Children with physical disabilities need to get care and assistance from their parents and people around them. Thus, they can develop their abilities and learn to live their days independently.
In general, disability is a term used to describe the condition of a person's inability to do something. This condition which is also often referred to as a disability is also defined as a decrease in ability or loss of function in certain body parts.
Disability conditions can be experienced by anyone, including children. This makes children limited in their activities, so they need the help and guidance of others.
Therefore, for those of you who have children with disabilities, it is important to know how to care for and accompany them. Thus, children can better understand their condition and learn to carry out activities independently.
Method MeCaring for and Assisting Children with Disabilities
The following are some ways to care for and guide children with physical disabilities that you can try:
Join community of parents of children with disabilities
When your doctor makes a diagnosis about your child's condition with special needs, you need to gather a variety of information about the condition. You can look for information online or consult a doctor.
You can also join a community consisting of fellow parents with children with disabilities. Through these associations, you can exchange information about problems, how to care for, or experiences faced by each parent.
Besides being able to add information, joining a group or community of parents of children with disabilities can make you not feel alone and have friends to share with each other.
Play with children and build social interactions
Playing and building friendships can help children with disabilities develop their physical, communication and social skills. Not only that, the game allows them to have fun with the various things they do.
Play also helps children with disabilities learn to share, cooperate, and build empathy for others. By playing, children with disabilities can feel that they have the support of others. It is good for building self-esteem in him.
If your child has a disability from birth and his physical limitations are in the lower body, you can teach him how to play with the upper limbs and vice versa.
It is intended that children with disabilities remain active and do not feel limited by their conditions.
When your child is about 3–6 years old, you can read a story book or tell a situation in a game. This can help children with disabilities to learn to communicate or deal with certain situations.
Various Medical help for Children with Disabilities
If as your child gets older it is still difficult to carry out daily activities, consult your child's condition to a pediatrician. The doctor will conduct a series of examinations and recommend complementary treatments, such as physiotherapy.
The physiotherapist will introduce your child to things that can be done on their own and the use of assistive devices that make it easier for them to move and carry out daily activities.
For children with disabilities who have difficulty communicating, doctors may recommend undergoing language or speech therapy and even using certain assistive devices.
In addition to difficulties in moving and communicating, children with disabilities also usually take longer to be able to use the toilet.
It can be caused by a variety of things, including a health condition that affects your ability to control your bladder or bowels. Therefore, parents need to be more patient when accompanying children with disabilities to learn to do various things, including urinating and defecating.
Physiotherapists can also provide advice on using the toilet or special bedpans, as well as the proper position to use them.
Some children with disabilities also experience sleep disturbances due to various things, such as muscle spasms or difficulty breathing. This condition can occur due to their lack of understanding of why and when they need to sleep.
To overcome this, you can consult a doctor to get tips so that your child can sleep well and not interfere with the rest of other family members.
In addition to some of the treatments above, you may need advice and assistance from a specialist in treating children with physical disabilities. Here are some specialist doctors who can help you:
- Orthopedic surgeon, to treat problems related to the muscles and bone structure of children.
- Ophthalmologist, to provide treatment related to children's vision problems.
- Pediatric medical rehabilitation specialist, for the management of the physical condition of children with chronic disabilities.
- Child psychiatrist, to treat conditions related to behavioral and emotional disorders, as well as cognitive abilities.
- An ENT specialist, to treat children with disabilities with medical conditions related to breathing, eating or swallowing disorders, and problems with the nose and sinuses.
Every parent is worried about the future of their child who has special needs. You can follow the various ways of dealing with children with disabilities above and have regular consultations, either with a doctor or a therapist.
If you still have further questions about children with physical disabilities, don't hesitate to consult a doctor. Doctors will provide advice and tips on caring for children with disabilities according to their health conditions.
