Family - Whanau

Children with special needs

If you have a baby with special needs, a premature baby, or have had a multiple birth you may find you need extra support and information to help with your child’s needs. This may be because the baby is very small or has a health problem.

If your child has a disability, they might take more time to reach the different stages and learn new things. They will need lots of opportunities to learn, with you setting limits and boundaries to guide their behaviour as they grow and develop with your love and warmth.

For extra support and information, you may like to talk to your midwife, specialist or Plunket Nurse about the services available in the community. It may help you to make a list of questions before their visit. You may like to talk with your specialist about a disability allowance for your child.

Skip brochure - Children with Special Needs

Support organisations:

http://www.nzmba.info/ - New Zealand Multiple Birth Association

http://www.parent2parent.org.nz/ - Parent to Parent is a support and information network for parents of children with special needs. Support is provided voluntarily by Trained Support Parents who have a child with the same or similar needs.

http://www.ihc.org.nz/ - This website is about living with intellectual disability in New Zealand.IHC New Zealand Inc will advocate for the rights, inclusion and welfare of all people with an intellectual disability and support them to live satisfying lives in the community.

http://www.pvi.org.nz/ - Parents of Vision Impaired (N.Z.) Incorporated, simply known as “P.V.I.” has of over 2000 parents nationwide enrolled who have blind or vision impaired children.

http://www.rnzfb.org.nz/ - The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind is New Zealand's primary provider of vision-related services to blind, deaf-blind and vision-impaired people.

http://www.deafchildren.org.nz/ - New Zealand Federation for Deaf Children Incorporated (NZFDC) is a National group made up of Parent Groups throughout New Zealand.

http://www.nfd.org.nz/ - The National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD) is a non-profit, non-government organisation.

http://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/  - CCS Disability Action provides services and support for all people with disabilities. It works at the forefront of social change to ensure the rights of disabled people are acknowledged and that disabled people are included in all aspects of life.

http://www.autismnz.org.nz/ - Autism New Zealand Inc. provides support, training, advocacy, resources and information on autism spectrum disorders including Asperger syndrome.