By Andrew Atkinson

APANEE, the Association of Parents of Students with Special Educational Needs, has been established in Torrevieja for 25 years, helping children and young people, from birth up to 18 years old.

Residents in Torrevieja and the region, with physical, mental, sensory disability or risk of suffering it are cared for.

“The result of working from APANEE, closely together with the Torrevieja University Hospital, is the translation into an act of a concept of improving the quality of life from childhood and of a concept of care and therapeutic response,” said María José Sánchez, president of APANEE.

The Department of Equality and Inclusive Policies of the Generalitat Valenciana recognizes APANEE as an Early Attention Centre.

Access to the services of the Early Care Centre are undertaken through the pediatricians of the Torrevieja Health Department.

Following quality healthcare to patients of the Torrevieja Health Department in collaboration with the Association of Parents of Students with Special Educational Needs (APANEE) has been awarded with recognition by the General Directorate of Functional Diversity and Mental Health of the Department of Equality and Inclusive Policies of the Generalitat Valenciana, from the CAT operation, APANEE Early Care Centre.

The Torrevieja Health Department has gone from being an inaugural health centre, to becoming a benchmark, in terms of social action, responsibility with the environment and collaboration with entities and social groups.

The Torrevieja Health department is committed to the collaboration and helps local social groups and associations, working intensively to ensure assistance that is appropriate to their needs and of the highest quality.

APANEE is part of the social fabric of the municipality, collaborating in the promotion and implementation of inclusive activities, to give visibility to the group it represents, with the fundamental support of Ribera Salud and the Torrevieja University Hospital.

Working hand-in-hand in co-operation of disciplines co-responsibility, between the health system and the  association, to establish the most effective intervention mechanisms in the care of minors.

Co-ordination between the medical team of the Torrevieja University Hospital and the APANEE professional team is essential, to establish a more specific treatment to the individualised needs of children, in order to improve present and future living conditions.

Detection, referral, monitoring and intervention are carried out from the Pediatrics service of the Torrevieja Health Department to establish proper coordination.

María José Sánchez,  president, said of the authorisation of APANEE as a Public Early Attention Centre: “For many years the relationship with this health department has been very close.

“The professionals who have participated in this edition have saved the lives of my son and many others in the department.

“We are very aware of how lucky we are to have Ribera Salud, which puts all the resources we need at our disposal”.

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