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Advice to Parents Discovering their child as Mentally Challenged

The following are some of the reactions a parent can face having a Mentally challenged Child.

Emotional Issues
Parents of mentally challenged children commonly experience a gamut of emotions over the years. They often struggle with guilt. One or both parents may feel as though they somehow caused the child to be disabled, whether from genetics, alcohol use, stress, or other logical or illogical reasons. This guilt can harm the parent's emotional health if it is not dealt with.

Physical Exhaustion and Stress
Physical exhaustion can take a toll on the parents of a mentally challenged child. The degree of this is usually relative to the amount of care needed. Feeding, bathing, moving, clothing and diapering an infant is much easier physically than doing the same tasks for someone who weighs 80 pounds. The child may have more physician and other health-care appointments than a typical child and may need close medical monitoring.

Financial Concerns
Raising a child with a mental challenge may be more expensive than raising a typical child. These expenses can arise from medical equipment and supplies, medical care, caregiving expenses, private education, tutoring, adaptive learning equipment or specialized transportation.

What can you advice to these parents with special cases?Post your comments please.

Tags: Behaviorism, Challenged, Mental, Special, needs, retardation

Replies are closed for this discussion.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by kimberlylyn balean on June 25, 2014 at 7:14pm

Ma'am, I think i can only advise to those parents is accept what God's give to them because God know's that this will be not a big deal for them, God knows that they can handle this situation very well,and as i know parents that have situation like this is in the first place they don't know what they will do, how do they handle this and of course they felt guilty but in the end they give 100% loving and care with their children

So i can say that just give them chance to be loved and accept because they not yet know how their children will give it back the love and care to them.

That's all Ma'am.

Permalink Reply by Dahl Sagucio on June 26, 2014 at 4:22am

Well said, Miss Balean. Looking forward to your uploading of a Lovely profile picture.

Permalink Reply by Johenes Roudens Maghuyop III on June 26, 2014 at 6:43am

Ma'am Dahl, it is true that having a mentally challenged child shoulders a heavier task and effort, but that's the more reason we should treat them with more care and love. Every child has the right to a wholesome family life that will provide love, guidance, counseling, care, and understanding and moral/material security. Never let deprivation occur, let the child have the needs.

- Eng 3 Thursday class, 11:30-2:30 pm

Permalink Reply by Nath Villanueva on June 26, 2014 at 11:36am

Ma'am Dahl, when I become a parent and my child is having this special needs, I think I will love him better and give him my full time. So that, I can show him that I love him so much that I do not need to hire trained caregivers to look after him. I will do my best and always hands-on to him so that, he will grow without the feeling of lonely and discriminated. Eng3/Th/ 3:00-6:00pm.