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Safeguarding Children with Disabilities

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Clinical Practice at the Edge of Care
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Abstract

This chapter considers risk issues and clinical interventions for children with disabilities at the edge of care, drawing on relevant theory and research into UK child protection outcomes. A family life cycle framework is proposed for understanding how difficulties leading to risk of harm may arise. Key issues to consider in clinical assessment and formulation are discussed; including engaging with children with disabilities and their families, sharing formulations, the significance of developmental histories, differential diagnosis and diagnostic overshadowing. Ways of working indirectly with professional networks and options for direct intervention with children and families are further described, including more in-depth discussion of the applicability of Theraplay and Systemic Family Therapy.

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Parker, P. (2016). Safeguarding Children with Disabilities. In: Smith, L. (eds) Clinical Practice at the Edge of Care. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43570-1_6

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