Healthcare
Special Healthcare Needs
Children and youth with special health care needs are those who have or are at increased risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions and who require health and related services of a type and amount beyond that generally required.
Finding Information
Flu and Children with Neurologic Conditions.
National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD)
Finding Healthcare in Georgia
Childrens Medical Services
Children and youth under the age of 21, who are diagnosed with a chronic medical condition (such as diabetes, cerebral palsy, hearing loss) can apply for this program. Some of the things that CMS may provide or help pay for include medical evaluations, medications, and hearing aides.
Healthcare Information for Youth
As children enter the teen years it is important to let them take more responsibility for their health care. This is also the time to begin planning for health care transition—the move from pediatric to adult health systems. Families, teens, and current health providers need to work together to ensure teens are ready to manage their own health needs, choose adult providers, and help teens develop new health partnerships. This is especially important for youth with special health needs. Some specialty providers keep their patients. Others will work with you and your teen to transfer care to adult providers, adult hospitals, and adult systems of care.
More Information on Teen Health
Impact on Health and Wellness – Adolescence
Finding Support
Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation
FOCUS+Fragile Kids offers support and services to families of children with special healthcare needs in metro Atlanta.
Resources
A Care Notebook is a helpful way to document and maintain your child’s needs, medications, services, and providers. Use these templates to help develop a care notebook for your child and a quick reference Medical Form to share with caregivers, medical staff and family members.
Medical visits can be stressful for anyone. Individuals with disabilities often face extra challenges during procedures due to communication issues. Watch the video and learn how you can make your child more comfortable when they visit the doctor.
Deana and Jakob
Having a child with special needs is a world that is ever changing and adventurous. Just when you think you have things figured out. “POP” a whole new adventure begins. Maybe I need to introduce myself and then explain what I mean. My name is Deana and I am the parent of a 10 yr old named Jakob who was diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and Cortical Vision Impairment. Read more of this story . . .