Possible Special Needs B/A Care Child

[Brooksie]

Does any one here have any experience caring for a child with CP? I have a family that has been searching for child care for their special needs 13 year old daughter and also their 8 month old son. The girl with CP will only be here before and after care or if school is closed. Any information, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Even just how the day goes with caring for a special needs child + a few toddlers. Thanks ahead of time!

[Starburst]

My only expierince with someone with CP was when I was in Cosmotolgy in high school I had to cut the hair of a girl with cerebral palsy (we were both 17 at the time) and I was afraid at first because I never had expierience with CP before and I thought maybe it was one of those special needs that causes emotional out bursts and also she couldn't keep her head up straight, she didn't really talk, and she was in a wheel chair. She wanted it short and I didn't want to mess up. Towards the end she didn't put up a fuss or anything but her advocate was ANNOYING the heck out of me! He was over my shoulder the whole time saying 'I don't think those scissors are sharp enough'- I wanted to yell at him "DUDE! GO SIT DOWN!" (lol- I should have) because I was afraid the more he critisied the haircut the more she would get upset but she didn't and they both liked it at the end.

I am currently taking a class on 'children with special needs' and all I can tell you is that every child is different (temperment, age, family background, family situation) and every case of CP, Autism, ADD/ADHD, down syndrom (pretty much any wide spectrum of special needs classification) is different.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Brooksie

Does any one here have any experience caring for a child with CP? I have a family that has been searching for child care for their special needs 13 year old daughter and also their 8 month old son. The girl with CP will only be here before and after care or if school is closed. Any information, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Even just how the day goes with caring for a special needs child + a few toddlers. Thanks ahead of time!

This would totally depend on the needs of the DCG and what the parents expectations are from you....kwim?

I guess I would really just want the parents to answer ALL my questions pretty thoroughly before I could decide if I were willing to do it or not.

There is a certain amount of liability I would and woudn't be comfortable with.

[cheerfuldom]

you absolutely need to get specifics about this child's care. I do take kids with special needs but they need to be able to keep up with the other kids. I dont change diapers for kids over 4. I cannot physically carry a child over 50lbs (and even then it would depend on how much they needed physically). I do not spoon feed kids over 2. I dont have a wheelchair accessible home.

I do have some kids here with delays. I currently have a 3.5 year old that is physically and mentally about 18 months behind but she can keep up with the other kids in general. She is in diapers still but she can self feed and she can walk so its doable for my program.

You need to figure out the specific capabilities and needs of this child. Are there medications to be administered? or something severe like tube feeding, wheelchairs/non walking child, therapists coming to the home to work with them, etc.

you need to tell them about your program. What do you do during those times? What would you expect this girl to be able to do? Do you need to be able to get her outside so the other kids can play?