Early Intervention for Children with Special Needs

Social attitudes toward physical and mental disability in Romania can be negative. Children born with special needs can be discounted and shunned by their community. Parents fear social stigma, often have a lack of understanding of their child’s needs and some live in poverty. As a result children with special needs are vulnerable and at high risk of being put into state institutions.  

Without specialist and individual therapy from an early age, mild to moderate disabilities become severe. After the age of five, children are less likely to respond to intervention.

Institutional state care further delays the development of children with special needs as often children develop associated disabilities. Children who develop in state institutions are not integrated into society. These children will often require long term nursing care, which ironically results in significantly higher social efforts and costs.

Together with its partner organisation, Children on the Edge works to prevent children with special needs being placed in state institutions through early intervention. Centres with specialist staff offer daily rehabilitation for these children. Parents learn the skills required to care for their child and have adequate support. As a result, their child is more likely to integrate into the community long term. In time, the community learns to accept the child and their needs and eventually learn to respect the child and the family.