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Myths in Dealing With Special Needs Children
Author:
Marie Dunleavy
Having a special need child in the family doesn’t mean you have to panic. Just like other kids, special needs children can learn to
live a normal life and reach their full potential. Guidance, teaching and love are primary ingredients in rearing a special child and
helping him reach full potential.
The “panicking” of parents upon learning about their child’s situation can be attributed to some common misconceptions in dealing with
special needs children. These misconceptions lead to the thought that there is no bright future for special needs children. Unless these
myths are fully understood and corrected, parents will never know that special needs children will still reach their full potentials.
Here are the top 3 common special child misconceptions and the truth about them:
- Parenting and teaching a special child will take away all your happiness and replace it with difficulties.
This may be true to some persons who don’t love the child at all – but does this type of person exist? How can parents not love their
own child no matter what his needs are? Parenting and teaching a special child is not a reason to be unhappy. It is all in the attitude!
Rearing a child with special needs doesn’t take away your happiness. You may be unhappy but it’s your choice. You can choose to be
happy and satisfied caring and teaching your special child. Rather than letting yourself be imprisoned by the situation, be in control.
Plan exciting activities that will help you enjoy at the same time leave an effective learning experience to your child.
- Special needs children will never reach their full potential.
This is another myth. Just like any other children, special needs children can reach their full potential. They can learn to speak,
read, and interact with other people. They have the ability to live a happy, satisfied and complete life. But they won’t be able to
achieve these on their own. They need guidance and proper teaching for them to be the best person that they could be. You should not
be the judge of your child’s potential. Let him explore and learn. There are several education materials that cater to teaching special
needs children reach their full potential.
- Nobody understands the difficulties of parenting and teaching special needs children.
No two persons are the same. The individual difference theory is true but it doesn’t apply to situations. You may be facing the
challenge of parenting or teaching differently abled children but you are not alone. Many other parents or teachers have been through
the same situation. The only thing that differs is the way people handle special situations like this. There are even foundations and
organizations that cater to helping parents and teachers cope up with the challenge of teaching and parenting children with special
needs.
Parenting and teaching special needs children is an easy task if you know how to handle the situation. Don’t panic! Know what is true
and what is not. Don’t judge a situation based on pure misconceptions. As long as you know what to do, parenting and teaching children
with special needs will be a satisfying and fulfilling experience.
About the Author
With seventeen children's books currently in print, and with sixteen new books to be published in 2007, Marie Dunleavy is an accomplished children's books author. Her books and associated resources were originally developed for a differently abled child in her own family but are now used for children with special needs in classrooms in U.K. and Ireland. For more information about the resources, please visit POPS Special Needs Resources
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