“I have memories of my father, who was also in a wheelchair, getting discouraged when mothers would scold their children for staring at him in restaurants and stores. Now that I’m adult who’s experienced the same thing, I finally understand why,” says Jenn Leisey who has muscular dystrophy. Jenn shares some dos and don’ts for fellow parents when educating their children about disabilities.
“When teaching tolerance by being tolerant is so important, parents sometimes are unsure how to go about explaining disability to their young children. “
Dos
Jenn says when answering your child’s questions concerning a person with a disability it is important to keep your answers short and simple. For example,“He/She is using a wheelchair because he/she has trouble walking.” If your child asks questions that cannot be easily answered in a public setting, Jenn advises talking to them about it in private. She suggests making your answers age appropriate, and if you are unsure of what to say, Jenn gives references in her original post.
“While younger ones need the short-and-sweet method, don’t be afraid to discuss (disability) more with your older kids. Prepare yourself with basic knowledge, like the difference between quadriplegic and paraplegic.”
Don’ts
“There’s no shame in asking questions about what you don’t understand,” says Jenn. Therefore, she believes a parent should not reprimand a child from asking about a person’s disability. But, it is important to remind your child that is not polite to point or stare at a person, disability or not. Do not treat disability as bad or negative. Jenn writes, “if kids make the connection that disabilities are “bad”, they’ll be more likely to tease other students they don’t understand.” An important piece of advice that Jenn gives is for parents to teach their child that not all disabilities are visible.
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