Challenges of Raising a Disabled Child Essay

Caring for a child with a disability female genital organ be challenging due to parenting responsibilities and the difficulties they act as when interacting with an often unreceptive environment. Consequently, parents can be at increase risk for excessive levels of personal distress which in turn can adversely push the strong being of the child and the entire family unit (Plant & Sanders, 2007). Parents of children with disabilities can be at an increased risk for psycho kindly distress (Parish, Rose, Grinstein-Weiss, Richman & Andrews, 2008 Plant & Sanders, 2007).The parenting responsibilities for parents of children with disabilities often require a significant amount of time to complete, can be physically demanding, can disrupt family and social relationships, and can adversely affect fretfulnessgiver employment (Brannen & Heflinger, 2006 trafficker & Heller, 1997). Perhaps as a consequence of these additional impacts, family caregivers of children with disabilities can be a t increased risk to experience depression, physical health problems, and decreased whole t atomic number 53 of life (Feldman, et al. , 2007 Ones, Yilmaz, Cetinkaya, & Calgar, 2002).The added challenges of caring for a child with a disability may lead to more stress and greater physical and emotional health risks for parents and their families (e. g. , increased conflict with spouse Murphy, Christian, Caplin & Young, 2006) compared to families without a child with a disability (Feldman et al. , 2007). This topic is particularly personal for me because I know first hand the psychological affects and challenges that a handicap child could see on parents, family members, and friends. My son was two months when I notice that something just wasnt unspoiled with him.I noticed him favoring one side instead of looking straight ahead. I mentioned my concerns to our family doctor. His doctor didnt see it as a problem. She said to just continue to watch him. two months passed and bland no change, so at his next appointment I expressed my concern again. I insisted that she run tests on my son immediately. I knew something seemed divers(prenominal) I just couldnt put my finger on it. I had already had two other boys so something just didnt sit right with me. The doctor sent my son to be tested at University of Maryland Hospital and my son was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus Dandywalker Malformation with Palsy.He had to have surgery at six months to have a shunt placement to drain the water from his brain. I was devastated. My hubby and I went finished several defense mechanisms. The first I believe was denial. We didnt want to causa the fact that something was wrong with our child, our baby. He seemed so perfect when he was born just a few months ago. We went through repression, rationalization and intellectualization. We couldnt wrap our attends around the fact that our child would be different from other children. Nobody wants to believe that something is wrong wit h their child.I felt a little embarrassed for fear of what people might think about our child or what someone would say. So many things raced around my mind. We wanted to rap the doctors maybe they did something wrong in my prenatal care. I went over in my mind again and again of every little thing I did when with child(predicate) to ensure that I had did everything I was supposed to do. I didnt drink, smoke or do drugs. What happened? We tried to search our family history genetics. We just came up empty. My husband and I became depressed, frustrated, and angry. I felt helpless about my sons condition.I wasnt sure what to do. Finally, I began to investigate my sons condition. I read all I could get my hands on. I searched for schools and other medical resources to help me address my sons needs. In the back of my mind I was still trying to make sense of the fact that my son had a developmental and neurological problem that would affect him for the rest of his life. I wondered what r estrictions we would face now and in the future. I still wasnt sure if I could cope with his want of development neurologically, physically, mentally or emotionally. I began to question God. I wondered why me.I wasnt sure if I would have to stop working. I wondered how we as a family would work together to stay a family. I had so many questions, but no answers. I prayed look ating God for help and guidance. Later, I began to realize that I had to be strong. I had to accept what the cosmos was with my son and his disability. It hasnt been easy. We faced many financial problems, medical issues, several hospitalizations for my son, divorce daycare issues especially since my son needed twenty four hour daycare. Day care is very expensive as swell up as diapers and wipes for disabled children.Insurance covers some things but not enough. A person has to be making next to nothing in order to get any assistance from the government we needed assistance regardless of what we made monetary . I would have never known what disabled families went through to get their voice heard and childrens needs assisted unless I had to face these great challenges myself. So very much goes into raising a child with disabilities. There are many variables that factor into taking care of a disabled child. Financial hardships are another most-valuable factor that influences parents wellbeing.In general families with children with disabilities experience much higher expenditures than other families (Newacheck and Kim, 2005) found that, on average, the total annual health care expenditures for children with disabilities were more than tercet times as much compared to children without disabilities. The financial strain incurred by families of children with disabilities is likely due to increased expenses related to the childs needs as well as loss of employment or inability to work because of parenting responsibilities (Murphy et al. , 2006 Parish et al. 2008 Worcester et al. , 2008). Ina bility to engage in employment can also lead to feelings of isolation, a lack of fulfillment and low self-esteem (Shearn & Todd, 2000). Families of children with disabilities often report feeling isolated from the community (Freedman& Boyer, 2000 Worcester et al. , 2008). What Ive learned from researching the challenges of raising a child with disabilities as well as being a parent of a disabled child is that in that location is still so much more to be done. There is still research that hasnt been touched regarding parents and their disable children.We the parents have to be the voices for our disable children. We have to be discontinue informed about what our disabled children rights are. We have to be willing and ready to fight on behalf of our disable children. Parents and state officials have to work to get better laws passed to accommodate disabled children. Disabled children need better health care programs, better schools a place for them to be themselves. Parents need a p lace to relax and not have to worry about unsporting looks that people who dont have disabled children give them. Parents shouldnt have to feel ashamed that they have disabled children.We shouldnt be looked raft upon because our children are different. Our children shouldnt be bullied or treated like they are worthless. Our children are special. They be the best that we can help them to achieve in life. They deserve a chance like the rest of us. Weve got to come together and help each other to provide a better life for all The questions we should ask researchers to study are many. One could be whats being done to assist parents with disabled children? Are there programs to assist parents in child care for disabled children?Normal daycare centers are for infants through 12 years of age. As of today my disabled son is 16 years old and theres really no day care for children his age. Another question is why do they go according to parents income in order to assist with social securit y disability? A parent shouldnt have to be jobless in order to obtain assistance from social security disability. save a person who walks into social security disability and say my back hurt or that they have a condition can obtain cash work the system while the truly disabled suffer.There are so many people working the disability system and really arent disabled. We have to help the programs we have for our disabled children actually help the disabled children. In conclusion caring for a child with a disability can be challenging, but many of these challenges are likely due to a lack of necessary environmental supports. Future research should expand on these findings and form _or_ system of government makers, scientists and providers should give particular attention to the environmental support needs of parents in order to create policies and interventions that are more family centered.