5 Ways To Help A Parent Take Care Of Special Needs Child

Photo culled from Ascplcl.wordpress.com

Just be there.
Your friend or loved one has so much going on in their life and in their head. Throughout this journey, they may feel alone, overwhelmed, withdrawn, and different. It is a lot for anyone to adjust to and handle. They need you! Let them know you love them and are there to help them any way you can.

Be willing to learn.
Be willing to learn about their child’s disorder in order to support them the best way you can. The more you educate yourself with why their child acts the way they do, how the disorder affects them, treatment options, and what the parents are going through, the better you equip yourself at being the best support they need. It will knock the fear of the unknown out of the equation, and the unknown will become the norm. In return, the parents will feel less isolated and more willing to open up this world and let you in.

Reach out to them.
They may not be ready to reach out and ask for help, so as their loved one, reach out to them. Ask them if there is anything you can do to help. Call them just to say hi. Keep the communication open. They may feel like you don’t want to be a part of their new world. After all, they didn’t choose this so why would someone else choose to be a part of it. People tend to stay away from the new, the strange, the uncomfortable because they don’t know how to respond to it.

Offer to watch their other children.
Offer to watch or spend time with their other children. When you have a child with special needs, depending on what their disabilities and needs are, your world tends to revolve around them. They get most of the attention. Day-to-day is normally centered around how they are doing, appointments, therapy, and behavioral issues. As a result, other children in the family learn that they have to adjust and be patient. They may feel their needs aren’t being met or that they are not as important as their special needs sibling.

We parents worry about this!
We want siblings to learn to understand why it is this way and that in no way does it mean we love them less or they are less deserving. To have a family member or friend that we can trust be willing to spend that time with them — away from their daily routines of not getting the attention they want and deserve — would put some of those worries to rest.