A community model for supporting children with disabilities in Indonesia

Abstract

This research aimed to develop an evidence-based and community-defined model for multiple stakeholders such as community leaders, service providers, and policymakers to adaptively implement to improve the quality of life of these children and their families. To inform this model, results from three previous studies conducted by the authors were combined with the results from the current qualitative investigation. Overall over 100 key informants including parents, community leaders, and government and non-government officials aged from 18 to 63 years old participated in interview and focus group sessions. The results were then analysed thematically. The resultant model consists of 41 activities across 7 sectors, including health, education, and the economy, plus a central multi-sectoral component. Taken together, this comprehensive list of activities aims to support young children’s development, increase family competencies, and strengthen social inclusion for families with children with disabilities. Points of interest Young children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable population in the world. A range of evidence-informed activities exists to help young children with disabilities in low and middle-income countries with settings similar to that in Indonesia. We united these activities together with additional suggestions through a series of investigations to generate an evidence-informed and community-defined model for improving the quality of life of these children and their families. We hope that this article assists researchers and practitioners to adaptively implement such approaches to improve the lives of young children with disabilities.