Supporting children with disabilities and their families as early as possible can greatly improve their quality of life. Some children with disabilities require access to specialized services. This includes support for nutrition and feeding as children with disabilities are three times as likely to be malnourished as other children, and twice as likely to die from malnutrition.
Programs can reduce the risk of malnutrition among children with disabilities by, for example, equipping service providers and caregivers with the information and skills required to care for children with disabilities. Programs can also help children and families build resilience against the social and environmental barriers that prevent their full participation in society by providing community based interventions and helping caregivers build stronger bonds within their families and communities.
Caregivers of children with feeding difficulties or disabilities may face particular mental health challenges, therefore this section includes some key resources that, while not specific for caregivers of children with feeding difficulties or disabilities, can be particularly useful for supporting their mental health and well-being.
Use the resources in this section to better understand the needs of children with disabilities and their families and improve the support provided to them.
We found 34 resource(s)
Ubuntu Manual: Working Together with Families of Children with Developmental Disabilities
Training Material published by Ubuntu in
Ubuntu aims to increase the knowledge and skills required for caring for a child with a developmental disability
Baby Ubuntu
Training Material published by Ubuntu in
Baby Ubuntu includes training, supervision, and mentoring of facilitators and provides recommendations on how to monitor and evaluate the program.
Supporting Children's Speech and Cognitive Development from Birth to Seven Years Old
Assessment Tool published by Save the Children Italy, Save the Children Sweden in
This tool provides parents and caregivers with ways to understand, follow, and stimulate their children’s language, speech, and cognitive development at home.
The Blue Box: Promoting the Development of All Children through Routines and Play
Brief published by Humanity & Inclusion in
This brief provides an overview of the Blue Box, a tool that involves parents and caregivers to prevent or mitigate developmental delay of children ages 2 months to 3 years through the act of play.
Training Manual for Caregivers of Children with Disabilities
Training Material published by UNICEF Ghana and the Department of Social Welfare of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in
This training manual equips caregivers of children with disabilities with the knowledge and skills to provide care for children to grow, develop, and become productive in society.
Caring for the Caregiver (CFC) Training Module
Training Material published by UNICEF and WHO in
The CFC training module builds frontline workers’ skills in strengths-based counseling to help caregivers overcome the barriers that reduce their capacity to provide care by encouraging self-care, family engagement, and social support.
Caregiver Psychosocial Support Session Guide: Helping Young Children with Disabilities Meet their Potential
Training Material published by Maternal Child Survival Project (MCSP) in
This manual guides peers, counselors, and community health workers through facilitating caregiver psychosocial support sessions.
Juntos
Training Material published by Ubuntu in
Juntos is a program to help caregivers of children with congenital Zika syndrome understand their child and to build support networks that will improve their care in the community.
