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Nutrition Interventions for Children with Special Health Care Needs

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Section 1 - Determination of <strong>Nutrition</strong> Status<br />

require referral <strong>for</strong> evaluation by the appropriate therapist or specialist. The nutrition<br />

assessment is one of the essential elements of a comprehensive interdisciplinary<br />

team evaluation and intervention plan. Table 1-2 provides parameters <strong>for</strong> completing<br />

nutrition assessments and indicators <strong>for</strong> nutrition intervention.<br />

<strong>Nutrition</strong> Intervention<br />

Planning and providing nutrition care and intervention <strong>for</strong> children <strong>with</strong> special health<br />

care needs is often complex because many factors interact to affect nutritional<br />

status. Optimal nutrition care involves consultation and care coordination <strong>with</strong><br />

professionals from a variety of disciplines. The interdisciplinary team may consist of<br />

the child and family, PCP, occupational therapist (OT), physical therapist (PT), speech<br />

language pathologist/ therapist (SLP), RD, behavior specialist, social worker, PHN,<br />

and home health care providers. Other community agencies such as schools, early<br />

intervention programs, hospitals, specialty clinics, the <strong>Special</strong> Supplemental <strong>Nutrition</strong><br />

Program <strong>for</strong> Women, Infants and <strong>Children</strong> (WIC), Head Start, day care, Division of<br />

Developmental Disabilities, and Child Protective Services may also be involved.<br />

The team approach consists of professionals working in a family-centered partnership<br />

to coordinate services and provide continuity of care <strong>for</strong> the child and family. With<br />

input from team members, a specific plan of nutrition intervention is developed. The<br />

nutrition intervention step of the <strong>Nutrition</strong> <strong>Care</strong> Process should be culturally-sensitive<br />

and have a preventive emphasis. <strong>Nutrition</strong> care goals and objectives (or outcomes)<br />

can become a part of the child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Individualized<br />

Family Service Plan (IFSP) (See Chapter 12). Reassessment should occur at regular<br />

intervals to monitor the child’s nutrition status, and evaluate the effectiveness of the<br />

nutrition intervention. Based on the reassessment, nutrition goals and objectives<br />

may be modified to meet the needs of the child and family (5).<br />

<strong>Nutrition</strong> <strong>Interventions</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Children</strong> With <strong>Special</strong> <strong>Health</strong> <strong>Care</strong> <strong>Needs</strong> 3

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