New Jersey has made a commitment to assist families caring for children with complex, long-term medical and developmental disabilities. For these "special needs" children, prompt attention to their condition early in life helps assure they will lead healthier lives when they are older. Two important programs help families with comprehensive management of multiple programs and services:
Early Intervention System serves children up to age three who have developmental delays or disabilities. More...
Case Management Units serve children of all ages who have complex medical conditions such as those below. More...
Resources for Specific Conditions:
We also support statewide referral networks that provide comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, patient and family education, and counseling for children and adults living with:
Mandatory newborn screening programs: For some conditions, early diagnosis is so important that New Jersey requires testing in the hospital at birth. Currently this includes genetic and biochemical screening (testing) for 20 specific metabolism disorders plus hearing loss screening .
Special Child Health Registry: Supporting these service-oriented programs, the Special Child Health Registry is a public health tool for confidential tracking and needs assessment. More...
Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism: The mission of the Governor's Council is to establish a Center of Excellence in the State where basic science and clinical research studies, and clinical diagnosis and treatment initiatives can take place. To this end, the Council awards grants and contracts to public and private nonprofit entities. More... |