Jenny Holt, a freelance health writer for a number of health sites and magazines sent us the following article on ADHD to share it with our readers.
She also wrote the following articles on Bullying. Please, take a look at the following links:
CREATING SPACES THAT ARE ADHD- FRIENDLY FOR KIDS
HOW TO SPOT AND DEAL WITH CYBERBULLYING
CYBERULLYING – THE COMPLETE RESOURCE GUIDE
CREATING SPACES THAT ARE ADHD- FRIENDLY FOR KIDS
MOVING HOUSE: HOW TO MAKE MOVING EASIER ON YOU AND YOUR CHILD
DON’T FEAR THE DENTIST
HELPING CHILDREN RIDE THE STORM
THE POWER OF ART FOR ALL CHILDREN
SWIMMING SAFETY
BENEFITS OF PETS FOR KIDS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
SPECIAL NEEDS GARDENING: SOWING SEEDS ON MANY LEVELS
CHILDHOOD SLEEP ISSUES
HELPING YOUR YOUNG CHILD DEAL WITH ECZEMA
THROWING AN INCLUSIVE BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR A CHILD WITH ADHD
SAFEGUARD YOUR CHILD’S LUNGS BY ASTHMA-PROOFING THEIR BEDROOM
THE IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR HOMESCHOOLED CHILD
THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND HOW TO TEACH IT TO YOUR CHILDREN
EDUCATING KIDS ABOUT ORTHODONTICS
HOW TO BUILD CHILDREN’S CONFIDENCE BY TEACHING THEM CLOTHES MAKING
HOW TO INTRODUCE MEDITATION TO YOUR KIDS
Thanks Jenny!
Dealing With Childhood Cancer Diagnosis In Your Special Needs Child
Every year more than 15,000 children in the USA between the ages of 0 and 19 years are diagnosed with cancer according to statistics released by the National Cancer Institute. As a parent, there are not many things in life that are more frightening than learning from a doctor that your child has cancer. Not only are you bound to be scared but it is also completely natural to be angry at the universe for inflicting such trauma on your family. While you may be tempted to keep a cancer diagnosis from your child it is probably not in anyone’s best interest. May special needs children do not deal with changes very well and may be completely traumatized by the medical procedures they will have to undergo. Although there is no easy way to relay a cancer diagnosis to your child, there are a few things you can do that will make the process somewhat easier on both you and your very special child.
Educate yourself
Before even considering speaking to your special needs child about their cancer diagnosis you need to gain as much knowledge as possible pertaining to both the diagnosis and prognosis of your child’s condition. Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor as many questions as you need to understand what is happening, even if you feel like you are simply repeating yourself. Conduct your own research as well, but make sure you only make use of reliable, accredited websites to guarantee that you are only presented with legitimate facts. If you feel like you would like to get a second opinion, get one as your peace of mind is incredibly important during this very challenging time in your life.
Deal with common fears
Your child’s understanding of their diagnosis will largely depend on their age as well as their ability to comprehend what is being explained to them. If the level of understanding is good they might experience an array of common and very understandable fears. Younger children, especially, are prone to thinking that they did something wrong that caused their cancer. It is very important to try and set their minds at ease by reiterating in a gentle manner that nothing they did caused it. Older children, despite their special needs, may be aware of the severity of a cancer diagnosis. It is therefore important to explain to them that although cancer is a serious illness, modern-day treatments help countless people defeat cancer.
Find positive coping mechanisms
No one knows your special child better than you do which is why you are in the perfect position to help them cope with their illness. Children on the autism spectrum, in particular, are very dependent on routines. Where possible, try to stick to a normal schedule as much as possible. It is of vital importance that your child finds healthy coping mechanisms to deal with the added stress so encourage them to partake in activities they enjoy whether it is drawing, watching TV, or playing video games or with toys. Tell your child that it is OK to be sad, scared and angry and encourage them to verbalize these feelings in any way they can.
Childhood cancer is never easy to deal with and is bound to take a toll on the entire family. Although your own heart may be breaking it is important to give your child as much support as possible while also finding support for yourself elsewhere.
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