Just how the family influences a child’s development, the child also has an impact on his/her family. Now, a child with a disability has a special effect on his/her family, as the disability can become a source of stress for the parents, siblings, and the family in general. In such moments, consistent parenting and remaining as a unified team can bring more harmony and peace to families.
Researchers believe having a child with a disability can have a number of effects on families; parental guilt, marital problems, and parenting inconsistency, loss of control (of the household) are just to name a few. In addition, lack of social support, lack of support and negative judgments from extended family, negative interactions with the school, and insufficient service delivery are added on stress on families.
The good news is that a strong support system (extended families, community, school, and society) can reduce the family’s stress. Another positive fact is that siblings of children with disabilities develop more tolerance and are more caring and understanding (of differences) than others. Furthermore, our therapists at Montreal Art Therapy believe that acquiring new parenting skills can help reduce tension around the house while it helps develop a fair rule-making system for all the children.
We believe that parents should not feel defeated or stigmatized by their child’s diagnosis or a disability; rather, they should speak up about it and advocate for their child. If you need support for yourself or your child… if you are not certain of the types of services that could benefit your child with a disability… or if you feel alone on this journey, we will be happy to help you along. Visit our website to find out about our locations in Montreal, Pointe-Claire, and Brossard.
Author: Reyhane Namdari