One of the main aims of the specialist care team assigned to children and adults with special needs is to promote independent living. As the spectrum of disorders and conditions covered by the term special needs is so broad, people with special needs will have very different levels of independence. Some people with special needs may require round the clock care, while others will live very active, independent lives.

Occupational therapy

People with physical disabilities and health conditions that affect their ability to carry out everyday activities may still be able to live an independent life. They may just require a little additional help. Occupational therapists play a very important role in promoting independence. They carry out a range of different roles, from assessing an individual’s home to sorting out specialist equipment. Someone with a physical disability may be able to live completely independently if their home is adapted to enable them to move around freely and use appliances in the kitchen and bathroom, for example. Similarly, people with health conditions may be able to live comfortably on their own, if somebody is able to come in once a day to give them their medication, for example.