About 70 percent of people who care for children with delayed development do not receive any help, a survey by the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families showed on Tuesday, as it called for more societal support for families.
The number of children with delayed development reached a new record of more than 30,000 last year, but only about 1.65 percent of children in Taiwan received treatment, Ministry of Health and Welfare data show.
This is far below the WHO estimate of 6 to 8 percent of children who experience delayed development, foundation chief executive officer Chou Ta-yao (周大堯) told a news conference in Taipei.
Photo: CNA
In the 30 years it has been providing treatment for children with delayed development, the foundation has observed that children need family support and social inclusion as much as intensive treatment and education, Chou said.
Its survey of caregivers found that 70.8 percent felt they had rarely — if ever — been helped or treated with concern, Chou said.
Meanwhile, 28.3 percent said that they or their child had been “looked at differently,” while 18.8 percent of caregivers said they have been blamed for their child’s differences, he said.
About 17.1 percent of children had been ridiculed by peers, he added.
One set of parents from Changhua County said that the premature birth of their child led to hydrocephalus — a buildup of fluid in the brain — so their son needed a drainage tube.
As the brain damage affected the development of his limbs, he could not walk until he was two, they said.
His treatment has brought his development on a par with other five-year-olds, the parents said.
Most kindergartens said they could not spare the extra staff to care for the child, but the parents said they eventually found one with assistance from social workers.
The father of another child called Mei-mei (妹妹) said that due to complications in the womb, she was born without sight in her right eye and had poor vision in her left.
Many other children and some adults are afraid of her due to a lack of understanding, the father said, adding that he often has to explain that her eyesight is different because of her condition.
After they understand, most people accept Mei-mei and treat her with respect, he said.
Many parents feel panicked because they do not know where to find early treatment or educational facilities, he said, calling for more resources for parents and caregivers.
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