Sustaining the Family: Meeting the Needs of Families of Children with Disabilities

Abstract

A dramatic rise in the survival rates of children born with disabilities (particularly those born prematurely) has been reported in the last decade. The nature of their disabilities is, at times, significantly different from that previously reported, posing problems for the families attempting to nurture the development of these children. Barry Carpenter, Chief Executive of Sunfield, considers the needs of the self‐defining family, the implications for interdisciplinary practice, and the changing pattern of early childhood disability. He asks a fundamental question: ‘How can professionals sustain the family of a child with disabilities?'