{"id":4723,"date":"2012-08-01T10:48:58","date_gmt":"2012-08-01T10:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.metrokids.com\/index.php\/2012\/08\/01\/help-teens-gain-medical-self-reliance\/"},"modified":"2012-08-01T10:48:58","modified_gmt":"2012-08-01T10:48:58","slug":"help-teens-gain-medical-self-reliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metrokids.com\/help-teens-gain-medical-self-reliance\/","title":{"rendered":"Help teens gain medical self-reliance"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\tFor some teens, assuming responsibility for their medical decisions is a welcome mark of maturity. For those with special health care needs, the transition to health care self-reliance may require extra preparation for both teens and their parents.<\/p>\n
\n\tBhavana Viswanathan, children and youth program director at the Delaware Division of Public Health\/ DHSS in Dover, recommends that parents begin taking steps to begin the transition as early as age 14. “If you wait until they’re 16 to 18, it’s often too late to tap into certain services,” she explains.<\/p>\n