Early Childhood Development and Disability: - World Health ...

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protection, ECD and other social services. This should include the incorporation of specific early intervention actions as part of the regular delivery system as opposed to structuring separate or parallel services for children with disabilities. BOX 2: SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES DURING HUMANITARIAN SITUATIONS Children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable during humanitarian situations such as armed conflict, natural disaster and famine. Article 11 of the CRPD highlights the importance of ensuring their protection and safety in all humanitarian action (7). Stakeholders across many different areas including: health; nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene; emergency shelter and non-food items; education; and protection need to ensure the inclusion of children with disabilities in their activities during humanitarian situations and, where necessary, adopt targeted approaches to ensure all their needs are met. Stakeholders can (60,72,73): Prepare children with disabilities, their families and other relevant stakeholders for humanitarian situations by: • identifying and registering children with disabilities and their families, noting where they live, their needs during humanitarian situations, and a plan for addressing these needs; • including children with disabilities and their families in planning and preparedness activities which take place in their communities; • ensuring that transport, emergency shelters, and alert and warning systems are accessible for children with different types of impairments, such as visual, hearing and mobility impairments; • providing training for people involved in preparedness and response so they are aware of the needs of children with disabilities and their families, and can address these needs. Ensure emergency response includes children with disabilities and their families by: • providing equal access to essential supplies, which may require specific strategies such as “fast track” queues and delivery of goods directly to children and their families; • organizing for replacement of lost or damaged assistive devices and providing new ones for children who have newly acquired injuries or impairments; 26 Early Childhood Development and Disability
• ensuring that temporary shelters, water distribution points, and latrine and toilet facilities are physically accessible to children with disabilities and their families; • identifying child-friendly spaces and other child protection measures, and facilitate the inclusion of children with disabilities; • including children with disabilities in education programmes. Support children with disabilities and their families during the recovery phase by: • providing access to appropriate health and rehabilitation services including assistive devices; • including accessibility considerations in the reconstruction phase to promote participation for children with disabilities. For example ensuring that schools and housing are accessible in the long-term. Targeted service provision Early childhood intervention (ECI) (see Box 1 on page 11 for definition) should be an integral part of existing health, education and social system actions for all children. The provision of intervention programmes as early as possible can result in positive outcomes for children with disabilities and their families and can address the multiple factors of exclusion (74,75). There is growing evidence that children who receive ECI and other services show gains in a wide range of skills, greatly enhancing their abilities to flourish when they begin formal education and thus justifying the greater costs that such targeted interventions might entail (60,5,36). In addition to enhancing children’s developmental competencies and minimizing secondary complications, ECI programmes can help to build effective support networks for parents, promoting confidence and competence. ECI programmes that coordinate services across different sectors, such as health, education, and social protection/support, are sustainable over time, and support children and families as they move from early childhood into successful primary school experiences are particularly desirable (36). Therapy services, including assistive devices Therapy services aim to optimize a child’s development and ability to participate in family and community life by providing structured opportunities to practice skills appropriate to the child’s current developmental level (76). Service provision should include a combination of centre- and home-based interventions with the active involvement of parents and/ How can we support the development of children with disabilities? 27
Page 1: Early Childhood Development and Dis
Page 4 and 5: WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publicat
Page 6 and 7: Centre for Disability in Developmen
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Page 10 and 11: How many children with disabilities
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Page 16 and 17: Stigma and discrimination Children
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Page 30 and 31: or other family members. Where avai
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Page 36 and 37: References 1. Status of the Convent
Page 38 and 39: 64. Robertson J, Hatton C, Emerson
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