Protecting children with disabilities from abuse and neglect.

A Guide for Child Protective Services Staff
Protecting Children
with Disabilities from
Abuse and Neglect

New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc.
In 1978, the state of New Mexico Legislature created the Sexual Crimes Prosecution and Treatment Act.This Act mandates that
the state provide services to professionals (medical, mental health, law enforcement, and social services) which will assist them in
offering appropriate services to victims of sexual abuse.This law outlines the necessity to provide ongoing training on a variety of
sexual abuse topics. It also mandates the provision of sexual abuse evidence collection in order to offer victims the best possible
prosecution of their cases.Additionally, the Act provides for payment for all victims’ medical exams following an assault or the
discovery of abuse.
The New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (NMCSAP), a private, non-profit organization, was created and continues
to exist to fulfill the requirements of this statute. In addition, the NMCSAP provides child sexual abuse prevention projects in rural
New Mexico as well as a clearinghouse of literature and resources to assist professionals in our state in the assessment, prosecu-
tion and treatment of sexual abuse and assault cases.
For more information: www.nmcsap.org/ New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc.
3909 Juan Tabo NE, Suite 6
Albuquerque, NM 87111
505.883.8020 phone | 888.883.8020 toll free

Protecting Children
with Disabilities from
Abuse and Neglect
This project was supported with funds from the New Mexico
Department of Health, ERD-Office of Injury Prevention.
Published by New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc.
Authors
Scott J. Modell, Ph.D.
Deputy Commissioner
Department of Children’s Services
State of Tennessee
Marcie Davis, M.S.
Director, Underserved Populations
Carla Aaron, M.S.S.W.
Executive Director, Office of Child Safety
State of Tennessee
Irma Buchanan, M.S.S.W
Director of Investigations, Office of Child Safety
State of Tennessee

Protecting Children with Disabilities from Abuse and Neglect Page 1
Introduction
While child abuse, neglect, exploitation and
sexual assault can affect any child, children
with disabilities are at greater risk of maltreat
ment than children without disabilities. Child
maltreatment is generally defined using the
Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treat
ment Act (CAPTA): “The term ‘child abuse
and neglect’ means, at a minimum, any recent
act or failure to act on the part of a parent
or caretaker, which results in death, serious
physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or
exploitation, or an act or failure to act which
presents an imminent risk of serious harm” (42
U.S.C.A. §5106g). Each State provides defini
tions of child maltreatment in law, most
commonly in four categories: physical abuse,
sexual abuse, neglect, and emotional mal
treatment.
As it relates to children, disability is gener
ally defined in Federal law by the Individuals
With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): “The
term ‘child with a disability’ means a child
with mental retardation, hearing impairments
(including deafness), speech or language im
pairments, visual impairments (including
blindness), serious emotional disturbance,
orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic
brain injury, other health impairments, or spe
cific learning disabilities, and who, by reason
thereof, needs special education and related
services” (20 U.S.C. §1401(3) (A)).

Prevalence
In 2011, the average annual rate of violent
victimization for children with disabilities
was more than twice the rate among children
without disabilities. Serious violent victimiza
tion for children with disabilities was more
than three times than that for children with
out disabilities (Truman & Planty, 2012). In
the U.S., victimization is increasing for indi
viduals with disabilities. Average annual rates
from 2009-2011 tell a story. Children with
intellectual disabilities had the highest rate
of violent victimization from 2009 to 2011.
Among children with intellectual disabilities,
the average annual rate of serious violent vic
timization doubled from 2009 to 2011. The
average annual rate of serious violent victim
ization against individuals with self-care
disabilities more than tripled from 2009 to
2011. The average annual rate of serious
violent victimization against individuals with
multiple disability types was double com
pared to individuals with one disability type
(a net result of four times the victimization
than persons without disabilities) (Harrell,
2011; Harrell, 2012).
Data meta-analysis (Spencer et al., 2005; Sul
livan & Knutson, 2000) indicates that children
with intellectual disabilities are:
■
■ 2.9 - 3.7 times as likely to have been
neglected

