In the past, people with disabilities were largely segregated from mainstream society. Medical psychotherapy was a niche discipline, located mostly in hospitals and nursing homes. However, things are changing. There are more people with disabilities, and they are more integrated into society. General Practicing Psychotherapists need to know how to…

Nationwide, more than 13.5 million children have special healthcare needs and with increases in the prevalence and diagnosis of development disabilities, this number can be expected to increase in the coming years. For any child with special needs, it is very important that they have a medical home from which all services can be coordinated. The…

This seventh installment of a 12-article Medical Home series describes the experiences of a fictitious couple, Amita and Samir, as they learn to adapt to the reality of raising a pre-adolescent girl, Anjali, with special needs. Anjali, due to her premature birth, had been suffering from recurrent asthma attacks. This article discusses how Anjali…

This article presents the fifth part in the 12 installment Medical Home series that presents the experiences of a fictitious couple, Amita and Samir, as they learn to adapt to the reality of having a premature baby with special needs. It describes how Amita and Samir begin preparation for their daughter Anjali's enrollment in kindergarten. "EP"…

Bowel incontinence, also called fecal incontinence, is the loss of control over liquid or solid stools. It can occur at any age--as a child, teenager, or adult. Severity can range from infrequent leakage of a small amount of stool to total loss of bowel control. Some persons might feel the urge to have a bowel movement but be unable to control it…

In this 12 installment Medical Home series, "EP" will present a case study about the American Academy of Pediatrics' Medical Home Initiative. A "Medical Home" is not a building. It is an approach to providing healthcare services to children with special healthcare needs. This article presents Part 3 in the series as readers learn more about Amita…

Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid are both "need-based" federal programs intended to benefit certain categories of individuals who are legal residents of the United States--primarily those 65 or older, those who are blind or those with disabilities--who have minimal income and financial resources. However, an individual's…

This is the first article in a year long series that presents the experiences of a fictitious couple, Amita and Samir, as they learn to adapt to the reality of having a premature baby with special needs. Doris, the fictitious nurse who took care of baby Anjali in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), has had ten years of experience working in…

The Medical Home series follows fictional parents Amita and Samir and their premature daughter, Anjali. In Part Two, Amita and Samir bring Anjali home from the hospital, contact the care coordinator who will be responsible for Anjali's care, and go to their first appointment with the pediatrician. Emphasis is placed on the manner in which the…

Responses (N=239 from 12 states) to a cost survey on support services for children with disabilities indicated an average per annum expenditure of $5,282 per family (excluding surgeries) and a cost of $95,083 to raise a child to age eighteen. Options must be developed for the increasing number of individuals who find themselves medically…

The Specialized Training of Military Parents, better known by many as STOMP, is a federally funded Parent Training and Information (PTI) center established to assist military families who have children with specialized education or health needs. STOMP exists to empower military parents, individuals with disabilities, and service providers with…

This article presents the fourth part in the 12 installment series that presents the experiences of a fictitious couple, Amita and Samir, as they learn to adapt to the reality of having a premature baby with special needs. It describes the services provided by various community resources to children and youth with special healthcare needs and…

Parents and grandparents, just like everyone else, are ready to extol (maybe even exaggerate) the attributes and accomplishments of their offspring. The need to respond to accomplishments is essential for the sake of the special child and his/her parents. In their zeal to reassure and encourage one's own special child, it is easy to deny the…

This article presents an interview with Daniel W. Sutherland, Officer for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security, to discuss some of the Department's future goals related to emergency preparedness for people with special needs and to find out how citizens can help in that quest. This article also focuses on topics such as:…

Programs and centers which use a multidisciplinary approach to treat the special developmental and biomedical needs of individuals with Down's syndrome are described, and the locations of several centers are presented as well as a guide to medical problems common in such individuals. (CB)