Parenting children with special needs is inevitably bound to challenge most families and put a strain on their quality of life. Children with special needs reflect on those born with disabilities which may be mental, physical, psychological and medical. These disabilities range from conditions such as blindness, terminal illness, down syndrome, missing limbs, autism, and psychiatric issues among many others (Shenaar, 2017). These children typically require specialized care as compared to their counterparts who do not have such conditions (Earle and Heymann, 2012). While the effect depends on the family’s strengths and weaknesses and resilience, such health issues on children can induce problems on parents and the family. A child with special needs will certainly need more and specialized care among other additional services which surpass those needed by a typical child (Wozencroft, Waller and Kiernozek, 2017). This paper seeks to explore the physical and emotional effects on parents as they raise children with special needs.
Parenting a disabled child leads to immense emotional stress on the parents and the family due to the associated social stigma. Disabled children are among the most susceptible people in any society to social stigma. These children face discrimination in many forms such as negativity from other people and separation from their peers. While children with disabilities are the primary target of the stigma, their parents also experience the emotional distress of having their children discriminated against Griffin, J. (2016). They feel embarrassed of themselves and rejected from the society leading to insecurity and depression. Seeing their children undergo invasive medical procedures makes the parents have heightened anxiety and concern for their children. The severity of the disability and the level of care needed on a child has a correlation on the level of hope that parents have. Intense need for care leads to reduced hope and negative perceptions among the parents in life (Shenaar, 2017). These parents must restructure their lives to adapt to the dynamic needs of their children, the effects of which can lead to depression and anxiety.
Trauma and guilt are often associated with those parenting children with special needs. According to a study carried out by Daire et al. (2011) parents of children with special needs are more prone to stress diagnosis than the parents of typical children. The stress is attached to the experience of having their children diagnosed with a mental, psychological or developmental disorder and adjusting to the challenge of providing specials care for these children. The diagnosis of their children with such conditions leaves parents traumatized and guilt of what they did or didn’t to make their child disabled (Griffin, 2016). The parents also spend disproportionate times with their children leaving little to none for themselves. These can lead to physical exhaustion ultimately leading to marital stress among couples.
Children with special needs require additional health care services as compared to the typical child. These services may range from nutritionists, nursing assistants, medical specialists and medical equipment such as wheelchairs to ease their lives. Earle and Heymann (2012) in their research discovered that children with special needs have more frequent medical visits than their counterparts. The parents who must acquire these services incur additional expenses which can be especially detrimental to financially burdened families (Daire et al., 2011). The huge costs of these services may impoverish even rich families causing stress and marital problems. The special attention given to children with special needs may lead to parents spending less time with other children necessitating the employment of nursing assistants to care for them and even incurring more expenses to appease them.
Working and caring for children with special needs requires a delicate balance which is often difficult to achieve. Some parents are often required to give up their careers completely in order to care for their children, while others reduce their working hours leading to loss of wages (Earle and Heymann, 2012). These lost wages may lead to poverty and reduction in a family’s well-being. Impact of income loss is especially higher in families with children who have special needs. Society often construes women as the designated caregivers of children and therefore bear the burden of lost wages and unfulfilled career dreams when caring for disabled children who need intense care (Earle and Heymann, 2012). Such circumstances make women dejected over lost opportunities leading to anger and ultimately marital troubles.
In conclusion, raising a child with special needs puts an extra strain on the normal challenges faced raising a typical child. These challenges may come in terms of the financial burden placed on the parents due to the need to access special needs such as specialized healthcare, education, food and aiding equipment such as wheelchair and cochlear. Parents commit a lot of time caring for disabled children leading to fatigue and exhaustion. The parents also experience emotional stress, heightened anxiety and depression due to the immense challenges faced. Abandoned careers, lost jobs, and wages among many families having children with special needs lead to anger, stress and hopeless lives ultimately leading to marital issues.
References
Daire, A. P., Munyon, M. D., Carlson, R. G., Kimemia, M., " Mitcham, M. (2011). Examining Distress of Parents of Children with and Without Special Needs. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 33(2), 177–188.
Earle, A., " Heymann, J. (2012). The Cost of Caregiving: Wage Loss Among Caregivers of Elderly and Disabled Adults and Children with Special Needs. Community, Work " Family, 15(3), 357–375.
Griffin, J. (2016). Parenting a disabled child. Therapy Today, 27(8), 12–15.
Shenaar, G. V. (2017). Hope and subjective well-being among parents of children with special needs. Child " Family Social Work, 22(1), 306–316.
Wozencroft, A. J., Waller, S. N., " Kiernozek, K. (2017). Perceived Leisure Constraints of Parents and Caregivers of Children with Disabilities. Journal of Unconventional Parks, Tourism " Recreation Research, 7(1), 2–10.