■
■ 3.4 - 3.8 times as likely to be emotionally
abused
■
■ 3.8 - 5.3 times as likely to be physically
abused
■
■ 4.0 - 6.4 times as likely to be sexually
abused
Almost fifty percent of people with develop
mental disabilities who are victims of sexual
abuse will experience 10 or more abusive
incidents (Valenti-Hein & Schwartz, 1995).
According to a study involving the sexual abuse
of persons with disabilities, almost eighty per
cent were sexually assaulted on more than one
occasion and fifty percent of those experienced
more than 10 victimizations (Sobsey, & Doe,
“Attacking people
with disabilities is
the lowest display
of power I can
think of.”
Morgan Freeman

1991). People with disabilities are more likely
to experience severe abuse over longer dura
tions with multiple incidences and multiple
abusers (Schaller & Fieberg, 1998;Young et al.,
1997).
Child abuse normally occurs in the frame
work of a relationship between a child and an
adult, or when the adult is a caregiver. Abuse
or neglect is more likely to occur if the child
and the caregiver exhibit certain risk factors.
If there is a lack of protective factors to in
tervene with the risk factors present in their
lives, then that family is at a greater risk of
child abuse.

Common Risk Factors for Abuse
The major risk factors for child abuse include;
alcoholism, domestic violence, drug abuse,
mental illness, single parenthood, lack of edu
cation, homelessness, and poverty. Additional
risk factors include; low socioeconomic status,
stressful life events, lack of access to medical
care, adequate child care, lack of social sup
port, discrimination, poor schools, violent
neighborhood, and disability. CPS Investiga
tors interact with children and families and
should be able to recognize risk factors so
they can detect situations where risk is likely
and determine the most effective interven
tions. Risk factors may be cumulative, the
more risk factors a child or family is exposed
to over the course of the child’s development,
the greater the potential for problems to arise.
Child Risk Factors
Data also suggest that some offenders specifi
cally seek child victims with disabilities be
cause they are perceived to be vulnerable, are
unable to seek help, cannot or will not report
the crime (Lang & Frenzel, 1988). Further,
the risk of victimization is likely increased if
the offender believes the child victim will not
be able to successfully or credibly tell any
one about the crime (Bryen, Carey, & Frantz,
2003). The nature of the disability may pre
vent the child from defending themselves,

escaping from the abusive situation, or report
ing the abuse. This may cause potential per
petrators to believe they can “get away with
it” (Ammerman & Patz, 1996; Wolcott, 1997).
Children who exhibit challenging behaviors
or have intensive needs may overwhelm care
givers and increase the risk of abuse (Ammer
man & Patz, 1996; Fisher et al., 2008). Chil
dren with disabilities who rely on care
givers
for their daily needs may not know when
behavior is inappropriate or may have been
taught to obey caregivers’ demands (Hibbard
& Desch, 2007; National Resource Center on
Child Sexual Abuse, 1994; Steinberg & Hyl
ton, 1998). Children who rely on others for
daily needs are also reluctant to disclose for
fear of retribution or concerns that their needs
will no longer be met. Emotional dependence
on caregivers may prevent children from at
tempting to stop the abuse or neglect because
they fear losing the relationship (National Re
source Center on Child Sexual Abuse, 1994;
Tobin, 1992).
Family Risk Factors
Increased stress of caring for a child with
different needs and coping with challenging
behaviors are the most frequently cited
family risk factors for the abuse of children
with disabilities. The family may view the
child as “different,” and see the disability as

an embarrassment, or mourn the loss of a
“normal” child (Burrell et al., 1994; Rycus &
Hughes, 1998). The parent may lack the skills,
resources, or supports to respond to the child’s
needs and provide adequate care or supervi
sion (Fisher et al., 2008; Hibbard & Desch,
2007). The parent is unaware his or her child
with disabilities is at greater risk of maltreat
ment and may be unprepared to identify and
protect the child from risky situations (John
son, 2011). The parent of a child who exhib
its challenging behaviors may be more likely
to exert unnecessary control or use physical
punishment (Helton & Cross, 2011; Mandell
et al., 2005; Sedlak et al., 2010). The cost of
ongoing treatment or care for a child with

a disability may put a financial strain on the
family or affect parental job stability (Fisher
et al., 2008; Washington, 2009). In addition to
family risk factors, there are specific risks re
lated to the child with the disability that must
be considered.
Societal Risk Factors
A child with a disability in the family presents
additional risk factors for abuse and neglect
that must be considered. Children with dis
abilities are often educated separate from their
peers. This can make them seem “different” and
unworthy of the same social or educational op
portunities (Steinberg & Hylton, 1998). Sob
sey (1994) and Steinberg and Hylton (1998)
“When you have a
disability, knowing
that you are not
defined by it is the
sweetest feeling.”
Anne Wafula Strike

