Serving Children with Disabilities Handbooks for Child Welfare Workers
These handbooks were developed as part of a training program developed by the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (aka Georgetown University Child Development Center), through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This program is designed to help child welfare workers and other professionals who provide support to families with young children (ages birth-8 years) served by the social service system. The handbooks will help staff to:
Identify various disabilities found in young children and the characteristics associated with them;
- Develop skills needed to identify young children who may have disabilities;
- Recognize the extra stress families face as they raise a child who has special needs;
- Identify strategies for assisting families in the care of their child with a disability;
- Identify the components of IDEA and the services available through it;
- Assist families to obtain the services their children need; and
- Assist families to recognize and use their own resources and supports as well as those in their communities.
Audience
The handbooks were designed for use by child welfare personnel working with child protective services, family preservation programs, foster care, and adoption services. Other service providers such as legal advocates, health professionals, childcare providers and others who interact with children in the social service system will also find the manuals helpful. Professionals may also find it helpful to use one or more of the manuals with parents of children who have special needs.
Description of the Handbooks
Developmental Disabilities. This handbook provides child welfare personnel with information about various developmental disabilities to help them recognize signs of disabilities in the children they serve. Key developmental milestones children achieve as they grow and develop as well as atypical behaviors are described. In addition biological and social factors that may increase a child's risk for developmental disability are described.
Supporting Families with Children with Disabilities. This handbook focuses on the impact a child with disabilities can have on family life. It highlights the issues families find important in obtaining and coordinating care for their child and suggests strategies child welfare workers can use to work with families to reduce stress and build on family's strengths.
Accessing Services Through IDEA. The services and supports available to children from birth through age 21 through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are described. By understanding this legislation, child welfare workers can help families obtain needed services for their children, understand and available supports, and transition smoothly from one service system to another as their child grows.
Use of the Handbooks
The three handbooks in this series can be used in training programs for social workers, child welfare personnel, and other professionals working with young children.
They can be used in conjunction with other materials:
- For inservice training for child welfare and social service personnel;
- During orientation for newly hired social service personnel;
- Within training programs for foster case and adoptive families;
- As a component of a university-based social work curriculum;
- For continuing education purposes; and
- As a self-study course.
A program of staff education that focuses on child development and disabilities can be created with continuing education units (CEUs) awarded at the end of the course. To facilitate award of CEUs, the program objectives and a pre/post test are included in the handbooks. Discussion questions also are included. Related activities will help to further the learning experience.
Companion Videos
Along with these manuals are three companion video tapes, "Developmental Disabilities", "Supporting Families with Children with Disabilities", and "Accessing Services Through IDEA". The video tapes are available, free of charge, by contacting Mary Moreland by e-mail or calling 202-687-8803.
