Special Needs Families in the Military

A Resource Guide

By (author) Janelle B. Moore, Don Philpott

Hardback - £44.00

Publication date:

16 January 2011

Length of book:

280 pages

Publisher

Government Institutes

Dimensions:

240x162mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781605907154

The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" is especially true for families with special needs children. It takes an "army" of therapists, doctors, nurses, counselors, and educators. Special needs families in the military often find the task even more daunting, compounded by the unique circumstances of military life today. Even though the challenges are often greater, there are many helpful resources for families in the military who are raising a special needs child. In Special Needs Families in the Military: A Resource Guide, authors Janelle Hill and Don Philpott provide advice on the many issues that arise, including diagnoses, financial support, education, medical care, case management, insurance, advocacy, and coping with the accompanying mental and emotional trials.

The book covers the basic challenges which all special needs families must face, and also pays special attention to those resources, programs, and aids available to special needs families in the military, where the added stresses of military life often make things seem overwhelming. This book guides special needs families through all the procedures and protocol they must face, and offers helpful tips for setbacks and unexpected challenges that may arise. It is essential reading for military families with special needs children and those who work with them.

From the authors of The Wounded Warrior Handbook (Rowman & Littlefield, 2008), this volume fills the need for guidance and advice for military families with special-needs children. As explained in the foreword, the book “is not intended to be a guide for any specific special need, but an overall ‘compass’ of sorts to help families familiarize themselves with their options.” Some of these options, such as the Special Care Organizational Record (SCOR) for Children with Special Health Care Needs, provided by the Department of Defense, are unique to the military, making this an especially useful guide. A number of challenges, such as the discontinuity caused by frequent moves to new locations, are unique as well. Chapters cover diagnoses, caregiving, education, insurance, funding support, legal issues, advocacy, and more. Resources such as TRICARE (the military health entitlement program) and the Exceptional Family Medical Programs of each branch of the military are clearly explained. A final chapter provides sample letters and lists of useful websites and phone numbers. Although the focus is on children, many of the benefits and services (as well as the challenges) apply to adults as well. In a process that is already fraught with confusion and misunderstanding, dealing with the changing policies, services, and terms used from location to location only adds to the stress. This book will help alleviate some of the confusion.