Page 9
suggest that by devaluing the contributions
of children with disabilities to society, it be
comes more acceptable to treat them poorly
or use violence. The belief that caregivers
would never harm children with disabilities
results in lack of attention to the problem
(Sobsey, 1994). Children with disabilities are
typically viewed as asexual. This leads care
givers to ignore or pass over sex education
that could help prevent abuse (Steinberg &
Hylton, 1998). Children with disabilities who
internalize the above societal attitudes may
feel shame or feel less worthy of being treated
respectfully (National Resource Center on
Child Sexual Abuse, 1994). A lack of training
impacts the ability of social workers, teachers,
and other professionals to identify and report
suspected maltreatment of children with dis
abilities (Hibbard & Desch, 2007; Kenny, 2004;
Manders & Stoneman, 2009).
Additional Risk Factors
Although abuse is most often perpetrated by
family members, children with disabilities are
also at risk when they are being cared for
outside of the family in private or state run
facilities. These risk factors vary and include
issues such as abusive subcultures that allow
for extreme power and control inequities
between caregivers and children. Due to the
nature and severity of the disability, some

caregivers dehumanize and detach from the
child making abuse and neglect more likely.
When vulnerable children are clustered with
others who might harm them and inappropri
ate behavior is tolerated among those children,
risk increases. When children are isolated or
allowed little to no outside contact, identify
ing abuse becomes more difficult. One of the
more pervasive risk factors includes institu
tions having a lack of procedures for reporting
abuse or quality monitoring of investigations
of abuse (Sobsey, 1994; Steinberg & Hylton,
1998). Research on disability and child abuse
risk reveals an interesting relationship be
tween the type of disability and the type of
abuse most likely to occur.
Relationship between Type of Abuse and
Type of Disability
Some studies have explored the relationship
between the type of child maltreatment and
type of disability. Sullivan and Knutson (2000)
found that although children with disabilities
experience multiple types of abuse, neglect
is the most common. Taylor (2009), in an
analysis of NCANDS data from 2005, found
children with disabilities were more likely to
experience neglect than children without

disabilities. Other research suggests that chil
dren with emotional or behavioral disorders
were at the greatest risk for maltreatment
(Govindshenoy & Spencer, 2006; Helton &
Cross, 2011; Jaudes & Mackey-Bilaver, 2008;
Sullivan & Knutson, 2000). Stalker and McAr
thur (2012) concluded that children with
communication or sensory impairments and
learning disabilities were at increased risk for
abuse. There is also research that finds children
with mild impairments are at greater risk for
maltreatment than those with more severe im
pairments (Fisher et al., 2008; Helton & Cross,
2011).

Signs and Symptoms of Abuse
A child who’s being abused may feel guilty,
ashamed or confused. This is why it is vital to
watch for red flags, such as:
■
■ Withdrawal from friends or usual activities
■
■ Changes in behavior: aggression, anger,
hostility or hyperactivity
■
■ Changes in school performance: reluctance
to leave school activities (as if he or she
doesn’t want to go home), decline in grades
■
■ Depression, anxiety
■
■ Sudden loss of self-confidence
■
■ Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
“I have learned that
the biggest disability
any one may ever
face is our own
attitudes.”
Jeffrey F. Walton

■
■ An apparent lack of supervision
■
■ Attempts at running away
■
■ Rebellious or defiant behavior
■
■ Attempts at suicide
Physical Signs or symptoms include:
■
■ Black eyes
■
■ Broken bones that are unusual and
unexplained
■
■ Bruise marks shaped like hands, fingers, or
objects (such as a belt)
■
■ Bruises in areas where normal childhood
activities would not usually result in
bruising
■
■ Bulging fontanel (soft spot) or separated
sutures in an infant’s skull
■
■ Burn (scalding) marks, usually seen on the
child’s hands, arms, or buttocks
■
■ Choke marks around the neck
■
■ Cigarette burns on exposed areas or on the
genitals
■
■ Circular marks around the wrists or ankles
(signs of twisting or tying up)
■
■ Human bite marks
■
■ Lash marks

