Care Team for Managing Cerebral Palsy

A care team helps manage a child’s condition, and progress. The team includes not only the medical professionals and therapists that a child sees to keep their treatment moving forward, but also those caring individuals that prepare meal plans, prepare educational plans, or modify a house to increase functionality.

A team’s hand-in-hand approach to a child’s health is a powerful demonstration of how many people care about the welfare of a child, and a child’s community’s contribution towards a child’s future potential.

The team

Many individuals come to the assistance of those with Cerebral Palsy. Since every child’s condition and situations are unique their care team needs are too.

The types of services a family can afford and the level of support they receive depend upon many factors. Often the family dynamics play an important role. The ability for at least one member of the family to provide income and carry health insurance benefits is of great assistance.

Some individuals come from single-parent homes. In some situations, the condition of the child is so severe that the single parent becomes the primary caretaker to the child that requires around the clock care. This can be very difficult for a family-unit with limited family or friend support. Some families have two working adults who are able to share in the financial contribution to the family as well as the care of the child.

Access to health care facilities, health insurance, adequate shelter, financial stability, government assistance, community support, dedicated education programs, and funding can be extremely beneficial.

Access to public schools or private facilities with committed special needs programs can make a profound difference. The public school system falls under the federally mandated to provide special education services to those who qualify. Through the Independent Education Program (IEP) analysis children are evaluated for services which will optimize the child’s ability to learn and develop through the school years. They also assist in transitioning the child with special needs into adulthood with program designed to foster self-care, independence, and quality of life. For some, higher education and workplace training are also provided.

Some opt for private education in facilities which offering specialized programs and proper support networks.

Although many government agencies provide assistance, it can be confusing and difficult to know where to turn for specific needs.

Being aware of the support systems that are available is the first line of defense in obtaining assistance. Qualifying, applying and following program guidelines are additional steps often required.

Following, MyChild™ provides an overview of the types of services and the providers that are available, in hopes of creating awareness of opportunities which may be available. Admittedly, the list below is not fully comprehensive or all-inclusive. Our database, though, is vast and not all available online. Call MyChild™ call center representatives at

(800) 692-4453 today, for a list of customized resources that fit your child’s condition and your family’s circumstances.

The following is a list of some of the types of providers that may be of assistance. This is not intended to be a fully comprehensive list, but instead to provide a few of the types of providers the parents may turn to for assistance in managing their child’s condition during the child’s life span. Gaining knowledge of available resources is a powerful tool towards providing the care the family needs and the child deserves.

MyChild™ has categorized the service teams as follows:

• Care at Home Team
• Medical Care Team
• Government Services Team
• Education Team
• Community Support and Funding Team
• Legal Service Team
• Professional Service Team
• Product and Service Provider Team

These are detailed below.

Care at Home

Caregiver Services

• Health Care Providers
• Non-Certified Aides
• Private-Duty Hires
• Professional Caregivers
• Respite Providers

Daycare Services

• In-Home Licensed Daycare Provider
• Out-of-Home Licensed Daycare Provider
• Professional Nanny
• Family and Friends

Respite Services

• In-Home Respite Care Providers
• Out-of-Home Respite Care Providers
• Camps
• Group Homes
• Hospitals
• Residential Care Facilities

Home Health Care Services

• Home Health Care Assistants
• Hospice Services
• Medical Social Service Personnel
• Nursing
• Therapists

Personal Assistants

• Attendants
• Direct Support Professionals, or DSP
• Home Care Aides
• Personal Aides
• Personal Assistants, or PAs
• Personal Care Assistants, or PCAs

Service Animals

• Autism Animals
• Emotional Support Animals
• Guide Animals
• Hearing Animals
• Medical Alert Animals (Seizure Alert and Response)
• Service Animals
• Psychiatric Service Animals
• Therapy Animals

Meal Planning

• Clinical Dietitians
• Nurses
• Feeding Therapist (Occupational Therapist, Speech/Language Pathologist or Physiotherapy)
• Pediatrician
• Radiologist
• Pediatric Dentist
• Neurologist
• Otorhinolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist)

Mobility and Rehabilitation

• Physical Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Recreational Therapists
• Therapeutic Recreation Specialists
• Vocational Therapists
• Home Modification Experts
• Adaptive Equipment and Assistive Technology Procurement Experts

Recreation and Play

• Play Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Occupation Therapists
• Therapeutic Recreation Specialists
• Vocation Therapists

Socialization

• Behavioral Specialists
• Developmental Specialists
• Psychologists

Home Modifications

• Adaptive Equipment and Assistive Technology Procurement Experts
• Architectual Design Engineers
• Loan Specialists
• Occupational Therapists
• Product Design Engineers
• Real Estate Specialists
• Tax Experts
• Vocational Therapists
• U.S. Department of Housing and Development Agents
• Universal Design Specialists

Vehicle Modifications

• Automobile Manufacturers
• Driver Rehabilitative Specialists
• Mobility Experts
• Rehabilitative Engineers
• Rehabilitative Specialists
• Vehicle Modification Specialists

