How to Help Friends With Special Needs Children

Having a child with special needs can place a lot of stress on families. If you have friends who are dealing with one or more special needs children, they need all the help they can get. Read on to find out ways you can be supportive.

Instructions

1. Show your friends that you care by showing an interest in ther special needs child. Engage the child in conversation and play. Find out as much as you can about their disability so that you can be an informed friend. Explain the disability to your own children if you have any and answer any questions they may have.

2. Spend time with the other siblings, who can feel left out as the special needs child demands more attention from her parents.

3. Offer to watch all the children so the parents can get a much-needed night out at a restaurant or a movie. Parents of special-needs children don't get the chance for much romance or time to talk, so they will appreciate the offer.

4. Lend a listening ear, especially when parents are just discovering a diagnosis. This can be a devastating time for parents as they work through all of the stages of grief. Make sure your friends know that you are there for them and willing to do whatever they need.

5. Ask how you can help financially. As the child ages, his needs will change, and the parents are well-advised to set up a special needs trust for future costs. Friends and family can contribute to the trust to help ensure the child will be taken care of.

6. Help your friends keep their sense of humor. A good laugh with a friend can turn around a stressful day.

Resources

• The TSVBI website describes a church respite night-out program.
• The Brooks website offers the book.
• The My Parentime website discusses children with special needs.