Problems of Disabled Children

There are a tremendous range of disabilities which affect children, from minor physical or neurological issues to profoundly debilitating conditions. How the disability affects the child depends not only on the severity and nature of the condition, but also on the temperament of the child and the degree of support he receives from his family and community.

Shame and Insecurity

• Unless a child is profoundly disabled, he likely can make accommodations to allow him to interact with other children. In some ways, the way he feels about his disability can make a bigger difference in his social life than the disability itself. If he is able to accept it and work around it with support from his family, he may not suffer any social awkwardness from the disability. If the child is ashamed of his disability, however, it may make it more difficult for him to make friends and form relationships. If his parents are also ashamed of his disability, it can cement these feelings, lowering his self esteem. His insecurity may make it hard for him to ask for the help he needs, or make it hard for him to approach other kids his age.

Learning Difficulties

• There is a wide range of physical, neurological and psychiatric disabilities that affect learning in different ways and to different degrees. Processing delays, mental retardation, blindness, deafness and many other disabilities can make it hard for students to read, hear or understand their lessons. Dyslexia can severely impair a student's ability to read and write, sometimes quite severely, without affecting her ability to comprehend the lessons. To overcome these problems, disabled students may need to have material presented in a different way. For example, dyslexic and visually impaired children will benefit from having coursework presented to them. Disabled kids may need to have their workload decreased or time limits on tests and projects extended so as to successfully complete their assignments.

Academic Frustration

• Disabilities can lead to frustration when disabled kids feel themselves falling behind their peers in schools. Students with learning, comprehension and sensory disabilities often have to work extremely hard just to keep up, sometimes contending with unsympathetic teachers and home schedules that don't give them enough time. In some cases, this can lead to kids giving up on school, falling in with peer groups that don't value education and engaging in riskier behavior. Students with disabilities that affect academic performance need help from their parents, the school and, often, outside tutors to keep them on track.

Bullying

• Bullying can effect any child, but children with disabilities are often particularly vulnerable to it. Bullies tend to prey on children who seem like easy targets. Children with disabilities often fall into this category since they stand out and have a known weakness. Bullying can take a wide variety of forms from overt physical bullying and name calling to rumor mongering, sadistic pranks and social shunning. If the bullies are sneaky about it, it can be difficult for the parents to prove the problem and get the school to take action.