If you or your organisation is in regular contact with parents of children with disabilities, you might be wondering how you can become a stronger support base for those families. Here, Seashell shares some practical tips about how to provide meaningful assistance for parents of children with disabilities, as well as further training opportunities that we provide.
Challenges faced by parents of children with disabilities
Parenting is a rollercoaster of emotions at the best of times. It is fair to say that for parents of children with disabilities the highs and lows can be even more pronounced. Parenting children with disabilities comes with its own set of unique challenges. There are the basic practicalities of making alterations to the home, arranging medications, renting or buying special equipment and devices. All of which comes at a financial cost.
Then there is the mental exertion of trying to source the best possible support for a child. This often requires a huge amount of research and navigation through all manner of red tape. There is often a huge amount of paperwork and bureaucracy to negotiate before parents can gain access to the right services for their child. This will likely involve registering a child to the relevant Local Authority’s disability register and applying for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment.
Last, but by no means least, there is the emotional impact of parenting children with disabilities. Parents will have to provide varying degrees of care to their children. This can be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. Aside from exhaustion, this can throw up a whole host of other emotions, including guilt, worry, anger, and anxiety. Not to mention uncertainty about the future. All of which can take its toll.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated and magnified some of the issues facing parents of children with disabilities or special educational needs. This led some media outlets to report that parents were at “breaking point”, with many feeling isolated under lockdown conditions. Virtually overnight, the pandemic removed many of the support services parents relied upon. Not only official support services, but also the respite normally provided by close family.
How to provide assistance for parents of children with disabilities
Here are three ways that you or your organisation can provide assistance for parents of children with disabilities.
Communicate regularly with parents
Feeling out of the loop in terms of their child’s progress can be a major source of frustration for parents of children with disabilities. You and your organisation can minimise such issues by communicating with them often via their preferred method of communication. It’s important to listen and respect their views to ensure they are heard. Involve families as much as possible to ensure they feel invested in their child’s development.
Direct families towards high-quality resources
The internet is a hive of useful information for parents of children with disabilities. However, it can require a fair amount of legwork to find the best resources. Additionally, some online resources may not reflect current best practices. You can help time-poor parents and caregivers to pinpoint the most useful sources of information by collating a suite of trusted resources and educational materials for them to access.
Recommend relevant support groups
Online resources are an excellent source of theoretical knowledge for parents of children with disabilities. However, face-to-face interactions and building connections with other families with shared experiences can also be a huge source of comfort. As such, another way to provide assistance for parents of children with disabilities is to point them in the direction of relevant local and national support groups.
What we do here at Seashell
Seashell provides support to families in the community who have children and young people with complex communication and learning needs. A crucial element of this work is delivering specialist training, clinical supervision and mentoring, and consultancy support to professionals across a range of relevant sectors.
Supporting you and your organisation means that – together – we can deliver life-changing assistance for parents of children with disabilities. So please get in touch if you’d like to become a stronger support base for parents of children with disabilities through any of our dedicated support services for professionals.
For more information about who we are, what we do, and our facilities, please get in touch on 0161 610 0100 or email info@seashelltrust.org.uk. You can make a difference today by making a donation to Seashell. With your support, you are helping to change the lives of the children and young people we care for. Thank you!
