Health Issues and Management for Children with Disabilities attending Daycare Centers

Kim, Ji Soo

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to investigate health issues of children with disabilities attending daycare centers, and to identify the way of teachers' management on child health.
METHODS
A cross-sectional descriptive study design was performed with a convenience sampling of 127 teachers from 19 daycare centers for children with disabilities and 175 teachers from 17 general daycare centers. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS 17.0 program.
RESULTS
For the last one month, about 90% of the teachers working in daycare centers for children with disabilities had to care for sick children. When a child is sick, 50% of the teachers tended to contact with the parents of the child. The majority of the teachers caring for sick children experienced difficulties with no one available to give expert health care advice.
CONCLUSION
The results of the study indicate that there are many health issues in daycare centers for children with disabilities and therefore health professionals need to be available to the centers. Specifically, health management services and programs need to be developed and provided for children with disabilities.