Advocacy

General practitioners and other medical practitioners have a critical role in advocating for people with developmental disability affected by trauma and abuse. Advocacy may involve the following:

• on an individual level
  • written support for funding applications explaining the person’s history, current functioning and impairment related to abuse and trauma. Some people with developmental disability affected by trauma and abuse may not fulfil typical diagnostic categories and may therefore have trouble accessing educational, health or disability funding (eg individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder may not strictly meet criteria for intellectual disability)
  • written recommendations for individualised programs or supports in educational, vocational, housing or residential care settings
• at a service or group level
  • empowering people with developmental disability to have their say on a community level or within certain institutions
  • advocating for appropriate service provision and government policy.

For more advice, see Advocacy for people with developmental disability.