How to Teach Children About Mental Disabilities
Explaining mental disabilities -- also known as ̶0;intellectual disabilities̶1; -- can be awkward for both parents and kids. But youngsters need to learn about disabilities to raise their awareness of the challenges experienced by other people. As your children gain understanding, they will also develop empathy. An empathetic child will understand how to treat everyone respectfully and kindly, regardless of whether a person has a disability.
Instructions
Define mental or intellectual disabilities for your kids. If someone has reduced cognitive function, this person learns more slowly than average, often doesn̵7;t pay attention or remember details effectively, probably cannot think logically to solve problems, may not groom and dress with typical skills and often doesn̵7;t understand safety and social conduct, state Lisa Kupper and Kori Hamilton, writing for National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Explain to your children that various degrees of intellectual disabilities exist. Sometimes, it̵7;s not possible to discern anything different about someone just by appearance and other times a person with an intellectual disability will look different, according to educator Edmund J. Sass, with the Educational Resources and Lesson Plans website. Talk to your youngsters about what to expect from a person with an intellectual disability. With the mildest degree of severity, a person may speak a little slower and he may learn a little differently or more slowly. A moderately disabled person might spend some time in a special education classroom for extra attention and support as well in a regular classroom for exposure to non-disabled peers. A person could also have such a profound disability that she cannot communicate or walk independently. Talk about the importance of everyone learning, regardless of disability. Kids without disabilities need to learn so they can grow and reach their full potentials, whatever these may be. Kids with disabilities have similar needs, though their full potential may be different from non-disabled children. Encourage empathy as your children learn about intellectual disabilities. Empathy should involve valuing people who learn and function more slowly and having patience with others. Empathy also involves a willingness to help someone with a disability, if necessary. For example, a child with strong reading skills might offer to read to a disabled child in a peer program at school. Children can also work to discourage bullying situations by standing up against bullying and involving teachers if one student mistreats an intellectually disabled child.
