Should we be telling parents of kids with special needs that they're amazing?
Telling parents of kids with special needs that they're amazing reinforces the idea that their child's condition is a tragedy that only "super" parents can handle. It's too bad you had to put your life on hold. I've not put my life on hold.
Do you apologize to parents of children with special needs?
My son is alive, healthy, and happy. You wouldn't apologize to other parents for the existence of their kids, so don't do it to parents of kids with special needs. Parenting your son must be so hard, I can't imagine how you do it.
What are the special needs of your daughters?
My daughters special needs are physical. She walks with arm crutches and wears braces on the lower part of her legs. The hardest part right now is all the stares that go on from strangers no matter where we are. This is do in part by the lack of education from the adults.
Is having a special Parents Support Group the best thing ever?
And thinking back on the early and teen years and even young adult years; having a “Special Parents Support” group is the best thing that ever happened to any of us. We wanted our “kids” to experience everything like partying, travelling, etc.
When Your Parents Give You The Silent Treatment
I’m an aspiring therapist, and some of the younger clients report being emotionally dismissed by their parents. They appreciate the things that their parents do for them, such as paying the bills, working full time, providing them with a house, food, and shelter, but also often report feeling invalidated.
The Stark Reality
In some families, the silent treatment can be a surprising and unfortunate reality. Perhaps your parents do it from time to time, especially when there’s already a skewed power differential, where you have to follow the things that your parents say because it’s their rules and their house.
Children Internalize The Pain
Developing children are willing to keep the vitriol inside because they’re so worried about seeing the silent treatment ever again. That’s how profoundly sad they were — they hated it so much that they were willing to accept the pain of the situation, even if it was hard for them to process.
When Facing Silent Treatment
Seeing parents turning their backs, some children may learn to become too self-reliant and even push them away — even when the parents eventually parade them with hugs, kisses, and presents.
Final Thoughts
Even if you are at fault, just remember that you were a child and that you had no way of knowing that your parents were going to be this way with you. It did place a huge emotional burden on you, but at least you learned to keep your distance and somehow survived the situation, all in one piece.
8 Common IEP Questions That Parents Ask
Meeting parents’ expectations for children with special needs can be challenging. While therapists and other clinicians are attuned to the requirements of students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), parental involvement – and understanding of therapeutic progress – varies.
Can I Have Copies Of The Service Logs?
Highly engaged parents will keep a watchful eye on their child’s progress. Occasionally, parents may request service logs. As a therapist, you can help parents reach a good level of comfort with both you and the curriculum designed to treat the specific disability.
What Can I Do At Home?
Concerned parents will always want to do whatever they can to accelerate therapeutic progress, so it’s important to be prepared to convey tangible ways in which they can help their child. For example, those in occupational therapist jobs may give parents exercises for their child to complete at home to help increase their motor skills.
Do I have to sign the IEP at the meeting?
Some parents are hesitant to sign off on the program because they want time to ensure that the IEP will, in fact, help their child. Clearly, the answer to this is “no.” An IEP is developed within three to five days, and parents are allotted 30 days from the final development date to sign off on the program.
How has the school updated PLOP?
A student’s present level of performance (PLOP) is the basis of an IEP lesson plan. In most school systems PLOPs are only updated every three years, and dictate goals, lesson plans, placements and services within an IEP.
Can you explain that again?
It is important to remember that parents of a child with an IEP may not be well-versed (or versed at all) in the technical jargon in the world of special education. Parents may ask you to repeat or explain special education or therapeutic concepts multiple times.
Why is my son not recovering from autism?
My son is not going to recover from autism because autism is the way his brain works. Sure, he'll change as he gets older, but the idea of "getting better" is wrong-headed and reinforces his condition as disease, not difference.
Is having a child with special needs a tragedy?
Having a child with special needs is not a tragedy, and it's not something you need to express regret over. My son is alive, healthy, and happy. You wouldn't apologize to other parents for the existence of their kids, so don't do it to parents of kids with special needs.
