LAKU family rehabilitation

LAKU family rehabilitation is for children and adolescents between ages 7 and 15 who have been diagnosed with one of the following

• ADHD or ADD
• an autism spectrum disorder (without significant cognitive developmental delay)
• Tourette’s syndrome or persistent tic symptoms.

Additionally, the child or adolescent

• must have a long-term and varied need for rehabilitative support and guidance
• may have behavioural and emotional symptoms (e.g. a behavioural or anxiety disorder) that are being treated by a healthcare provider, or symptoms which are functionally impairing (such as hyperactivity or impulsivity) and which can be addressed by means of rehabilitation.
• LAKU family rehabilitation may be appropriate after the family has received first-stage counselling for patients and family members (psychoeducation) from a healthcare provider.

LAKU Family Rehabilitation is not suitable

• as initial rehabilitation immediately following a diagnosis. Instead, the family courses for children arranged by Kela can offer a wide range of guidance and counselling as well as tools for adapting to a new situation. They also provide an opportunity to meet other families who are in a similar situation.
• if the child or adolescent receives intensive medical rehabilitation services
• if the child faces substantial challenges in coping or participation. The support provided by LAKU family rehabilitation is not sufficient for children with significantly impaired functional capacity. In that case, intensive medical rehabilitation can be an option.

Use the service provider search tool to look up providers that offer LAKU family rehabilitation. We recommend you to select a service provider located within 80 kilometres of your home.

Implementation of the rehabilitation

The children or adolescents attending the rehabilitation are accompanied by persons close to them in their daily lives. 

The rehabilitation is partly carried out as group-based rehabilitation. The family must be able to participate in all parts of the rehabilitation.

The rehabilitation lasts 18 months and comprises

• 17 consultations
• 5 group sessions for the children and adolescents
• 4– 6 network sessions attended by persons who interact with the child or adolescent in his or her daily life
• 2 follow-up sessions
• 5 group sessions for adult close relatives.

The sessions are held on the service provider’s premises or in some other environment familiar to the client such as home or school. Part of the sessions can be held remotely.

Aim of the rehabilitation

In LAKU family rehabilitation, the family receives information relevant to the growth and development of the child or adolescent and practical guidance on how to make the family’s daily life easier and how to deal with challenging situations. The family must make a commitment to go through a long rehabilitation process and to integrate the rehabilitation into their daily lives.

Along with the family, their daycare provider and school also get practical tools for supporting the child or adolescent in daycare or school or in interactions with friends.

In the joint sessions, the family

• learns tools for coping with neuropsychiatric symptoms
• is advised on how to support the child’s or adolescent’s emotional regulation and executive function and how to apply behavioural interventions
• is given concrete guidance on how to make the family’s daily life easier and how to identify resources 
• can find individually suitable ways to advance the rehabilitation and support self-rehabilitation
• is offered support with activities that involve the whole family and methods to help the child or adolescent with school and relationships with friends

How to apply

1. Fill in the application form titled Harkinnanvarainen kuntoutus (KU 132, PDF in Finnish).

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the application directly in the browser, otherwise some of the information may not be saved.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • State the name of the service provider who will provide the rehabilitation in your application. Use the service provider search function (in Finnish) to look up service provider.
   • Save the completed claim form on your device. Note that the claim must be in PDF format.
2. Include with the application a medical statement B or other equivalent statement issued by a public healthcare provider. The statement must include information on the diagnosis, the initial treatment and support, the family assessment, the type of rehabilitation recommended and the goals for the rehabilitation.
3. Send the application using the OmaKela e-service. A guardian can apply for rehabilitation on behalf of their child in the OmaKela e-service.

   • Save the completed form to your device. Note that the form must be in PDF format.
   • Log in to OmaKela (available in Finnish and Swedish). If you are applying for rehabilitation for your child, go to Asioi toisen henkilön puolesta (Act on behalf of another person).
   • Select Tee hakemus (File an application). Select Sairastaminen ja kuntoutus (Sickness and rehabilitation) and then Kuntoutus – tee hakemus (Rehabilitation – File an application). Under Valitse etuus (Select benefit), select Harkinnanvarainen kuntoutus.
   • Select the application form on your device and press Lähetä (Send).
   • When you send your application online, you do not need to sign it.
   • If you have supporting documents, sent them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph or scan them.

Another option is to send the application by mail:

• Sign the application and send it with the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

You will receive a written decision on your application.

If you are accepted for the rehabilitation, the service provider will contact you within about two weeks of the date on which you received the letter of acceptance.