How to Explain a Physical Disability to a Child

By eHow Relationships & Family Editor

Rate: (4 Ratings)

Children have open minds and open hearts. There is no better time to create an understanding that people with disabilities must be perceived as people first.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

  • Power Wheelchairs
  • Complying With The ADA - A Guidebook
  • Interacting With People
  • Anger-management Counseling
  • Stress Management Counseling
  • E-Z Reacher
  • Manual Wheelchairs
  • Medical Alert Bracelet
  • Wheelchair Gloves
  • Wheelchair Mini Ramps
  • Wheelchair Ramps
  • Wheelchair Seat Cushions
  • Therapists
  • Lever Locksets

Step1
Listen to the child.
Step2
Let the child voice fears and ask questions.
Step3
View the situation from the child's perspective.
Step4
Be truthful, keeping your answers age-appropriate.
Step5
Explain disability at the level the child can understand.
Step6
Satisfy a child's curiosity. Let the child sit in a wheelchair, for example.
Step7
Stress the positive. For example, use of a wheelchair enhances mobility.
Step8
Remember that children take upon themselves unnecessary responsibility for situations.
Step9
Stress family loyalty and unity.
Step10
Spend extra time with children.
Step11
Encourage children to help make your home more accessible.
Step12
Remind children that everything changes, except the loved shared within the family.

Tips & Warnings

  • Counseling and support groups for the disabled person and for the family can be helpful.
  • Nondisabled children learn lessons in courage, pride, perseverance and loyalty from disabled family members.
  • Understand that a disabling injury or illness requires a grieving process. The family will pass through stages of anger, denial, depression and acceptance.
  • Understand the child may feel resentment. Help him work through it rather than reacting angrily.

Comments

| View All Comments
Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 If you have an electric powerchair, show the child the console's light display, and the joystick, and how you change gears and put on hazrd lights, and explain that the battery makes the chair go, just like a car. The child's fascination for the chair then overides the fear of the disability.

View All

Post a Comment

POST A COMMENT

Request a New How-To Article

Looking for more How To information? Chances are there’s an eHow member who knows how to do what you’re looking to do. Submit an article request now!

eHow Article: How to Explain a Physical Disability to a Child

eHow Relationships & Family Editor

Related Ads

Relationships & Family

amandaford
Meet Amanda Ford eHow’s Relationships & Family Expert.