How to Explain Disability to A Special Needs Child?

20th March 2019

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It is not uncommon for parents to come across situations where they are required to deal with children and disabilities. It could be involving questions that the child puts across regarding other people whom they see experiencing disabilities. The situation may also be one where the experience of disability is a part of the parent or a special needs child.

There are many reasons that make children wonderful creations of the Almighty – one of the reasons is that they are naturally open-minded and open-hearted. There is probably no better time than childhood for creating this understanding that people having disabilities also need to be perceived as people to start with. Professionals who have undergone SEN teacher training in Bangalore would be the right candidates to help you in this regard.

Some Simple Steps that You Can Follow

As a parent, you can follow certain steps to develop an understanding of disability and disabled people for your children. You need not have to undergo any special educational course to do this, the pointers are very simple to follow:

  1. Listen to what your child has to say for their point-of-view matters
  2. Allow your child to voice any fears they may possess. Let them ask questions
  3. View the situation your child presents from their perspectives
  4. Don’t lie to your child but remember to keep your answers appropriate for their age
  5. Explain disability in a manner you know they will be able to understand
  6. Have their curiosity satisfied, if they are keen on sitting in a wheelchair let them do so
  7. Stress on the positives, such as use of a wheelchair makes a person more mobile
  8. Remember, children will often try to take upon unnecessary responsibility for situations that are beyond their control
  9. Stress the importance of loyalty and family unity
  10. Make sure you spend more time with your children
  11. Encourage them in helping you make the home more accessible
  12. Remind the kids: Everything will change, it is the love shared within the family that remains constant

A Special Needs Child is Different but There is Nothing Bad about It

Being uncomfortable in situations or around people who are different from the rest is a common thing. Often, we think that pretending such disparities don’t exist will help but it only serves to make things worse by confusing the kids and devaluing those with disability. The wiser option is to talk about them in a respectful manner and try to learn as much as possible about their condition. Some differences will probably set them apart while others will be more a reflection of an individual’s strength or weakness.

A kid who has disabilities is just like any other kid

When talking to your child about a disabled person, mention those things that both of them have in common. Both will have hands, hairs, eyes, and they will also have feelings. Chances are the special kid loves to play or listen to a particular kind of music. Just because a child has a disability doesn’t mean that they should be defined by it.

A Person with a Special Need or Disability is not Sick

Explaining special needs to a child can be tricky at times, especially when the right vocabulary is hard to come by. Having special needs education training will probably put you in a better place in this regard. Try to avoid words such as “wrong” or “sick”. Some people are born with special needs while others become disabled owing to an illness or accident. There is nothing bad about the disability in itself, and it is not something your kid can “catch”. This is an important point that needs to be made to children while explaining disabilities.

Asking Questions is Acceptable

Don’t you think it wonderful that kids are curious by nature? There is no need to shush a child who wants to ask questions about disabilities. It is also perfectly okay if you don’t have the answer to their questions, just pass it on to the parents of the special needs child. After all, everyone knows how much moms love talking about their children! Also, if kids are asking you questions using words such as “wrong” and “sick” don’t scold them. They are too young to develop the right vocabularies yet.

Conclusion

Many institutions and elementary schools have adopted the practice of integrating children with disabilities into their classrooms. This does not affect the other kids in any way but actually helps them learn better. A teacher with SEN teacher training in Bangalore will be a good choice for handling the class and addressing the needs of all alike.