Health Related Issues for Individuals with Special Health Care Needs

More than 50 million individuals in the United States with developmental disabilities, complex medical problems, significant physical limitations, and a vast array of other conditions considered under the rubric of “disabilities” live in our communities, many as a result of deinstitutionalization and mainstreaming. Children and adults with special health care needs have become a much more integral and visible component of everyday life. This process represents an ongoing change in perceptions about individuals with disabilities and subsequent reform of policies concerning the rights and the principles of care for people with special needs. The reform was built upon an increased role for the family and community health practitioners in providing needed care.