Mental Health &
Learning Difficulties
Growing with Love,
a clinic specialising in paediatric neurodevelopment
In cooperation with the Dr José Antonio Saldaña hospital in El Salvador, Plan International has created Growing with Love, a clinic and associated programme designed to offer comprehensive care for children with neurodevelopmental issues. The main priority is to improve the skills of healthcare staff and the family environment. This involves providing high-quality, compassionate care for children with neurological developmental disorders by boosting the competencies (knowledge, abilities and values) of healthcare professionals and fostering a favourable home environment through an approach based on diversity, equality and inclusion.
The main achievements are:
Strengthening the skills of healthcare workers
Training sessions have already improved the skills of 80 healthcare professionals. The training covers key topics such as the stages of child development, neurodiversity, therapeutic tools and child protection. These sessions strengthen the ability of healthcare workers to support children with neurodevelopmental disorders and to identify and refer such cases to specialised centres.
Improving infrastructure and equipment
The clinic has been equipped entirely according to the needs of specialised services including paediatric neurology, sensorial stimulation, occupational therapy, behavioural therapy and physiotherapy. As the first clinic in El Salvador to specialise in neurological development, it marks an important step for the country as a whole.
Reinforcing therapeutic help for families
Information sessions are organised for the families of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, notably on topics including early stimulation, and the promotion of autonomy and communication. Sessions also strengthen practical skills related to therapeutic support so families are better equipped to help their children in the home.
Fondation Dora has supported this programme since it began in 2023.
