Starting to prepare for the move to adult healthcare early will help you and your child transition smoothly.
At this age it is important for your child to start to learn about their spinal cord injury/disorder, any other health conditions they may have, their medications and allergies. You may want to educate yourself first so that you can then support your child to learn more. You can find links to resources and information about spinal cord injuries here.
But spinal cord injuries are like fingerprints, each one is unique so speak to your child’s healthcare team about your child’s spinal cord injury. It may be helpful to take notes and collect this information for you and your child to look back on at another time.
Together with your child, you can use this medical summary template and schedule of health appointments to support you. All you need to do is download it onto your computer, save it somewhere safe, and fill it in as you go.
Your child may feel nervous talking to doctors or other health professionals and that is totally normal.
Feeling comfortable and confident talking to doctors is a skill that takes practice. Help your child feel more confident by discussing these tips. You could also role play talking to doctors, use this list of questions to help you.
