Introduction
3. Who Are Children with Special Health Care Needs?
The definition of children with special health care needs, developed by MCHB, is:
Children with special health care needs are those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally.
This definition encompasses children and youth who not only require health-related services, but who may also have other needs, including early intervention services, special and vocational educational services, mental health and substance abuse services, and social services. Moreover, their families may require support and other services, such as transportation, respite care, and employment.
The first National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN), supported by HRSA and undertaken by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, estimates that approximately 10-16% of all children in this country meet this definition, excluding the at-risk population.