The Importance Of Empowering Children With Disabilities
More than 1 billion people in the world live with some type of disability. Throughout their lives they will have to face numerous challenges, barriers and obstacles, often related to the way society is constituted.
However, within this struggle, childhood is a critical stage, as it is at this time when the foundations of personality and identity are formed. For this reason, it is essential to empower children with disabilities, since the vision they have of themselves will derive, to a large extent, their quality of life.
Beyond the objective limitations that these children may experience due to their condition, we are faced with another issue of equal relevance. And this is, first of all, rejection, ridicule and discrimination by other people.
But, above all, the look of pity and condescension on the part of those close to him. The fact that those closest to them perceive them as helpless victims is one of the greatest damages they face. Next, we explain why.
The struggle of children with disabilities
Children with disabilities are one of the largest minorities in existence. However, this disability can manifest itself in many different ways. From sensory disability (such as blindness or deafness), to physical (loss of a limb or mobility difficulties), through psychic or cognitive (normally generated by the presence of a mental disorder).
Despite this wide variety of manifestations, the challenges at the social level are similar in all cases. Being the mother or father of a child with a disability is not easy at all; Not only because of the physical effort and mental exhaustion that ensuring their well-being can generate, but also because many times we are forced to witness the contempt or lack of respect with which others treat our children.
However, since we cannot prevent them from having to face certain wars throughout their development, the best we can do for them is to equip them with the necessary tools to emerge unscathed. And one of the most important is self-confidence. Hence the importance of empowering children with disabilities.
What vision do you want him to have of himself?
Sometimes it is inevitable to feel sad when seeing our son suffer, when seeing how the effort he must make to achieve his goals is twice that of other children his age.
However, know that this kind of compassion can harm him more than help him. Like his mother, it is important that you view him as a brave, persevering, and capable human being. It is essential that you trust in his possibilities to develop and be happy, because this is the most direct way to empower him.
If you consider him a helpless victim, this is how he will learn to feel. When you think about yourself, you will see only disability and difficulties, rather than qualities, skills, and opportunities that you do have.
How to empower children with disabilities?
Thus, to empower children with disabilities, it is important to take into account the following considerations:
- Get used to seeing your child as a capable, courageous and valuable child, to looking at him beyond his particular condition. Discover all his qualities and help him to keep them always present ; provide him with the means to enhance and enjoy them.
- Avoid overprotecting your little one. Don’t do for him what he can do for himself. This is an important parenting guideline in any family, but these children absolutely need to trust themselves. To do this, assign him tasks and responsibilities according to his abilities and accompany him as he learns to perform them.
- Take care of your words and the way you refer to your child, both with him and with other people. Try not to focus the conversation on difficulties, but on achievements, progress and successes. Maintain a positive and resilient attitude to model for your child.
What we imprint on the child’s mind remains with children into adulthood. So make sure your child grows up feeling loved, supported, and capable. If he’s twice as complicated, give him twice as much confidence. A disability does not have to imply a deprived and unhappy life.
