How to deal with special needs child
Dealing with children can inherently be very tasking. You will have to use every fiber of your humanity – your emotions, your intellect, your time, and your physical energy – to effectively deal with a child. If dealing with an ordinary child is like rolling a stone up a cliff, dealing with special needs children is twice as tasking. Mind you, this does not mean it is impossible. There are certain things to look out for when dealing with a special needs child.
Who is a Special Needs Child?
Perhaps, you are curious as to whom a special needs child really is; what physical, emotional, or psychological attributes does this child possess? Alright, a special needs child is a child that faces challenges in emotional, physical, mental, psychological, and cognitive development. In simpler words, such a child is impaired either physically, emotionally, psychologically, or in cognition. Unlike ordinary children, they need special assistance in navigating the areas of development where they are challenged.
Like we established earlier, these children too can be taken care of. In fact, the world has had some notable examples of special needs children grow up to be authorities in their respective niches or areas of academic specialization. For instance, Thomas Edison is among the most celebrated men we have today. Thomas had been diagnosed with dyslexia at the early age of 12.
However, despite these developmental challenges, the hard work, care, and love of his parent did pay off. So, how do you build up your special needs children to become future Thomas Edison or even greater trailblazers? Here are some of the tips you could use
How to deal with special needs child
1. Freedom
Giving space and freedom to special needs children and permitting them to choose what is ideal or more pleasurable to them helps a great deal in bringing out the best in them. It gives u a ton of time to think and close on the following line of a move to make.
2. Observation
In the course of giving them freedom, notice such youngsters with special needs and consistently know the best to deal with them. Be careful of driving them away and losing your point. Know the sort of things they like to do.
3. Communication
Attempt to hit a discussion with the child and be mindful so as not to make a bad introduction. Consistently watch out for every one of these disabilities and consider what the child’s characters can teach you.
4. Tolerance and comprehension
Dealing with special needs children requires more elevated levels of tolerance and comprehension. This is on the grounds that these children require specific consideration. You must show huge restraint in showing them negative emotions.
5. Constancy
You must be resolved and never offer effectively disappointment in dealing with a special needs child. You need to keep a straight head since you get effortlessly annoyed when showing them how to do something specific and you continue to get a similar outcome. You need to do it again and again.
6. Consistency
When dealing with a special needs child, you must be predictable and ensure you continue to advise the person in question on how to go about things done again and again.it assists them with holding on and retention.
7. Using visual, sound, and strategic signals
Having the correct signals in a climate can mean a ton to a child with special needs. You must be flexible and sound in the use of visuals, sound, and strategies to persuade them in doing the needful. Material signs, for example, tenderly contacting an individual’s shoulder, and offering a blanket are simple approaches to stamp progress and stand out enough to be noticed. Other hear-able prompts are applauding, snapping, or whistling.
What are the challenges faced when dealing with a special needs child?
1. Lack of Time
Taking care of children with special needs is in no doubt time-consuming. It may be difficult for a middle-class working parent to strike a balance between providing optimal care for these children and making ends meet. This sometimes creates a loop, consequently setting these children up to face neglect issues and handles the difficult task with their very limited ability
2. Lack of Support in financial, material, and parental support
This issue above is a premise for this. There are many children with special needs today who do not have the proper parental support they need. Some of them have been neglected. Institutions set up to take care of these children often find it hard to provide the emotional support of the real parents and sometimes, financial support – especially due to their large number.
3. Collection of data
One of the challenges that have affected collective social responsibility triggered support to reach children with special needs is due to unavailability of data. This places a great limitation on the number that the government and other voluntary bodies can assist.
4. Dealing with multiple disabilities
Another major challenge that people face when dealing with special needs children is multiple disabilities. Some special needs children have the complex life of managing multiple disabilities. This increases their dependence and sometimes can pose a serious challenge to health care and emotional support.
5. Lack of appreciation
Despite the obvious need that someone needs to do something about these children; the individuals at the forefront of this course are often underappreciated and not recognized in society.
Solutions to the challenges when dealing with a special needs child
1. Try to create a schedule and plan well on how and when to take them making it a daily routine.
2. Try to create a budget on how to go about your finances,
3. If you are a teacher, try getting your materials ready before getting to class and try to motivate parents of children with special needs on the need to take support and care for their wards. Try to convince them by bringing together stories on how children with special needs have risen up to become celebrated people
4. Create a support network; bring at least one person who can assist you in the day to day activities of collation of data
5. Study your child, so you understand what is happening while your child is at home and be able to recommend to his parent what they can do to assist and support his education at home
6. Celebrate small accomplishments. For some special needs students, every day is a struggle, and improvements may not come easily. The more you learn about your child’s individual challenges, the better you will be able to identify small successes and, when they happen, they are worth celebrating!
Conclusion
The ultimate goal of dealing with a special needs child is to bring the best out of them and make them someone the society or community can look up to or cite as an example. You help to reduce the burden on society and create the chance for a better tomorrow. A special need child can be turned into a special blessing that society needs for a better tomorrow. Their inability does not define who they are, it only defines the journey and the hard work needed to make them a special one. Finally, to work with the children in question, an important attitude you need to possess is a positive attitude and the willingness to listen.
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