How to Care for Infants & Toddlers With Disabilities

Parenting children with disabilities often presents different challenges and tasks. A child's health, safety, nutrition, visual impairments and developmental disabilities, including motor and language development, are major concerns when it comes to parenting disabled babies and toddlers. However, parents and other caregivers should not get discouraged: There are ways to encourage the developmental growth of and manage the care of an infant or toddler with disabilities.

Instructions

• 1

  Focus on meeting the infant or toddler's individual needs. Even though the overall steps to nurture and care for infants and toddlers with disabilities are essentially the same as for other children, a caregiver must become accustomed to the baby's particular needs. For example, you may need to be familiar with the use of adaptive equipment for infants and toddlers with motor, visual, or auditory impairments.

• 2

  Seek nutritional advice from experts. Children with developmental disabilities often develop other health problems, making a good nutrition program essential. According to the American Dietetic Association, infants and children who have developmental disabilities can have nutrition problems related to metabolic disorders, failure to thrive, interactions between food and medications, tube feeding, and feeding intravenously.

• 3

  Use a single pharmacy in order to maintain a complete medication profile, including prescription medications, over-the counter drugs, and any alternative therapies that are part of the infant or toddler's treatment regimen. Keep in mind, too, that a child's disabilities may cause her to be more sensitive to the side effects of certain medications. A drug history can be a valuable resource to a parent or caregiver administering multiple medications to a child on a daily basis.

• 4

  Navigate the system of assistive services available for children with special needs. Seek ongoing support from qualified professionals who can provide verbal stimulation and other early interventions designed to promote cognitive and language development. Talk to your baby's pediatrician about involvement in intervention programs offered by community agencies. Intervention services should be individualized and focus on an infant's cognitive, social, language and emotional development. Depending on a child's needs, physical, occupational and/or speech therapies may be provided.

• 5

  Maintain consistency in daily activities and establish regular caregiving routines. Following a schedule can make life less stressful for the entire family. Try to imagine what your baby is going through as you try to make his life as normal as possible. Interaction with your child is key.