When it comes to children, parent's usually know best. Watching them grow up and become who they are meant to be in life is an amazing thing.They start out as small beings in wombs and then blossom from there.
According to child development research, there are certain milestones that children should be meeting at certain times in their life. If they are not meeting them, this could indicate a problem.
Most of the time parents are aware that something might be wrong when it comes their child's development. In this post, I will be discussing how important it is to listen to your gut when it comes to seeking out help for your child.
My story
Our son started talking before he turned one. I was happy with this and thought he would be a talker like everyone on my husband's side of the family.
After he turned one, the talking pretty much ceased. I didn't think much about it at first and thought he would eventually start talking again soon. A few months went by and the talking wasn't happening.
I felt in my gut that something was amiss.
He got to about 2.5 years old and we decided it was time to get him evaluated by early childhood intervention. His speech was delayed (few words, no combining of words) and hard to understand.
The wonderful interventionists came to our home weekly for a few months. After evaluating him that determined that needed further help in the areas of speech, self-help and social/emotional skills.
Shortly after he turned three, he started in an early childhood special education class and still attends one to this day. He has made a lot of improvements due to all of the help he has gotten from teachers and therapists.
It was so hard seeing our son struggle and I am happy that we got him help as early as we could.
Go with your gut, too
If you think something might be wrong with your child's development, it is imperative to investigate further. This is because getting early intervention can mean your child having a better future.
As a parent, you want your children to have the best life possible. Seeking out help for them when you feel they may need it, will most likely ensure that this happens.
Even if your child gets evaluated and the professionals find nothing wrong, it is wonderful that you looked into things. If they don't find anything but your gut is still saying that there is something wrong, keep inquiring and following-up with them.
You are your child's best advocate-their first line of support. Fighting for them is crucial and benefits them in many ways.
Very brief overview of special needs
There are different types of delays and disorders that children can have. Some of them are evident when they are babies and others show up as they get older.
The types of special needs are split up into the categories of developmental, physical, behavioral and sensory (see here: https://www.masters-in-special-education.com/special-needs/). Some examples of special needs diagnoses include autism, down syndrome, global delays, speech delays, ADHD, vision impairments and cognitive impairments.
These can range from mild to severe depending on the child. Even though two children may have the same diagnosis, they will still be different from each other. Everyone is different, everyone is their own person!
Identifying needs and seeking help
There are lists of developmental milestones for early years of children's lives. It is important for parents to learn and know about these to better understand how their child is doing.
It is a good idea to take one of these lists and circle the milestones that they have met already. This narrows things down and will help when it comes to talking to the professionals about any issues the child may be having.
If you are worried about your child's development, talking to their pediatric physician is probably one of the first things to do. They will let you know if there is a cause for concern or not.
When a cause for concern is identified, the doctor will refer you to have your child be seen by a developmental pediatrician next as well as have you contact early intervention services.
Evaluations will be done and then plans will be put in place. Some of the services that will be recommended for your child may or may not be free. In the case of our son, his preschool and transportation is free but we do have to pay each week for his extra occupational therapy sessions.
What you may feel
Being the parents of a child (or children) with special needs can be really hard in multiple ways. You may feel the following things:
1. Angry
2. Sad
3. Guilty
4. Overwhelmed
5. Ashamed
6. Depressed
7. Worried
These are all normal things to feel. I have felt all of these. For example, when we got the evaluation results for my son back...I cried. I was hit with all seven of those feelings at once.
I still experience these feelings to this day at times. Seeing him still struggle with some things hurts but I know that he has come a long way and will continue to improve. This is all due to listening to my gut about his development.
Seek help for yourself too!
If your child does get a diagnosis, know that you are not alone. There are many other parents of children with special needs out there.
Getting support is a good idea in order to deal with the aforementioned emotions that you may feel. Try to find groups in your area for parents of children with special needs. You can look on community sites and Facebook for them.
Self-care is also important. Pamper yourself and take some me-time once in a while. This could mean hiring a sitter that knows how to take care of special needs children or having family members watch your child for a while.
You could go on a date night with your spouse, go on a shopping trip, get your hair done, hang out with friends etc. Whatever might make you feel a little better. This in turn helps you continue to be a great parent to your child (or children).
This post wasn't the most detailed
There are way better posts about this topic out there but I felt like publishing this one anyways. I hope that you find it helpful.
Remember to go with that gut of yours!
Resources-
Steps to take:https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/concerned.html
Early Intervention contact information for each state: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/state-text.html
Great site to find out more about special needs in children: www.childmind.org
Thanks for reading! Let me know your story if you parent a child (or children) with special needs.
