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 learning about their spinal cord injury, any other health conditions they may have, their medications, and any allergies. You may find it helpful to learn about these first, so you can support your child as they build their understanding. You can find helpful information about spinal cord injury here.
Remember, every spinal cord injury is different—just like a fingerprint. Talk with your child’s healthcare team to learn about your child’s specific needs. It can help to write things down and keep this information in one place so you and your child can look back at it later.
Together, you and your child can use the medical summary template and the schedule of health appointments to stay organised. Simply download them, save them somewhere safe, and update them as you go.
Your child may feel nervous talking to doctors or other health professionals and that is totally normal.
Feeling comfortable and confident when talking to doctors takes practice. You can help your child build this confidence by talking through simple tips for speaking with health professionals. You might also try role-playing doctor visits with your child. This can help them practise what to say and feel more prepared. You can use this list of questions to guide your practice.
