Required Documentation for application

Developmental Paediatrics and Developmental Surveillance

Fall/Winter 2013

Purpose of the Training and Principal Tasks

To promote the building of professional capacities in the detection, assessment and intervention of young children with developmental difficulties, the ECD Section of the UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS plans to provide an introduction to developmental pediatrics to country experts for up to five countries in the CEE/CIS region. This orientation training program is expected to

1. Provide a good understanding of the scope and importance of addressing prevention, early detection and early intervention for developmental difficulties in young children

2. Introduce the role of Developmental Pediatrics in the early identification and management of developmental difficulties and providing services to families and young children

3. Provide first-hand opportunities to trainees to observe and participate in assessment and counseling services provided to children with developmental difficulties and their families

4. Introduce program participants to the structure, content and use of simple standardized developmental monitoring or screening tools

5. Support program participants to develop follow-up plans for country implementation and introduce research related issues; and

6. Provide limited follow-up assistance to participating countries

Timeline

3. Qualification or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required

§ Active developmental pediatrics unit, focusing on the identification, assessment and early intervention of children with disabilities and developmental difficulties

§ Training and observation facilities

§ Excellent understanding of the state of services for young children with disabilities and developmental difficulties in the CEE/CIS region

§ Capability to use training experience for further applied research

§ Experts with specialization in developmental pediatrics, proven training skills, regional expertise

§ Fluency in English essential; knowledge of one or more languages from CEECIS countries desirable.

Required Documentation for application

§ Brief proposal with rationale, training agenda and training tools, criteria for participant selection

§ CVs of key experts involved in the orientation training program

§ Budget

Estimated Cost

Based on budget submitted together with the brief proposal and to be negotiated with selected institution. The proposed amount should include all expert time, training materials, the training venue, as well as refreshments for participants.

Submission to

Dr. Bettina Schwethelm, Expert, ECD Inter-sectoral Coordination

bschwethelm@unicef.org

Dr. Deepa Grover, Regional Advisor, Early Childhood Development

UNICEF RO for CEE/CIS

degrover@unicef.org

7. Deadline:

September 25, 2013, COB

8. Background:

The early childhood years are considered the most important developmental phase with lifelong impact on health, development, wellbeing, social inclusion, and productivity. Social determinants, such as poverty, access to services, living location, maternal education, and nutrition, contribute to the fact that many children never reach their full potential. Increasing access to quality child health, development and protection services at the household, community and facility level can serve an important “equalizing function” for vulnerable groups and improve health and well-being across the life-span.

Infants and young children with developmental delays, difficulties and/or disabilities are particularly challenged in their opportunities for a good start in life and will benefit most from early identification, diagnosis, early intervention and family support. However, UNICEF assessments of such services in CEECIS have noted that there are significant difficiencies in the health system, which of the primary public system accessed by pregnant women and young children. Specifically,

• Many countries lack a strong enabling policy environment that ensures access to early identification, re/habilitation, and family support services
• Specialists are often unavailable, even more so outside of the major urban centers, and primary health care personnel lacks training in early child development, basic identification and care
• Classification and diagnostic systems are outdated and evidence-based screening and diagnotic tools or not used routinely; and
• Risk, developmental delays, and disabilities are identified late, and intervention approaches are “medicalized” and child- rather than family-centered.

To meet the varied needs of young children with delays, developmental difficulties and disabilities and their families, teams of specialists may be needed, including pediatricians; pediatric neurologists; hearing, vision, and speech and language and infant mental health specialists; psychologists; etc.

As noted in the UNICEF 2012 ECI Mapping Survey of all countries/entities in CEECIS, some specialties are lacking entirely in some of the countries; in others there are insufficient numbers of specialists, particularly in rural areas. For example, only one country/entity reports having a sufficient number of developmental pediatricians, with 14 not having any professional with this specialization. In addition, 12 countries/entities reported having no infant mental health specialists, and 9 no ECI specialists.

In addition, professionals lack evidence-based training in developmental surveillance, monitoring and early identification. According to the ECI mapping study, in 2/3 of the countries/entities less than half of doctors are able to assess social-emotional risk of the young child or use standardized assessment tools, and 14 countries/entities have no doctors that can identify early autism spectrum disorder.

Developmental and behavioral pediatrics is a sub-specialty that is relatively new to the CEECIS region, but is urgently needed to provide comprehensive support to children with developmental delays, difficulties, and/or disabilities and to their families during the critical early years. It is expected that the services to be provided will strengthen UNICEF’s ongoing efforts to give all young children the best start in life, particularly those with developmental difficulties, and thus promote equity and full social inclusion for these children and their families

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 852