Services For Disabled Children Research Articles

Информационно-библиотечный центр: опыт работы с особыми детьми и их родителями

The article talks about the work with disabled children, which has been conducted for more than twenty years, about the forms of library services for disabled children at home. About the events that are held for the moral and spiritual support of both children and their parents.

Some issues of social services for disabled children in the Russian Federation

Some issues of social services for disabled children in the Russian Federation

Experiences of parents and caregivers of children with disability on community-based rehabilitation (CBR) services in Malaysia: A qualitative study

Background: The rehabilitation program for disabled children is provided through community-based rehabilitation (CBR) services by an initiative of the Department of Social Welfare Malaysia. This long-term program needs commitment and compliance, which relates to the quality of services experienced by parents and caregivers. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of the parents and caregivers of disabled children on the CBR services. Methods: This qualitative study utilized in-depth interview sessions held from March to May 2015. Fifteen parents and caregivers who had disabled children participating in the CBR program were selected using a purposive sampling method. All recorded conversations were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Atlas.ti version 8.0. The thematic analysis was used for identifying, analyzing, and reporting the data obtained. The themes that emerged were read, reread, and peer checked until the researcher agreed on the thematic representation of the data. Results: Six major themes emerged from this study, including CBR activity, facilities, environment, communication, program impact, and management system. Conclusion: The majority of the parents and caregivers had good experiences with CBR services. However, several aspects could be given further attention to improve the CBR quality and to sustain its services for disabled children.

Status and Influencing Factors of Social Welfare Services for Disabled Children

Status and Influencing Factors of Social Welfare Services for Disabled Children

Current Status and the Role of Inclusive Education Web sites for School Teachers and Parents

Background/Objectives: This study investigates the potential impacts of inclusive education in day care center, and reviews issues about supporting services including web sites as a community of knowledge. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Literature review method is applied to investigate the expected effects and barriers of inclusive education and promoting factors for improving educational excellence such as teachers' attitude and efficacy toward disabled children, supporting services for disabled children. Some Korean and international web-sites for inclusive education as the community of knowledge are also examined. Findings: Most teachers agree to the value and effectiveness of inclusive education but a teacher efficacy level required to guide and lead children with disabilities in the actual field is relatively low. The lack of disability-related knowledge and skills, know how of classroom management strategies, lack of faith in the educational effectiveness of interventions was reported as barriers. Promoting factors for effective inclusive education include positive attitude and efficacy toward disabled children, efficient supporting services for disabled children, and the cooperation system among general nursing teachers, special education teachers and therapists. In order to build the partnership, portal sites in the form of knowledge community is needed. But in reality, it is not easy to operate inclusive education portals with profitability, some of which are examined in the paper. Budget support from government or non-profit organizations is essential for effective operation of portal sites. Improvements/Applications: The results can be applied to derive various policies for reducing burden of teachers and improving the efficacy of teachers working in the inclusive education field.

Improving services for disabled children and their families.

Professor Alan Glasper and Kath Evans, Head of Patient Experience, NHS England, discuss two new reports from the charity, Contact a Family, which raises awareness of the experiences of parents of children with disabilities, and how families can engage better with health services

A Break from Caring for a Disabled Child: Parent Perceptions of the Uses and Benefits of Short Break Provision in England

‘Short breaks’ is a term used in England to refer to a range of services for disabled children, many of which used to be known as respite. Recent legislation in England requires local authorities to provide family carers of disabled children with breaks so that they can continue to care. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of twenty-five parents whose children accessed short breaks. We performed a thematic analysis of data obtained from interviews and a narrative tool. The analysis revealed that short breaks were crucial in helping parents with disabled children continue to provide care and they were used in other ways that addressed the wider consequences of caring. These other uses included reducing social isolation and caring for non-disabled siblings and were facilitated by novel forms of short break provision. Some parents reported that their needs for short breaks had not been met and this appeared to arise from contested interpretations of what ‘breaks from caring’ means. Our findings suggest social work assessments should not just identify that parents need a break from caring, but should also include an understanding of how parents make sense of their need for a break.

Securing services for handicapped children below age five through early childhood direction centers.

