HEAD START®

Caring for Children with
Chronic Conditions

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community

Table of Contents | Preface | Introduction | Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3
| Continuing Professional Development | Resources

MODULE 3: Next Steps - Ideas to Extend Practic

Module 3 | Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3 | Next Steps

1. Take Another Look at Your Children

Head Start programs serve many children with asthma–both those diagnosed with asthma and those with symptoms consistent with asthma who have not received adequate diagnosis and treatment.

Take another look at the health records of children in your Head Start program who are diagnosed with asthma. Do you have all of the information that you need to care for them? Is the information clearly documented? Has an Individualized Health Plan been developed for each of these children? Do you periodically review and revise the Health Plan? Do you have plans for transitioning the child to another school?

2. Extend the Example: Care for Children with Other Special Health Needs

This module used the example of caring for children with asthma to demonstrate the main principles of caring for children with special health needs in Head Start. Extend this example to develop effective care plans for all children with special health needs in your Head Start program.

Review the process that your Head Start program uses to assess children's special health needs. What questions do you need to ask? How do you need to document the information? Who should be involved in assessing the child's health needs and developing a specific health plan for each child with special health needs?

What other special health needs do children in your program have? Use written, computer, and human resources to gain a greater understanding of the health conditions. Review and revise the health forms that you have used, if needed. Make sure that every child with special health needs has an Individualized Health Plan, follow-up and transition plan.