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Children and Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities in Humanitarian Settings

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Child, Adolescent and Family Refugee Mental Health

Abstract

Developmental disabilities (DD) refer to a wide range of conditions manifesting in childhood by affecting skills normally acquired in infants and children over time (such as motor and communication skills as well as overall learning abilities) and typically persisting into adulthood. Despite the formal protection of an existing legal framework that includes the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, children with DD are an invisible and vulnerable group in any setting because they cannot advocate for their needs and rights. Due to their disability, children with DD face enormous challenges, including being victims of neglect, discrimination, and abuse; their vulnerabilities are amplified further by forced displacement. In humanitarian contexts, children with DD encounter disproportionately greater difficulties than other children in removing themselves from harm, in coping with the impact of a humanitarian crisis, and in adapting to the resulting changes ensuing in their lives. Additionally, caregivers are also impacted by the emergent situation and are often not able to attend to their children’s needs. This chapter provides some basic knowledge that all cadres working with victims of humanitarian crisis, including academicians, clinicians, as well as humanitarian workers with different focus areas, should have on children with DD. It includes descriptions of the particular challenges faced by this population of displaced children, common manifestations, and recommendations for their management in migration and resettlement. Key resources that supplement this chapter are listed when related topics are discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For example, in some cultures, a DD is considered a curse or result of black magic or a punishment for caregivers’ actions.

  2. 2.

    See:

    1. (i)

      CDC Developmental milestones at https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/checklists/Checklists-with-Tips_Reader_508.pdf

    2. (ii)

      mhGAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide Box ID 1: Developmental milestones: warning signs to watch for (p.44) at http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/162960/9789241548922_eng.pdf;jsessionid=71BD9206C489806502219F30861C39E7?sequence=1

    3. (iii)

      Where There is No Psychiatrist at https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/where-there-is-no-psychiatrist/47578A845CAFC7E23A181749A4190B54

  3. 3.

    Academic difficulties ought not be confused with intellectual disability, even though these may represent warning signs (see section below).

  4. 4.

    One simple exercise is to breathe into a count of 4, hold it in for 8, and breathe out 8. Repeat this cycle 3 times.

  5. 5.

    See:

    1. (i)

      Nurturing Care Framework at http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/child/nurturing-care-framework/en/

    2. (ii)

      Care for Child Development Package at https://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/index_68195.html

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Acknowledgments

We’d like to acknowledge for review of chapter Dr. Karen Olness (Case Western Reserve University), Dr. Daniel Martinez Garcia (Medecins Sans Frontieres), Dr. Ana Maria Tijerino (Medecins Sans Frontieres), Dr. Ilgi Ertem (Ankara University), as well as the review and encouragement of Dr. Judy Palfrey (Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard University)

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Independent Consultant, Milan, Italy

    Vanessa Cavallera

  2. Consultant in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, London, UK

    Ramzi Nasir

  3. Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Kerim Munir

Authors
  1. Vanessa Cavallera
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  2. Ramzi Nasir
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  3. Kerim Munir
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Suzan J. Song

  2. Public Health Section (Division of Resilience and Solutions), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Genève, Geneve, Switzerland

    Peter Ventevogel

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Cavallera, V., Nasir, R., Munir, K. (2020). Children and Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities in Humanitarian Settings. In: Song, S., Ventevogel, P. (eds) Child, Adolescent and Family Refugee Mental Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45278-0_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45278-0_12

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-45278-0

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