Special Needs Kids Enjoy Day of Fun

Amid sculptures including the Aztec calendar and Mexican murals, young patients in the Harris County Hospital District's Community/Family Resources Program for Children with Special Health Care Needs enjoyed a day of fun Aug. 2, while their parents received support and learned information important to their children's care.

The occasion was the hospital district's second Family Appreciation Day, hosted at Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts in the downtown area.

The children are seen regularly at Harris-Ben Taub General Hospital and Harris-Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital. They range in age from newborn to 21, and have chronic illnesses and/or disabilities, including cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, asthma, diabetes, seizure disorders, and developmental delays.

Participating parents learned strategies for stress reduction, navigating the special education system and how to access resources and services for children with special needs. Children's activities included entertainment by Rainbow the Clown, a petting zoo and arts and crafts. Families were treated to a spaghetti lunch and received gifts of backpacks, gift certificates for school supplies and more.

The Children with Special Health Care Needs Community/Family Resources Program is funded through the Texas Department of Health and provides information, referrals, education, and advocacy for families of children receiving medical care in the Pediatric Specialty Clinics at Harris-Ben Taub and Harris-LBJ hospitals. Since its inception in 1999, the program has served more than 2,000 children and their families.

---

©2006 Texas Medical Center

---

E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/09_01_01/page_15.html