Several years ago, the New York State Education Department, through its Office for Education of Children with Handicapping Conditions, initiated a network of Early Childhood Direction Centers to serve handicapped children below the age of five years, their parents, and the professionals who provide services to this population. Stimulated by observation of demonstration projects funded nationally by the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped (BEH) of the United States Office of Education, the purpose of the New York State Early Childhood Direction Center Network is to assist parents and professionals in matching the individual needs of young handicapped children to services within their regions. Parents or guardians of these children, local school districts, hospital programs, and other agencies can all request assistance from the direction centers in matching handicapped children from birth to five years to services. Direction centers, upon parental consent, report children identified as handicapped to local committees on the handicapped to assist school districts in keeping accurate census records and planning for programs. Direction centers also refer parents and professionals who require training to the state network of Special Education Training and Resource Centers (SETRC). In this way, resources supporting both the direction center and SETRC networks are used to their fullest extent. Direction centers are also a vital source of information about local services and special education for young handicapped children.

Integrating services for disabled children and their families in two English local authorities

Recent critiques challenge the assumption that working in a more integrated way will necessarily improve the quality of services received by children in need and their families. This paper explores the process of service integration for disabled children and their families in two inner city local authorities in England, with particular reference to ways in which history and geography impact. Service users and their carers hold similar ideas about features important in order for integration to be successful – including clear signposts into and through services and reliable and respectful relationships with professionals in the context of inclusive service planning. Professionals concur. They appear to benefit from the establishment of clear processes and boundaries between services, enabling them to build bridges between organizations towards the creation of innovative, integrated services.

Poland: Quality Monitoring of Therapeutic Processes in a Small Treatment Center for Children

This article presents the case of the first ISO 9001:2000-certified small healthcare organization (the Center for Therapy and Rehabilitation) providing therapeutic and rehabilitation services for disabled children in Northern Poland. Elements of the process-oriented healthcare quality system implementation, initial benefits, and the organization's quality system structure and process descriptions are described. Particular attention has been paid to assumptions and methods used in monitoring of therapeutic processes at the Center. The initial benefits of the system are also presented.

Multi-agency working in services for disabled children: what impact does it have on professionals?

Whilst agencies in many sectors have been encouraged to work together to better meet the needs of service users, multi-agency working is now a central feature of government policy. In relation to children's services, the National Service Framework, the English green paper, 'Every Child Matters' (DfES, 2003) and the Children Bill (DfES 2004) give a high priority to an integrated approach to service provision. This paper focuses on multi-agency working for disabled children with complex health-care needs, a group of children who, perhaps even more than most, require the many professionals who support them and their families, to work more closely together. Drawing on the findings from a 3-year qualitative research study, this paper examines the impact of working in a multi-agency service on professionals. Interviews with 115 professionals concluded that staff were overwhelmingly positive about working as part of a multi-agency service. They reported improvements to their working lives in areas such as professional development, communication, collaboration with colleagues, and relationships with families with disabled children. However, whilst professionals felt that they were able to offer families a more efficient service, there was concern that the overall impact of multi-agency working on disabled children and their families would be limited.

Professional accounts of services for disabled children in the context of the 1990s Finnish economic recession

This study examines professional accounts of services for disabled children and the ideologies behind those services in the context of the European economic crisis of the 1990s. The study is based on interview data which were collected among professionals of municipal and central government sectors working in the same Finnish town. The methodological starting‐point is that of critical discourse analysis (CDA). The professionals first suggest in their discourse that their services are provided on the basis of uncontrollable, general framework, and ideal professional‐ or client‐based principles, but accounts are recorded in which services were rendered which were in conflict with these ideal ideologies. The study concludes that the discourse of the professionals involved in the study consists of various, conflicting accounts and ideologies.

Working Partnerships? A Critique of the Process of Multi‐Agency Working in Services to Disabled Children with Complex Health Care Needs

Recent government policies in relation to children stress the importance of service integration and partnership working, with particular emphasis on combating social exclusion. With reference to findings from a three‐year empirical study, this article examines some key elements of the process of multi‐agency working in services for disabled children with complex health care needs. It highlights some of the barriers to effective partnerships and lists some pointers for policy and practice.

