Reference no: EM133156613

Question: As noted in chapter five of Hanson & Lynch (2013), bringing a new baby into a family not only brings a new found joy and hope, but also some trepidation and stress. Stress is normal, but when a family brings in a child with disabilities, there are additional stressors created due to higher amounts of care and the need for different medical professionals (Hanson & Lynch, 2013, p. 101). Some stressors that can be added on to families with a child with a disability is having different interactions with medical and health care field workers, the education system, and social services (Hanson & Lynch, 2013, p. 101). When receiving additional services, such as outpatient therapies or other medical equipment being brought in, parents are then met with increased bills and can be put into a financial burden to be able to provide for their child (Hanson & Lynch, 2013, p. 101). Because the child may need more daily care, the roles of the family members can also become confused, as well as routines and priorities in the family getting mixed up (Hanson & Lynch, 2013, p. 101).

Within the State of Ohio, there is a program called Help Me Grow (HMG). HMG is an evidenced-based parent support program that provides prenatal and well-baby care, education for parents to promote comprehensive health, as well as enhancing the development of the child . The supports within the program include Early Intervention, Home Visiting, and Moms and Babies First. For the family within the case study, the mother Gennifer, her mother, or her grandmother could make the initial referral for Demiko to have access to this program.

Another program I would suggest to Gennifer and her family is the Wood County Rehabilitation Center. Because of Demiko's speech delay and cerebral palsy, I would recommend that Gennifer take her son for physical, occupational and speech therapy. It is here that they would work on building up his muscle and strength, completing everyday tasks, such as brushing his teeth, crawling and walking, and working on developing his speech and providing tools to help the muscles in his mouth become stronger so he can make different sounds and say new words!