Medical Care

• Audiologist
• Behavioral Therapist
• Counselors and Social Workers
• Dentists/Orthodontists
• Developmental Behavioral Specialists
• Developmental Pediatrician
• ENT/Otorhinolangologist
• Geneticists
• Neonatologists
• Neurologists
• Neuroradiologists
• Nutritionists
• Obstetrics Gynecologists
• Occupational Therapist
• Ophthalmologists
• Orthopedist/Orthopedic Surgeons
• Orthotist
• Otologists
• Pediatrician
• Physical Therapists
• Psychologist
• Rehabilitation Medicine Specialist
• Researchers
• Speech and Language Pathologists
• Urologists

Government Services Team

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Administration for Children and Families, or ACF
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS
• Department of Developmental Disabilities, or DDS
• National Institutes of Health, or NIH
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, or NINDS
• National Library of Medicine, or NLM
• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, or NLS
• Office for Civil Rights, or OCR
• Office on Disability, or OD

Programs:

• Developmental Screening
• Home and Community-Based Services
• Long-Term Care Services and Supports
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Private Health Insurance
• Children’s Health Insurance
• Caregivers
• Health Care Providers

U.S. Social Security Administration

• Children’s Special Health Services
• Children’s Medical Services and Handicapped Children’s Program
• Library of Congress, or LOC
• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
• Handicapped, or NLS
• National Institutes of Health, or NIH
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, or NINDS
• U.S. National Library of Medicine, or NLM

U.S. Department of Education

• Office of Special Education Programs, or OSEP
• Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Service, or OSERS
• Office of Educational Research and Improvement, or OERI
• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities< or NICHCY
• National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, or NIDRR
• Vocational Rehabilitation Agency

U.S. Department of Justice

• Office for Civil Rights, or OCR
• Office on Violence Against Women
• The Protection and Advocacy System and Client Assistance Program, or CAP

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD

• Accessibility and Universal Design
• Community Planning and Development
• Emergency Financial Assistance
• Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program
• ENDependence Center
• Designated Housing Vouchers
• Federally Assisted Housing
• Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity
• Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines
• Ginnie Mae
• Home Ownership
• Homeless Resource Center
• Housing Locator Assistance
• Housing Discrimination
• Housing Loans
• Low Income Housing Tax Credits, LIHTC
• Office of Housing Choice Vouchers
• Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities
• Homelessness
• Public Housing Agency/Public Housing Programs
• Rental Assistance (for households with people with disabilities)
• Subsidized Housing
• Supportive Housing
• Tax Credits
• USDA Housing Assistance – U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA
• Vouchers

U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA

Housing Assistance

• USDA Housing Assistance

Food Assistance

• Women, Infants and Children, or WIC
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP
• School Meals
• Summer Food Service Program, or SFSP

U.S. Department of Labor

• Civil Rights Center, or CRC
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commision, or EEOC
• Equal Opportunity
• Employment and Training Administration, or ETA
• Office of Disability Employment Policy, or ODEP
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, or OASAM
• Unemployment Benefits

Programs:

• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Business Leadership Network
• Employer Assistance Referral Network
• Employment Rights
• Employers’ Responsibilities
• Job Accommodations
• Job Search
• Recruitment
• Small Business and Self-Employment
• Social Security
• Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program

Education Team

• Parents
• School Administrator/Principal
• Special Education Teacher
• General Education Teacher
• School Nurse
• School Psychologist/Social Worker
• School Counselor
• Speech and Language Pathologist
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Physical Education Teacher
• Paraprofessional
• Assistive Technology Specialist
• Special Consultants
• Transportation Specialist
• Vision and Hearing Specialist

Community Support and Funding Team

• Non-Government Organization Agency Representatives
• Community-Based Organization Agency Representatives
• Faith-Based Organization Leaders
• Cerebral Palsy Organization Representatives
• Disability Organization Representatives
• MyChild™ Call Center Representatives

Legal Service Team

• Birth Injury Lawyer
• Bankruptcy Lawyer
• Civil Rights Lawyer
• Consumer Lawyer
• Education Lawyer
• Elder Lawyer
• Family Lawyer
• Financial Services Lawyer
• Health Care Lawyer
• Insurance Lawyer
• Labor and Employment Lawyer
• Medical Malpractice Lawyer
• Negligence Lawyer
• Personal Injury Lawyer
• Real Estate Lawyer
• Social Security Lawyer
• Taxation Lawyer
• Trusts, Estate, Wills and Probate Lawyer

Professional Service Team

• Accountants
• Bankers
• Estate Planners
• Financial Planners
• Health Insurance Agents
• Life Insurance Agents
• Real Estate Specialists

Product and Service Provider Team

Includes product and service providers in the following categories:

• Care and Comfort
• Communication
• Daily Living
• Eating and Food Preparation
• Emergency Preparedness
• Financial Planning
• Home
• Hygiene
• Independence and Self-Care
• Inspiration
• Language and Speech
• Learning
• Leisure
• Mobility, Orthotics and Prosthesis
• Play
• Reading
• Recreation and Sports
• Rehabilitation
• Relaxation
• Safety and Security
• School and Education
• Socialization
• Travel
• Transportation
• Travel
• Workplace