Quality Indicators: Disabled Children's and Parents' Prioritizations and Experiences of Quality Criteria when Using Different Types of Support Services

Current health and social care policy seeks to develop and refine standards of service quality. However, policies have so far largely focused upon statistically based service output indicators. Recognizing the importance and yet limitations of this, especially in services for disabled children and their families, this paper draws upon qualitative and quantitative data to explore indicators that are meaningful and relevant to disabled children and their families. Results demonstrate the need to look beyond a generic family-based perception of service quality, as children and parents value different aspects of service quality and prioritize different indicators when using different types of services. Although some indicators are regarded as ‘core’ quality indicators, irrespective of service type, others are only prioritized for specific types of services.

Parent-Professional Power Relations: Parent and professional perspectives

This paper reflects on a small-scale qualitative research study around the establishment of a conductive education centre in a city in the north of England. From the outset, the centre's existence presented a challenge to existing services because the monopoly control of existing professional practice and policy was under question. The research does not offer an evaluation of the effectiveness of conductive education. The task was to examine the centre's provision in relation to existing statutory services, and provide a forum for informed discussion relating to the provision and organisation of multi-professional services for disabled children. The paper suggests that, although there was a mutual tension between the centre and professionals, a number of pointers could become a starting point for a more equitable partnership between parents and existing service providers. We also argue, however, that such a notion of partnership is limited without the voices of disabled people.

Carers of People with Learning Disabilities, and their Experience of the 1995 Carers Act

Dr Carol Robinson was a reader in Social Policy at the Norah Fry Research Centre, University of Bristol. She is now project director for the South West Association for Learning Disabilities. Val Williams is a research associate at the Norah Fry Research Centre, University of Bristol. They both have interests in support services for disabled children and adults, participatory research and self advocacy.

The Brewer-Kakalik research on services for handicapped children: A paradigm of applied policy sciences

Around the campfires of policy scientists, the Brewer-Kakalik research on handicapped children's services is considered a tour deforce of problem-definition breakthrough, achieved through disciplined application of a comprehensive policy sciences framework. A remarkable series of research and prototyping initiatives came out of the Rand Corporation's study of how services were designed and provided to disabled children in America. The institutional innovation of service direction centers helped dramatically to fill the gaps in handicapped children's services and to improve the coordination of services. The project ultimately made a significant contribution to federal legislation that not only brought greater coherence to the government efforts to provide such services, but also guaranteed their rights to adequate services. As an exemplar of policy sciences analysis, it showed the great strength of 'case-wise'

Quality in services for disabled children and their families: what can theory, policy and research on children's and parents' views tell us?

Many discourses surround the concept of ‘service quality’, however, it continues to remain partial and ambiguous. This paper seeks to unpack ‘quality’ in services for disabled children and their families. Theoretical models are initially reviewed and then considered in relation to key policy guidelines, empirical data drawing upon parents' and children's experiences of ‘quality’ in services are presented. This paper demonstrates the many different levels within the concept of ‘quality’ and highlights the importance of recognising and respecting that children and parents frequently value different aspects of ‘quality’. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Implementing the children (ni) order 1995 - researching the initial impact on social services provision to disabled children in northern ireland

The Children (Nl) Order 1995 was implemented in November 1996. This paper summarises the findings of a research project carried out by the Centre for Child Care Research studying the initial impact of the Order on the planning and provision of personal social services for disabled children and their families. The Order recognises disabled children as children first and foremost and raises their profile and priority in social policy in relation to families and child care. The research found that there had been some development of support services with indications of increased service delivery, and re-structuring of organisational arrangements. Generally, researchers found that professionals in both statutory and voluntary agencies thought that the profile of disabled children had been raised within Health and Social Service Trusts. There was also evidence of improved partnership working with other statutory agencies and with the voluntary sector, and developments in terms of partnership working with parents. However, progress has been slow regarding implementing the registers of disabled children and in developing ways of listening to the views of disabled children. In addition, the need for good information sources is becoming critical to both needs assessment and service provision, so that real advancement can be made towards the development of needs-led services. The research found that, while progress has been made in implementing the Children (Nl) Order in relation to disabled children, there is still some way to go if the underpinning philosophy is to be fully achieved.

The main public children’s library of St Petersburg

The location of and philosophy behind the Central Children’s Library of St Petersburg are briefly described. The role of the library is discussed and the range of services for disabled children examined. Its aim to introduce all children, including those physically disabled, to the information culture is described and its experimental programme "Information, Culture, Education" is indicated.