Parenting

Whether you are parenting a child with a disability or you are a parent with a disability, raising a child is both a joy and a challenge. Be honest with yourself about what you're feeling, share your feelings with others, and make sure to take good care of yourself. And don't be afraid to ask for help.

• Parenting a Child with a Disability
   

• Parents with Disabilities

Parenting a Child with a Disability

• About Parenting a Child with a Disability
   

• Programs and Services

About Parenting a Child with a Disability
If you have a child with a disability, you are not alone. Millions of parents in America are raising children with disabilities. Many resources (including fellow parents) can help you along the way. Here are some tips for parents:

• Learn as much as you can about your child's disability.
   

• Find programs to help your child.
   

• Talk to your family about how you're feeling.
   

• Talk to other parents of children with disabilities.
   

• Join a support group.
   

• Stick to a daily routine.
   

• Take it one day at a time.
   

• Take good care of yourself.

An important quality that you will need to nurture in your child is called "self-determination." Children who develop this quality have a sense of control over their lives and can set goals and work to attain them. Self-determination is important for all children. But researchers have found that students with disabilities who also have high levels of self-determination are more likely to be:

• employed
   

• satisfied with their lives
   

• living independently, or with support, outside of their family homes

Here are some tips on helping your child become self-determined:

• As early as possible, give your child opportunities to make choices and encourage your child to express wants and wishes. For instance, these could be choices about what to wear, what to eat, and how much help with doing things your child wants from you.
   

• Strike a balance between being protective and supporting risk-taking. Learn to let go a little and push your child out into the world, even though it may be a little scary.
   

• Guide children toward solving their own problems and making their own choices. For instance, if your child has a problem at school, offer a listening ear and together brainstorm possible solutions. To the extent that your child can, let your child decide on the plan and the back-up plan.

Programs and Services
There are programs and services to help you meet your child's and your family's needs:

• Early intervention services try to address the needs of children with disabilities and the needs of their families as early as possible. Often, the sooner issues are addressed, the better the outcome. Examples include nutrition counseling for parents, physical therapy for a baby with cystic fibrosis, or sign language lessons for a deaf child. Services vary by state. To find your state's contact person for programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities, visit The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities' State Resource Sheet.
   

• Special education and related services ensure that each child is given a free public education that accommodates his or her special needs. The law requires that every student with a disability have an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which is a plan for that child's education. The IEP includes a list of the services, accommodations, and assistive technology your child will need to succeed in school. Parents of a child with a disability are an important part of the team that writes the IEP. To the extent that they can, children with disabilities should also be encouraged to take part in writing the IEP.
   

• Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers provide parents with information about disabilities and legal rights under laws involving children with disabilities. PTIs can also tell you about resources in the community, state, and nation. PTI Centers conduct workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents. And many have libraries where you can borrow books and videos. Every state has at least one PTI. Some states also have Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs). CPRCs do the same work as the PTIs, but they focus on reaching underserved parents of children with disabilities. Underserved parents include low-income parents, parents with limited ability to speak and write English, and parents with disabilities. To find your state's PTI and/or CPRC, visit The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities' State Resource Sheet. Look under the heading "Organizations Especially for Parents."
   

• Parent to Parent is a program that provides information and one-to-one emotional support to parents of children with disabilities. Trained and experienced parents are carefully matched in one-to-one relationships with parents who are new to the program. The matches are based upon similarities in disability and family issues. To find your state's Parent to Parent program, visit The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities' State Resource Sheet. Look under the heading "Organizations Especially for Parents."
   

Parents with Disabilities

Women with disabilities are capable, loving parents. Parents with disabilities can also have special needs and concerns. Below are resources that can provide you with information on pregnancy, parenting, and legal, medical, and social services.

1. Adaptive/Adaptable Parenting Products (Copyright © Parents with Disabilities Online) - This page describes products and solutions for making independent parenting more possible for people with disabilities.
    

2. A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities (Copyright © Hesperian Foundation) - This book is written for women with disabilities around the world. It contains chapters about understanding and taking care of your body, growing older with a disability, abuse, violence, self-defense, and much more.
    

3. Parenting Concerns for the Mother with Epilepsy (Copyright © Epilepsy Foundation) - This fact sheet discusses safety during and after a pregnancy, breastfeeding safety, the best way to place a diaper on a baby, and how to keep the baby safe during a mother's seizures.
    

4. Parenting with a disability (Copyright © NCODH) - This publication discusses some of the difficulties parents with disabilities face, such as finding accessible parking while dropping off their children, accessibility at recreational activities outside the home, keeping up with errands and appointments, and more.
    

5. Parents with Disabilities Online: Our Stories (Copyright © Parents with Disabilities Online) - This publication contains stories by parents with disabilities that discuss the joys of parenthood and some of the difficulties disabled parents face.