Understand the Needs of Your Special Child

Children with special needs are talented and intelligent human beings. You as a parent need to figure out the best way to bring out the beauty and hidden skills of your child

Which parent would not want their child to excel in academics and extracurricular activities? But in some cases children with average levels of intelligence face great difficulty in picking up basic skills such as reading, writing, and speaking. It must be remembered that such children may be suffering from a learning disorder and might find the traditional methods of learning difficult. Children who have different physical abilities or are physically challenged also struggle in school. But it is important for you to know that you cannot write off your child’s future just because he has a learning disability in one area of his life.

Marks are no measure of a human being
Take the case of Pawan. He is dealing with a rare kind of colour blindness. Under normal sunlight or any brightly illuminated area, he has great difficulty in discerning the correct colour of things around him. To him the world is all black and white with shades of grey in between.

Pawan suffers from an incurable visual disorder because of which reading and writing causes him tremendous strain. Throbbing headaches, tired eyes are a constant feature of his life. In spite of his condition, he did well in the class XII exam this year securing the third position in his class with an enviable 92% in Economics.

Says Pawan, “I really had a tough time trying to deal with the mounting pressure of studies but my family has been really supportive. My elder sister would read out important points and long passages to me when I got those splitting headaches. My sister and my friends would help me with my homework and revisions and my father used to get important class notes photocopied for me in a larger than normal font and a darker format. My mother set my daily routine such that I never had the need to study at night.”

Pawan’s case is not an isolated one. Parents can do a lot for their special children with determination, proper approach, and a positive attitude.

Build a support system
It is always about the conducive environment. The following are some measures you can take to deal with the special needs of your child:

• Love and affection: Special needs are best managed with abundant love and affection.  Love, affection, and family support must form the bedrock of the approach you take to cater to the special needs of your child.

• Gather facts: Gather information about your child’s condition. Monitor the condition of your child. Gather facts about the specific condition they are suffering from and plan out a concrete and holistic approach. Network with parents and families who are facing a similar situation. This will help you boost your self confidence.

• Positive perseverance: A positive approach and great deal of determination is required. It is observed that learning disorders such as autism (neurobiological disorder), dyslexia (impaired language skills), dysgraphia (impaired writing), and dyscalculia (difficulty to understand basic mathematical operations) can easily be surmounted with a determined combination of grit, care, and special training. Children who are physically challenged are easily integrated into normal schools with the aid of artificial or bionic limbs, wheelchairs, and special desks.

• Environment: The atmosphere at home must be comfortable for your special child. You must provide a healthy and a comfortable environment to your child at home, so that his/her daily routine, studies, and other activities go on unhindered. Make your home children friendly so that your child’s friends can easily come to meet them.

According to Karuna Chandra, a child counsellor, “Parents are devastated and feel low when they discover that their children have some sort of a disability. They do not know what to do. Instead of focussing on external factors, they must first overcome negative feelings. Once they get over the mental block, the road ahead gets easier and brighter.”

So, do not be burdened by the notion that your child is different from others. Your child is special and possesses special talents and interests. Do your best to make your child comfortable and make sure he/she is not conscious and embarrassed.