This section contains tools and resources to help you get the most from your health care appointments and maintain connections with the many professionals in your child's life. As you know, coordination of care among your child's primary care provider, medial specialists and community professionals can be difficult and time consuming. Staff in the office of your child's primary health care provider will work with you to identify resources and scheduling appointments with medical specialists. In addition, the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center (CDRC) supports 3 local programs that provide assistance with care coordination and related services. They are the CaCoon program (Care Coordination), the Community Connections Network and our Medical Home Resource Teams. Limited care coordination services may also be available through the Exceptional Needs Care Coordination (ENCC's) of your child's health plan.

The Medical Home Resource Team "works behind the scenes" in your child's primary care office. We have six Resource Teams in six different communities in Oregon. Each team is composed of parents of CSHN, a community health nurse, a pediatrician and other office staff. The role of the Resource Team is to help you and the staff in the primary care office locate the information and resources that you need. The Resource Team also works with office staff to change the way services are provided in the office such as identifying ways to regularly request the ideas and recommendations of families.

If you have questions about your young child's development or behavior, contact your Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) services provider. They will tell you what services are available and how to get your child evaluated. Make sure you also have discussed these concerns with your child's primary care provider.

In addition, review the information on individual health care plans and emergency managment plans for educational setting in the section, information for educators, and the information on transitioning to adult services in the section, information for providers.  The Center for Children with Special Needs at Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center, Seattle has developed a variety of materials for families with school-age children.  These materials include the check lists:

• When your chld with special needs goest to school
• playground safety

Note: The information and resources in this section are provided for educational purposes only. The information is not intended to provide medical advice or professional services and should not be used for treating a health care problem or disease and certainly not a substitute for professional care. If you have questions about some of this information, please talk with your health care provider.

In addition, resources information may change rapidly. If you notice an error in the referral guide or other materials, please contact us.