Prevention
It is clear that children with disabilities face
increased risk of abuse and neglect compared
to their peers without disabilities. Considering
these increased risks, efforts to prevent abuse
should be coordinated and multifaceted.
Because parents and other primary care
givers
spend the most time with their children,
prevention programs often focus on services
to families. Services can either be offered to
all families who have children with disabili
ties or to families considered to be at risk of
maltreating their children. Parents of children
involved with the child welfare system can
also benefit from prevention programs,
particularly to reduce the risk of repeat mal
treatment. Families with children who have
mild and severe disabilities should be included
in programs, as research indicates children with
mild disabilities are sometimes at greater risk
of abuse. Strategies for supporting families of
children with disabilities to reduce the risk of
abuse or neglect include protective factors to:
■
■ Increase parent knowledge of child
development and issues specific to the
child’s disability. Connect the family to
appropriate treatment services and a
disability professional who can support
the family in providing proper care and
adapting parenting skills to the child’s
unique needs.

■
■ Strengthen parent-child interactions by
teaching parents varied communication
techniques and equipping them with alter
native communication devices, if needed.
Supporting positive interactions can reduce
frustration and improve attachment.
■
■ Offer a home visiting program in which
professional or paraprofessional staff visit
families to provide in-home services. The
visitor can develop a relationship with the
family in order to assess their strengths and
needs, improve positive parenting strategies,
and connect them to needed support.
[Find information on a Federal initiative
to generate knowledge of home visiting
practices and models on the Supporting

Evidence-Based Home Visiting website:
www.supportingebhv.org]
■
■ Organize parent support groups where
parents can share their experiences in a
supportive group setting. Parents can trade
information on resources, problem-solve
issues related to their child’s disability, and
create informal support networks. In
addition to connecting parents to national
support organizations like Parents
Anonymous®
(parentsanonymous.org) or
Circle of Parents®
(circleofparents.org),
when possible you can help parents identify
supports specific to their child’s disability.
■
■ Coordinate respite care to provide parents
with short-term child care services.
“I have a disability,
yes that’s true, but
all that means is I
may have to take
a slightly different
path than you.”
Robert M. Hensel

Whether it is planned or offered during
times of crisis, taking a break from the
demands of caring for a child with
disabilities can help parents reduce stress
and the risk of abuse or neglect. [Help
families locate respite services on the
ARCH National Respite Coalition website:
www.archrespite.org/respitelocator]
■
■ Prevent repeat maltreatment by working
with the family to address attitudes
toward physical punishment and identify
alternative behavioral management
strategies. Reduce family stressors by
providing financial, child care, and other
concrete supports.
How do I talk to a parent or guardian to
increase a child’s safety?
Parents and guardians should also be educated
on recognizing the signs of sexual abuse and
if they suspect anything, who should they call
for information and assistance. Sharing the fol
lowing steps with parents, guardians and care
takers will increase their awareness of sexual
assault:
■
■ Communicate with your child about
safe and unsafe touching. This should
be an ongoing conversation that is
developmentally and intellectually
appropriate based upon the child’s cognitive
development.

■
■ Encourage your child to share concerns
and communicate with you so they feel
comfortable and supportive sharing
information; most children know their
abusers.
■
■ Teach children the proper names for private
body parts.
How do I help parents address the concepts
of sexuality?
Teaching children with disabilities about sexual
ity can be a very difficult thing to do. It depends
on the child’s disability, their intellectual abili
ties and overall communication skills. Children
with disabilities need training on concepts of
sexuality. Research indicates children with
disabilities are statistically at a greater risk for
sexual assault and other criminal victimiza
tions. Additionally, some children may not
understand what constitutes abuse. And, many
children with disabilities may not have a clear
understanding of how to set boundaries. For
example, due to a history of assistance with
activities of daily living the boundaries of
ap
propriate and inappropriate touching may be
blurred. Children may not understand what is
acceptable regarding what parts of their body
should or should not be touched. Children
must also be involved early on in the process of
any conversations that relate to their personal
care. This includes bowel and bladder manage
ment, bath-rooming, or other activities of daily
living and care. The Child Protective Services

worker should engage families as appropri
ate so that they know how important it is for
their child with a disability to understand their
own body and what represents appropriate and
inappropriate touching.
Overall, research shows that using a strengths-
based approach to working with children and
families is an effective child abuse prevention
strategy. Rather than focusing solely on the
family’s needs and risk factors for maltreat
ment, recent prevention resource guides from
the Children’s Bureau encourage professionals
to promote protective factors that strengthen
families so they can better care for their chil
dren. For more information, read Preventing
Child Maltreatment and Promoting Well-Being:
“The most interesting
information comes
from children, for
they tell all they
know and then stop.”
Mark Twain

