Cassie, an adorable child with Down syndrome, has just celebrated her first birthday.

As her nurse case manager through the Developmental Disabilities clinic, you’ve established an effective parent/professional partnership with her parents Renee and Ned over the past year. The family is pleased with the progress that Cassie has made in the early intervention program, but wants to make some changes and involve Cassie in some other community activities.

Renee calls to get your advice to help them prepare for their annual meeting with the program staff. You’re pleased to receive the call, which dovetails nicely with your next ideas for the family:

• setting the stage for an ongoing relationship with the family.
• following guidelines for effective professional practice, including home visits, mail, and telephone calls.
• teaching Cassie’s parents to become effective advocates for their daughter.
• implementing an integrated developmental intervention model designed to meet all five levels of Cassie’s needs.

Click here to access Part I of this series:Families With Disabled Children: Grieving

Click here to access Part II of this series:Families with Disabled Children: Early Intervention