My Child Is Neither Different Nor Special

Some social stereotypes have turned children’s illnesses into cases of personal involution.

The term “special” is commonly used to define children with congenital disorders such as Down syndrome. But when a child suffers from some other behavior disorder, often the lack of knowledge and even respect makes many people consider him “different”.

The difference is an element that is not so easy to define. Something is different when it doesn’t look like what we see every day. A person is considered different for several reasons. Sometimes there are marked facial features or some deformation. But the truth is that a person who has an illness tends to be considered different.

A mother whose child is called special or different is unlikely to be happy, especially since maternal love can overcome any test of life. When we know the nature of the disease we are more careful. But respect for the health conditions that a child has must be superior to any other superficial thought.

The challenges of parents of a child who has an illness

No one can judge a devoted mother, especially when her child has an illness. However, society poses a personal challenge because both adults and other children tend to point out the plight of their children.

Some behavior problems in children may not be easily identified, which encourages unfair judgments, such as saying they are different.

In many cases, some children who relate to those who have an illness can be cruel and, in other cases, they can even feel fear. This situation is usually more difficult for the mother. It is possible that the child does not understand the treatment received (although it happens in some cases), but the mothers suffer a lot from it.

A child who has a disease is generally not aware of the context in which he lives, such as receiving constant treatment, having a strict medical regimen or attending specialized study centers. In these cases, when it is a congenital disease, the child ends up knowing only this way of living.

On the other hand , parents need to deal with social challenges. One is worrying that your children might be treated with contempt or that they might not be able to lead a normal life like other children.

Parents of children born with a disease must be prepared to face challenges

• One of the main challenges to be faced is personnel. Parents need to adapt their lives to their child’s conditions and be willing to overcome new challenges. Fear is one of the personal challenges to overcome in these cases.
• Depending on the type of illness a child has, he or she may have a tendency to develop other health problems more often. This implies that, in addition to their condition from birth, the child can develop more serious health problems.
• Children who have an illness need different care. Therefore, there must be great physical, mental and financial capacity to solve adversity. Finding drugs, institutions and professionals in the field can be as difficult as paying for them.
• Defending children from the society that categorizes them as different and does not provide space for their development is a difficult barrier to overcome. Therefore, parents must be mentally prepared for their efforts to keep their child safe from injustice.
• Letting go of your personal interests and dedicating your life to caring for your child is easily overcome by love. But it never ceases to be difficult. Loving our child with special needs doesn’t stop us sometimes wanting to give up.

• The denial of accepting that our child has an illness can be harmful. For both the child and the rest of the family. Even though it can be very difficult to recognize that the child needs medical intervention, it is essential for the family’s quality of life to improve.
• Balancing the attention our children receive requires an effort that is indispensable. For even if one of our children needs more attention than another, as parents, we must be fair to all members of the family.