A Network for Action 2012 Resource Guide by
Child Welfare Information Gateway et al.:
www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/
preventionmonth/guide2012.
Child-Focused Prevention
There is universal agreement among research
ers and professionals that teaching children
with disabilities about the risks of abuse and
neglect as well as ways to communicate with
others can help reduce maltreatment among
this population of children. Summarized
below are some prevention strategies when
working with children with disabilities:
■
■ Help children protect themselves. Hold
regular trainings to share information

about abuse and neglect and talk about
feelings children may experience if abuse is
attempted. Help children understand how
to identify it, respond to it, and tell others.
■
■ Offer multiple and varied opportunities
for a child with disabilities to self-report
abuse or neglect. Studies show that children
with disabilities do not disclose abuse as
frequently as their peers, and when they
do, they delay the disclosure for at least a
month after the abuse occurred (Stalker
& McArthur, 2012). Some children
with disabilities may have difficulty
communicating their experience of abuse
or neglect due to symptoms of their
disability or lack of connection to a trusted
adult.
■
■ Teach children about their, and others’,
bodies and sexuality. Review the proper
names for body parts and functions. Explain
the difference between appropriate and
inappropriate social and or sexual behavior.
■
■ Reduce children’s social isolation. Ensure
children with disabilities are included and
feel welcome at all activities. Support them
as they form and strengthen relationships
with peers and trusted adults.
■
■ Maximize children’s communication skills
and tools. Practice communication skills
with them. Model healthy relationships and
positive interactions with other children
and adults.

■
■ Involve parents in their children’s educa
tion. Inform them when their children
learn about abuse or sexuality; offer them
the same training materials. Provide
strategies for parents to reinforce the
lessons at home.
■
■ Ensure prevention programs are inclusive
and appropriate to children’s ability levels,
culture, and gender. Remember that
some children may need to be trained
more frequently in order to retain the
information.
What can I do to increase the safety of a
child with a disability?
Being able to engage the child victim and
effectively communicate with him or her
about the suspected abuse is critical to gath
ering the necessary information needed to
accurately assess the safety of the child and
possibly proceed with an intervention plan.
Talking to a child with a disability can require
different skills than what most frontline staff
have been trained to do. It may also require
gathering additional information from the
parent or caregiver about the child’s disability
and their communication skills prior to talking
to the child victim. If the parent or caregiver
is the alleged perpetrator and information is

needed from them, it will be important not to
share any information prematurely that could
compromise the investigation.
There may be situations where you can not
directly communicate with the child victim due
to their disability; however, gathering details to
make an informed decision about the child’s
safety is then incumbent on what others tell
you and what you observe. Interviewing wit
nesses or others that have information about
the allegations is important in fully under
standing the situation and assessing safety. The
caretaking responsibilities, access of the alleged
perpetrator, and possible behavioral changes
with the alleged victim are just a few areas that
should be addressed when interviewing others.
“Protecting children
from any sort of
abuse is a duty of
every citizen.”
Unknown

Observing the child’s environment is a criti
cal component to assessing safety. Depending
on the specific allegations, the environment
can often lend important information needed
to determine if safety concerns exist and how
to best address them with the parent or care
taker. Interactions should be assessed between
the parent and child as well as the parent’s
attitude toward the child for possible signs of
maltreatment. Children with disabilities may
be more dependent on their caregiver to ad
dress their daily needs, which may lead to the
child being more passive and obedient.
Our understanding of the maltreatment of
children with disabilities could be greatly
improved by more systematic collection of
information on children’s disabilities during
investigation. Agency managers may consider
including a question about disability in their
agency’s screening or assessment tools. If a
child has a disability, Kendall-Tackett et al.
suggest asking basic follow-up questions
regard
ing the disability’s severity, age of onset,
and potential causes (2005). Regardless of the
child’s disability status, a referral should be
made to early intervention services and/or the
local or state developmental disability agency
for a more thorough assessment.
What do I do if the child with a disability is
non-communicative?
When a child doesn’t speak, we typically say
that child is “non-verbal.” A more accurate

