Abstract:

The services are provided mainly at home. This situation seems to meet the needs of the parents as a recent survey shows. Accessibility to the services is quite good although some parents with a disabled baby report that they did not receive adequate information. ECI services in Belgium do not provide therapies or medical care. They act as a mediator to empower the families as a whole. The use of existing regular services in hospitals, in specific rehabilitation centres or delivered by private therapists is encouraged. Various challenges are presented. Among others, we wonder how the ECI services will be able in a next future to cope with the increasing demands. Further, for the parents, a balance is to be found between the need for appropriate support and the need to assimilate the elements of the situation, find some landmarks and become able to take their own decisions. The networking with various regular services is another important challenge. Finally we explore the question of training and the necessary links to be maintained between in-service training and research.

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