Children With Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN)

Children with special health care needs include those with chronic illnesses (e.g., asthma, diabetes, sickle cell anemia), physical disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, spina bifida), and developmental/emotional disabilities (e.g., autism, Down syndrome). Historically, children have been classified as having special health care needs based on whether they have been diagnosed with specific conditions. In the past