Premise:
(1) Some children who need assistance with ongoing health issues do not receive it.
(2) One problem may be that systems are focused on diagnoses ("categories") and therefore miss the whole picture.
(3) Use of a "non-categorical" approach will improve allocation of resources to those who need it.
Criteria - All of the following:
(1) presence of one or more conditions with a biologic, psychologic and/or cognitive basis
(2) chronic (has lasted for >= 1 year or can be expected to last that long)
(3) presence of one or more of the following:
(3a) limitations (impairments, disabilities) compared to healthy peers of the same age
(3b) dependency on an intervention to compensate for or minimize limitations
(3c) need for services in excess of the usual requirements for age
Limitations may affect:
(1) physical, emotional, and/or cognitive function
(2) participation in activities
(3) social participation
Interventions needed to compensate or minimize limitations may include:
(1) medications
(2) special diet
(3) medical technology
(4) assistive devices
(5) human assistance
Services may include:
(1) medical care
(2) psychological services
(3) educational services
(4) special accomodations at school
(5) special accomodations at home
Limitations:
• If the problems facing a child cannot be defined, then formulating an effective treatment plan to correct the problems is almost impossible. This emphasizes coping over curing.
• There is a potential for inviting fraud since people may not feel the need to look too deep into a child's problems.
