LAKU family rehabilitation

LAKU family rehabilitation is intended for families with a child or teen aged 7–15 who has been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder (ADHD, ADD, autism spectrum disorder, Tourette syndrome or tics). During the rehabilitation, the child or teen and their family get support for 18 months. Part of the rehabilitation is offered as group rehabilitation.

The rehabilitation course is free of charge.

Who is the rehabilitation course for?

LAKU family rehabilitation is suited for families who have already received first-stage counselling for patients and family members (psychoeducation) from a healthcare provider.

LAKU family rehabilitation is intended for children and teens aged 7–15 who have been diagnosed with one of the following:

• ADHD or predominantly inattentive ADHD (ADD) 
• an autism spectrum disorder (without a significant delay in cognitive development)
• Tourette syndrome or persistent tics.

This rehabilitation course is suited for children and teens who

• need diverse rehabilitative support and guidance in the long-term
• have behavioural or emotional symptoms (such as a behavioural or anxiety disorder) that have been identified by a healthcare provider
• have symptoms that negatively affect their ability to function (such as hyperactivity or impulsiveness) that can be addressed with rehabilitation. 

Aim of rehabilitation

During LAKU family rehabilitation, your family will

• learn ways to help you manage the neurodevelopmental symptoms of the child or teen
• get guidance on how to support the emotional regulation and executive function of the child or teen and tips on how to guide their behaviour
• get practical advice on how to make the family’s daily life easier and how to identify resources
• learn how to find appropriate ways to promote the child or teen’s rehabilitation and support self-rehabilitation
• get support for working together with the child or teen’s care provider and school and learn methods for supporting their schooling and friendships.

During the rehabilitation, the child or teen’s school will also learn practical methods for supporting the child or teen during school hours and when they interact with their friends.

How rehabilitation works

The child or teen’s family and school will participate in LAKU family rehabilitation together with the child or teen. Other people present in the child or teen’s daily life can also participate if necessary.

To be able to participate in the rehabilitation, the family must commit to a long-term rehabilitation process and use what they learn during rehabilitation in the family’s daily life. The family must be able to participate in all parts of the rehabilitation.

Depending on the family’s needs, rehabilitation sessions will be held on the service provider’s premises or in environments that are familiar to the family, such as their home or the child or teen’s school. Part of the rehabilitation is offered as group rehabilitation. Some sessions can be held remotely.

The rehabilitation lasts for 18 months and comprises

• 17 sessions with the family
• 4–6 network sessions with the family and, for example, the child or teen’s school, care provider or other actors present in the child or teen’s daily life
• 5 group sessions for the children and teens
• 5 group sessions for adult family members or friends aged 18 or over
• 2 follow-up sessions with the family after the course.

The rehabilitation course is usually offered in Finnish and Swedish. However, there is currently no course available in Swedish because there are no registered Swedish-language service providers.

If you speak Swedish or one of the Sámi languages, Kela will provide an interpreter for you.

The experts involved in rehabilitation

The rehabilitation programme will be planned and managed by a specialist and 3 of the following experts:

•  a neuropsychologist or psychologist
•  a social worker, Bachelor of Social Sciences or rehabilitation instructor
•  an occupational therapist
•  a registered nurse.

A special-needs teacher may also participate if necessary.

How to apply

You need a medical statement B (B-lausunto) issued by a doctor for the child or teen in public healthcare or some other statement on the child or teen’s health if you want to apply for LAKU family rehabilitation. The medical statement B or health statement must state what disorder the child has that qualifies them for rehabilitation, what kind of early-stage care and support the child or teen has received, what the situation of the family is like and what kind of support the family needs, what kind of rehabilitation is recommended for the child or teen and what its goals are.

The medical statement B or health statement must be dated within the past year.

After you get a medical statement B or health statement for the child or teen, do as follows:

1. Complete the application form for discretionary rehabilitation KU 132 (PDF, in Finnish).

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Tell us in the application which service provider’s rehabilitation you want to participate in. Select a service provider in your area. We recommend that you select a service provider located within 80 kilometres of your home. Use Kela’s service provider search to look up rehabilitation service providers (available in Finnish and Swedish).
   • Save the completed application form on your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
2. Send the application in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish). Parents and guardians can apply for rehabilitation on behalf of their minor child under 18 in OmaKela.

   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus (File an application). Go to Asioi toisen henkilön puolesta (Act on behalf of another person) to apply for rehabilitation for your child or teen. Read more about acting on behalf of another person.
   • First select Sairastaminen ja kuntoutus (Sickness and rehabilitation). Then select Kuntoutus – tee hakemus (Rehabilitation – Submit an application). Finally, select Harkinnanvarainen kuntoutus (Discretionary rehabilitation).
   • If you send your application to Kela in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
3. If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.

   • Send us a copy of the child or teen’s medical statement B or health statement as a supporting document with your application.
4. Visit OmaKela to see if Kela has made a decision on the application. We will also send the decision notice to the rehabilitation service provider. This tells the service provider that Kela will pay for the rehabilitation, and the service provider will reserve a place for you on the rehabilitation course.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the form to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

If Kela grants you rehabilitation, the service provider will contact you within 2 weeks of the arrival of the positive rehabilitation decision notice.

Let us know if you cannot attend rehabilitation

Remember to tell Kela immediately if you cannot participate in the rehabilitation course. Let us know that you have to cancel by sending a message to us in the OmaKela e-service or by calling our customer service number for rehabilitation clients.

We recommend that you also contact the service provider to let them know you have to cancel.

Check if you can get travel cost reimbursements

You can get reimbursement for the costs of your trips to and from the rehabilitation facility.

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