Meet the child with intellectual disability at DPF
A child with special needs is one who requires some form of special care due to physical, mental, emotional or health reasons. Children with special needs are also commonly referred to as children with disabilities. The DPF defines a child with a disability more specifically as one who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits the child’s ability to care for herself or himself, perform manual tasks, or engage in any other “major life activity,” such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, or learning, in an age-appropriate manner. The kind of disability a child might have can vary greatly — allergies, moderate retardation, cerebral palsy, or even a terminal illness may each be considered a disability. A child with a disability can be one who is visually or hearing impaired, non-ambulatory, has a learning disability, or has an emotional or mental illness. Even a child with a severe behavioral problem whom you or others might regard as having an emotional or mental disability may be protected, regardless of whether that child is, or can be, formally diagnosed as having a disability. Because each child is unique and has unique needs, no single approach to caring for children with disabilities can be applied to all children, or even to those with the same disability. However, you should keep a few basic principles in mind. Children with disabilities are more similar than different from other children. Like all children, those with disabilities should be encouraged to help themselves as much as they can.
What is our DPF Community Day-Care Center( Respite Care)?
Our Community Day-Care Center(CDC) of families caring for children with disabilities is one way DPF could provide community services. In western countries respite care services have been offered for caregivers of elderly parents. Respite care services have also been provided for caregivers of children/adults with disabilities. This usually involves the elderly parents or person with disability staying at a center for one to two weeks thus allowing the caregiver to rest.
In the context of Cambodia, respite care could mean a place for families caring for children with disabilities to leave the children for a morning, afternoon or both. The families would then have time to earn money or tend to other household duties. The children would receive needed physical therapy and/or participate in educational play activities. Our center opens from 8:00AM till 4:00PM and our center is for everyone who wish to come and share, it is belonging to the communities.
Essentially this model of respite care could be referred to as “daycare”. However the main goal of a program like this would be to allow family members the time they need in order to earn much needed income. It has been recognized that disability is both a result and a cause of poverty especially in developing countries. Lack of medical care can lead to disability and then caring for a child with disabilities leads to a family member staying a home instead of earning needed income for the family.
In the context of Cambodia, respite care could mean a place for families caring for children with disabilities to leave the children for a morning, afternoon or both. The families would then have time to earn money or tend to other household duties. The children would receive needed physical therapy and/or participate in educational play activities. Our center opens from 8:00AM till 4:00PM and our center is for everyone who wish to come and share, it is belonging to the communities.
Essentially this model of respite care could be referred to as “daycare”. However the main goal of a program like this would be to allow family members the time they need in order to earn much needed income. It has been recognized that disability is both a result and a cause of poverty especially in developing countries. Lack of medical care can lead to disability and then caring for a child with disabilities leads to a family member staying a home instead of earning needed income for the family.
Why we are serving the daycare to children with mental disabilities
Despite having made significant strides toward improving the lives of persons with disabilities, there is still much work to be done within the Cambodian disability sector. While casualties resulting from landmines/ERW continue to decrease, disease and injury have come to represent the cause of more than half of all disabilities in Cambodia. Consistent with the overall population distribution, more than half of Cambodia’s persons with disabilities are under the age of twenty. As such, the coming years are a critical period for the development and implementation of programs addressing children with moderate and severely disabilities. Children with moderate and severely disabilities are particularly vulnerable in Cambodia, as they face significant discrimination both within and outside the family and have very few services currently available to them regarding quality of education, daycare services and accessibility. It is important to recognize that while intellectual disability can result from genetic and environmental factors, it may also be caused by social factors, such as the level of child stimulation and adult responsiveness, as well as educational factors, such as the availability of family and educational support that promotes mental development and adaptive skills. Such factors play a particularly important role during early childhood development
Thanks to the Lord for daily food
Importance of Food Nutrition
Food nutrition is a key element in maintaining our overall physical well being. We must always pay attention to the foods that we eat because they will eventually impact our health, for better or for worst. We have more information available about the benefits of every particular food group than we’ve ever had before, which is why we also have a bigger responsibility than ever before to make assertive and responsible food choices.
Carbohydrates, fats and proteins have each got a specific function to serve in our bodies. The key to good health lies in maintaining balanced food nutrition.
Our body transforms carbohydrates to sugar that gives in the necessary energy to perform daily activities such as work, study, or exercise. Carbohydrates can be found in fruits, and in whole grain bread, pasta, and rice. Proteins are the main components of the muscles of our body. Foods that provide protein include red meat, white meat, nuts, and dairy products. Doctors recommend eating more white meat such as fish and chicken than red meat.
We must take care of their health, we must seek to achieve and maintain a strong, flexible and vital physique. I cannot emphasize enough the positive benefits that food nutrition and regular exercise have upon our emotional and physical well being. We should teach children healthy eating habits because when you learn something from a small age it becomes a custom and you are more likely to follow this custom for the rest of your life.
Food nutrition is a key element in maintaining our overall physical well being. We must always pay attention to the foods that we eat because they will eventually impact our health, for better or for worst. We have more information available about the benefits of every particular food group than we’ve ever had before, which is why we also have a bigger responsibility than ever before to make assertive and responsible food choices.
Carbohydrates, fats and proteins have each got a specific function to serve in our bodies. The key to good health lies in maintaining balanced food nutrition.
Our body transforms carbohydrates to sugar that gives in the necessary energy to perform daily activities such as work, study, or exercise. Carbohydrates can be found in fruits, and in whole grain bread, pasta, and rice. Proteins are the main components of the muscles of our body. Foods that provide protein include red meat, white meat, nuts, and dairy products. Doctors recommend eating more white meat such as fish and chicken than red meat.
We must take care of their health, we must seek to achieve and maintain a strong, flexible and vital physique. I cannot emphasize enough the positive benefits that food nutrition and regular exercise have upon our emotional and physical well being. We should teach children healthy eating habits because when you learn something from a small age it becomes a custom and you are more likely to follow this custom for the rest of your life.
How can you find a good child care?
To ensure your special needs child is looked after you might also like to consider the following questions and discuss them with the providers you contact:
- What is the carer's attitude to people with disabilities in general?
- What is the carer's attitude towards your child and their special needs?
- Does the carer look after any other special needs children or have they in the past?
- Does the carer seem comfortable or nervous discussing your child's special needs?
- Does the carer seem interested in your child and their development?
- Is there anyone on staff specifically trained to care for special needs children?
- Is there additional and/or tailored programming for children with special needs? Can you participate in the development of this program?
- Does the carer seem welcoming and friendly or do you sense some hesitancy in their treatment of your child?
- Do you like the way the carer interacts with your child on your visit and does your child respond well to their attention?
- How would the center handle your child's eating, sleeping and toileting needs?
- Can your child be included in established routines with minimal disruption?
- Does the carer seem keen to involve you in the program?
- Do you think you would feel comfortable talking to the carers about any concerns you or your child was having?
- Would the carer be willing to work with and accept advice from any other professionals you and your child are involved with?
- What is the carer's protocol for contacting these professionals?
- At the end of the visit does the carer encourage you to contact them if you have additional questions or concerns?