When raising a child with special needs or a disability, it becomes quite evident early on that you will one, be very busy and two, meet a LOT of new people. These people range from doctors and nurses, to therapists, teachers, and other parents sitting in the countless same waiting rooms as you. These people become part of your TEAM.
I believe there are three teams that are necessary in managing life while raising a non-typical child: a Medical team, a Therapy team and a Support team. These teams can be hard to assemble, but when you do figure out the right players, everything does seem to fall into place.
The Medical Team is obviously very specific to your child’s specific diagnosis and disabilities. Your child may be “born” into a team, based on the hospital you chose to deliver him or her. This was the case for Dubbers; however, we have since moved to another Manhattan hospital and affiliation for most of his doctors. My biggest advice concerning the Medical Team is to not settle and seek the best. We are very fortunate as New Yorkers, to live in a city with so many top doctors and hospitals. Take advantage and find the right Pediatrician and Specialists, even if it means going further down or uptown. I made the mistake of keeping Dubbers’ care with a Medical Team that was not acting as a team and not knowledgeable enough about his needs. Since establishing care with a new Pediatric group and Specialists this past fall, we have been impressed and confident we made the right decision.
The other two teams, Therapy and Support, will be posted this week.