statement would be that the child does not
have “vocal verbal behavior.” This represents
the fact that they may have verbal skills, just
not the ability to speak.
There are four basic types of communication.
They include: expressive vocal verbal (speak
ing); receptive vocal verbal (being spoken to
verbally); expressive non-vocal verbal (ges
tures, facial expressions, body postures, etc.);
and receptive non-vocal verbal (understand
ing gestures, facial expressions, body postures,
etc.). If a child does not possess any of these
types of communication, then the child would
be considered non-verbal. However, this is
rare. Communication requires both expressive
(that which you communicate) and recep
tive (that which you understand) language. If
you are told by the caregiver that the child is
non-verbal, your first question should be, “How
does he/she get their needs met?” From there
you can determine if they point, use signs, sym
bols or other methods of communicating. If so,
then it means the child has expressive lan
guage. Next, determine if they have receptive
language by asking them to respond to simple
commands that require movement (high five,
stand up, pick up an object, etc.).
Institution-Focused Prevention
Educating community partners, such as school
personnel, volunteers and parents/caregivers
often falls on the local child protective services

staff. It is important for others that interact
with children with disabilities to understand
how to recognize and report child sexual
abuse. They need to understand the warn
ing signs that are associated with child sexual
abuse and what to do when abuse is suspect
ed. State laws should specify who is mandated
to report such suspicions and which agency
should be contacted. This needs to be shared
with others that might not be aware of report
ing laws. Encourage agencies to develop proto
cols or procedures that align with the report
ing laws to ensure the appropriate authorities
are contacted when sexual abuse is suspected.
If others understand the warning signs of
sexual abuse and the process for reporting, it
is easier to get the information to the proper
authorities in a timely manner.
Another important aspect and one that your
community partners and parents often need
education on relates to resources. Frequently,
people aren’t aware of the local resources
and agencies that specialize in sexual assault
and what services are available to assist and
support the victim and family. Many of these
agencies also offer prevention programs and
guidance related to protecting children. De
veloping resource guides or simply sharing
contact information is useful to those that
might need services or additional information
related to sexual assault.

Conclusion
Children with disabilities are more at risk of
abuse and neglect than children without dis
abilities. The factors that place these children
at higher risk of maltreatment include factors
that place all children at risk in addition to
other risk factors that are more directly related
to disabilities. There are a number of promising
strategies to prevent the maltreatment of chil
dren with disabilities. These strategies must be
considered at the child, family and institutional
levels. Addressing family strengths and needs
as well as educating children about abuse and
ways to prevent it are critical steps in reducing
abuse among children with disabilities.

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About the Authors
Scott J. Modell, Ph.D. is recognized as an international
expert in disability etiology, characteristics, interview
techniques and child abuse. He is the Deputy Com
missioner for the State of Tennessee’s Department of
Children’s Services. Dr. Modell has received numerous
accolades for his work on behalf of individuals with
disabilities. For more information contact him at scott.
modell@tn.gov.
Marcie Davis, M.S. is recognized internationally for
her expertise in both victim and disability services. Her
award-winning materials and program development
have been recognized by both the criminal justice and
disability communities. Ms. Davis is President of Davis
Innovations, Inc. and Executive Director of Soulful Pres
ence, a nonprofit organization. For further information
please contact her at davisinnovates@gmail.com.
Carla Aaron, M.S.S.W. is the Executive Director of
the Office of Child Safety for the State of Tennessee’s
Depart
ment of Children’s Services. She has over 28
years of experience in child protection and child wel
fare on both the regional and state level. Serving in
numerous capacities within this agency, she has been
instrumental in developing and implementing systemic
changes to improve child protection programs. For more
information contact her at carla.aaron@tn.gov.
Irma Buchanan, M.S.S.W. is the Director of Investiga
tions for the Office of Child Safety for the State of
Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services. She
has over 20 years of experience in child protection and
child welfare. Her experience includes leadership roles
in regional and statewide programs from both Tennessee
and Texas. For more information contact her at irma.
buchanan@tn.gov.
This booklet in part was based upon: Child Welfare
Information Gateway. (2012). The risk and prevention of
maltreatment of children with disabilities. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s
Bureau.

For more information:
3909 Juan Tabo NE, Suite 6
Albuquerque, NM 87111
505.883.8020 phone | 888.883.8020 toll free
www.nmcsap.org
National Sexual Assault Hotline
1.800.656.4673

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