Military-Connected Children With Special Health Care Needs and Their Families: A Literature Review

Abstract

Since 2001, armed conflicts have required extraordinary sacrifices by U.S. military service members and their families. Literature on the impact of the military lifestyle between 2001 and 2021 suggests frequent relocation and deployment have consequences for children. Limited research on the subpopulation of children and youth with special health care needs contains evidence these military families face complex issues, amplifying stressors of military life. The results of this review identified challenges in continuity of care in education, health care, and family support resulting from frequent relocations, plus notable gaps in research. These findings are important because of their potential impact on military readiness, recruitment, and retention. This review appears to be the only peer-reviewed systematic literature review on military-connected children with special health care needs and their families.