‘Can you hear me?’How a holistic approach incorporates

the voice of children who have a disability and/or mental health issue

and are exposed to poverty and abuse.

Susanne Llopis

Disability Liaison Professional Community Living

Presentation

• Special needs• Additional needs for children and their parents• Risk factors • Consequences of maltreatment• Integrated Child Centred Approach • Holistic Approach • Case Study• Conclusion

Special needs children:

• Definition of ‘special needs’ is broad and includes a variety of different disabilities, health and mental health conditions that require special intervention, services, or support.(http://specialchildren.about.com/od/gettingadiagnosis/p/whatare.htm)

Additional needs for

Children

Adequate care/Therapeutic

interventions

Protection/Support

Parents

Specific knowledge/ education

Resources/support

Risk Factors

• Primary caregiver• Family• Child/young person – age/disability/mental

health • Environmental

Consequences of child abuseand neglect

• Physical Health• Psychological• Behavioural

(Child Poverty Action Group Inc/New Zealand : Child Abuse: What role does poverty play? June 2013)

Consequences for children with disabilities and/or mental health issues:

• More pronounced because of their already vulnerable physical and psychological state (Fact Sheet: Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities: http:/www.ridalaskaofchildabuse.org/Maltreatment.html)

Solutions?

Integrated Child Centred Approach

Incorporating the child’s voice:• Understanding and interpreting a child’s concept

of the world; their beliefs, values and worries

• Engaging children, young people as participants in the process

(http://www.unicef.org/adolescence/files/Every_Childs_Right_to_be_Heard.pdf)

Listening To Children

“The right to speak is the right to be listened to; in practice there is a gap between speaking and being listened to.”

(http://www.unicef.org/adolescence/files/Every_Childs_Right_to_be_Heard.pdf)

Listening to children

Hearing and responding to voices of children is critical: • In understanding the impact of harm • In developing new and innovative ways to

respond to abuse and neglect • In being responsive to what children identify as the

key issues causing them most concern

(Children with Disabilities/Australia: Enabling and Protecting /Issues Paper,ABN 42 140 529 273; Children and Youth Services review 3/2011: Maltreatment ofchildren with developmental disabilities: An ecologial systems analysis)

‘Children’s Teams’

• Multi-Agency Service Response • Right service at the right time• Children have on plan

(http://www.childrensactionplan.govt.nz/news/childrens-teams)

Is that enough?

Holistic ApproachRelationship of trust /Key worker

Family Driven/

Incorporates Child’s voice

Identifies multiple needs of family

Individualised Services

Collaboration between formal and

informal support

Case Study: Ellen, Tom, Mike and Tessa’s story• Mike was diagnosed with a mild Intellectual

Disability• Ellen, mother, overwhelmed with situation • Tessa, Mike’s sister, felt misunderstood• Tom, father, was in prison/domestic

violence

Ellen’s voice

“... You have been the only consistent support over the last year. That has helped us hugely and has encouraged us. Encouragement was what we have so desperately needed...”

“ ... Agencies came and told us what I have to do. You were listening and supported us in a way I could understand...”

Conclusion

Acknowledge complexity and multiplicity of risk factors

Collaboration with holistic interventions/Early interventions

Education for professionals to identify child abuse at an early stage

Better outcomes

Websites and resources: • Altogether Autism:

http://www.altogetherautism.org.nz• Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder:

http://fasd.alberta.ca/documents/Strategies_Not_Solutions_Handbook.pdf• Needs Assessment and Service Coordination Service (NASC):• http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/disability-services/about-disability-support-

services/needs-assessment-and-service-coordination-service• Brainwave Trust:

http://www.brainwave.org.nz/• Listening to young disabled children

http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/74024/listening_to_young_disabled_children.pdf• The Risk and Prevention of Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities

https://www.childwelfare.gov/

Disability Liaison Professional Susanne Llopis

Phone: 07 834 3717Email:

susanne.llopis@communityliving.org.nz