Specialized services is provided based on the individual needs of the child and family when:

• the child has a severe disability that is significantly limiting their ability to function in normal daily living activities

• the family needs to provide continual and ongoing assistance and supervision to ensure their child’s safety and ability to participate in normal daily living activities

• the child has critical service needs in two or more areas, including behaviours, communication and social skills, physical abilities, cognitive abilities, or self-help skills, and

• the child's and family's service needs can not be met by other programs or services.

The term “severe disability” refers to the degree to which the child is limited in their ability to function in normal daily living activities and the extra care demands this creates for their family.

What is a Multi-Disciplinary Team?

The FSCD Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) is a group of health professionals established by the FSCD program to provide information to support FSCD in making decisions about providing specialized services and expert advice to families and their service providers about the service plan.

The MDT is made up of the following health professionals who have experience and expert knowledge about services and best practices for children with severe disabilities and their families, including:

• speech-language pathologists

• occupational therapists

• physical therapists

• psychologists

What does the MDT do?

The MDT reviews and considers information provided by the family, their service provider(s) and other professionals working with the child and makes recommendations to the guardian and the FSCD worker about the need, type and level of specialized services that may be the most helpful for the child and family. The MDT supports families to ensure their plan is based on best practice and will address their child’s needs and family’s goals.

The health professionals participating on the MDT do not see the child, complete clinical assessments or make final decisions about the FSCD services that a child and family receives.

To read further: Click Here