disability Liaison Professional Community Living
Presentation
• Special needs• Additional needs for children and their parents• Risk factors • Consequences of maltreatment• Integrated Child Centred Approach • Holistic Approach • Case Study• Conclusion
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)
Additional needs for
Children
Adequate care/Therapeutic
interventions
Protection/Support
Parents
Specific knowledge/ education
Resources/support
Risk Factors
• Primary caregiver• Family• Child/young person – age/disability/mental
health • Environmental
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)
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)
Solutions?
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)
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)
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 ofchildren with developmental disabilities: An ecologial systems analysis)
‘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)
Is that enough?
Holistic ApproachRelationship of trust /Key worker
Family Driven/
Incorporates Child’s voice
Identifies multiple needs of family
Individualised Services
Collaboration between formal and
informal support
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
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...”
Conclusion
Acknowledge complexity and multiplicity of risk factors
Collaboration with holistic interventions/Early interventions
Education for professionals to identify child abuse at an early stage
Better outcomes
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/
