Some children with disabilities need technical aids in their everyday life. Technical aids are necessary to prevent the aggravation of a disability or health damage or alleviate the disorder caused by the disability. In addition, technical aids allow the child to be more independent and active. The child’s special need determines the kind of technical aid they require. Children often require technical aids for mobility, but hearing, speaking and vision aids may also be necessary. To this end, the parent or guardian is entitled to apply for the purchase or rent of technical aids with a discount or compensation for services related to these. The child does not have to have determined disability to receive a technical aid with a discount, as entitlement to it is based on a medical certificate. How do I know if my child needs a technical aid, and what kind is required? In the list of technical aids, it is indicated after the ISO code of each technical aid, which specialist has the competence and right to prescribe the relevant technical aid. For example, this could be the family physician, medical specialist, nurse who has undergone relevant training, or a member of the rehabilitation team.

More information about the process of applying for technical aids can be found on the website of the Social Insurance Board.

The Technical Aid Unit of the Social Insurance Board also provides free advice to disabled persons and their family members regarding technical aids.

Special care services are aimed at adults, i.e. persons who are 18 years of age and older, who have developed a greater need for personal assistance, guidance or supervision due to a severe, profound or permanent mental disorder and who need professional assistance to cope. Simply put, special care services are required by those adults with a mental disorder and/or intellectual disability who need assistance for living independently as an adult. Although the special care service is intended from the age of 18, you can add your child to the queue for a relevant service from the time they are 16 years old. Adding them to the queue is also necessary because the lines for some of the services funded by the state are long. Therefore, as a parent you should already consider the special care service your child might require when they are still a teenager. You can ask the case manager of the Social Insurance Board for advice. You can find out what special care services are and how to get the service on the website of the Social Insurance Board.

Further reading – pp 88–93 of the handbook Teekond Erilise Lapse Kõrval.

If the degree of severity of disability has been determined for your child, you can apply for the rehabilitation service from the Social Insurance Board if necessary. In the case of children with disabilities, the term social rehabilitation service is used and its aim is to support the child's development and acquisition of education by way of various therapies, as well as to provide necessary support to the family through counseling and guidance.

If the Social Insurance Board finds that your child needs rehabilitation services, a rehabilitation plan will be prepared in the institution providing rehabilitation services,which will be the basis for the provision of various services and counselling and guidance for the family and other persons close to the child. A rehabilitation plan is a document that contains information about the coping and needs of the child and their family. The child, their family and specialists from the rehabilitation team participate in preparing the plan. If necessary, teachers and other members of the child’s support network are involved in the preparation of the plan. Sometimes the rehabilitation team takes trips to the child's immediate environment – home, school, kindergarten. This gives a better overview of the situation and needs of the family and the child. The queue for preparing a rehabilitation plan can be up to 12 months.

Specialists who are part of the rehabilitation team: social worker, psychologist, doctor, speech therapist, recreational therapist, special pedagogue, peer supporter, nurse, creative arts therapist and physiotherapist.
At least three different specialists must be involved in preparing a rehabilitation plan and the team must include a special pedagogue in the case of children.

A rehabilitation plan is prepared on the basis of the assessment of these specialists (usually for 2–3 years) which describes the services and therapies necessary for supporting the development and health of the child. You might be surprised that the situation and problems of the child must be explained repeatedly in the process of preparing the plan. You can therefore feel like you are talking about the same things over and over again. Try to remain calm, because the process is important for your child and family.

You can find information about the rehabilitation service and the application process on the website of the Social Insurance Board.