Children and youngsters with disabilities

The main beneficiaries of Direct Child Assistance are children and young people with disabilities in the age range of 0-25 years and their parents/caregivers. They come from resource-poor communities in the developing countries where the Liliane Foundation operates with its partners.

Disabilities
The Liliane Foundation, through its partners, assists children with different types of disability:

• sensory disabilities (visual and hearing);
• physical disabilities, which can be neuromuscular or skeletal (spina bifida, cerebral palsy, orthopaedic conditions);
• cognitive disabilities (mental retardation, autism);
• speech and language disabilities (cleft lip).

Epilepsy, although not a disability, is on the list of diseases that the Liliane Foundation helps detect and treat.

Community based rehabilitation
The focus of assistance is on children with a disability who live with their families. Children in institutions may also receive assistance. They will then be stimulated to return to their families and communities, if they are accepted there. Children have a right to family life and they develop best in their own environment. Assistance that is based on their local context, close to home, is usually most appropriate and efficient.