Children With Disabilities And How It Affects The Family
Sometimes we have to deal with difficulties or unexpected events. These circumstances can affect the family. One of these difficulties is when we have a child with a disability.
A new family member always creates joy for everyone around. Everyone prepares to welcome the little one and congratulate the happy parents. But the truth is that this situation is not always as wonderful and perfect as we would like.
How disability can affect family dynamics
First, it affects family members and the relationships between them when you have a child with a disability. We should remember that these circumstances create different difficulties at different stages in the person’s life cycle. This can create tension between family members.
If these tensions are not handled properly, it is common for conflicts to start arising. For example , parents may begin to slip apart and stop communicating effectively. This can create a vicious circle of discomfort that can be difficult to stop.
On the other hand , conflicts may arise with the child with a disability if his or her parents are very overprotective or if the child experiences limited autonomy. This behavior does not take into account that other abilities are not affected by the variation in function and that greater independence could be possible. Similarly, there may also be difficulties between the siblings. These conflicts can arise when the parents assign the other siblings who do not have disabilities responsibilities that they would not really have to take. The complicated situation can also be one that causes feelings of shame or denial among the other siblings.
But not everything is just troubles or tensions. This situation can also affect the family in a positive way. In fact, it can strengthen family cohesion by creating new bonds and closeness between family members. In other words, it can make everyone more resilient.
Children with disabilities and the impact on the social environment and the work environment
Despite the fact that society is advancing, there are still many misconceptions today about people with disabilities. There is still a rejection. As a consequence, families with children with disabilities tend to isolate themselves. Many of them have few social relationships and rarely participate in leisure activities.
This can also apply in the workplace. If a family member thinks that the new situation will not work in relation to their job, they can resign. Although they do this with the best interests of the family in mind, this can be a cause for further tension. This is because it can affect his well-being and also the financial situation.
Children with disabilities and the impact on the health of family members
Everything we have addressed here are things that affect family members in different ways. As you can imagine , this type of situation regarding family relationships, society, jobs and finances can affect the family’s health. This is especially true when it comes to the guardians of the child with a disability.
This greater responsibility of caring for a person with a disability can impose an emotional burden on guardians. It is common for feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety and even guilt to arise over the prevailing situation of these people.
But the effects do not only occur on a psychological level. Guardians may also feel more tired and exhausted than usual, which in turn can lead to health problems. As we mentioned earlier, having a child with a disability can be very difficult. However, you can simultaneously transform these into rewarding circumstances if you learn how to handle them correctly.
