34% of parents with a disabled child have difficulties finding childcare, according to American Progress. Child care plays a big part in a child’s development, and disabled children need it just as much as able-bodied ones. So, here’s what you can do to get appropriate child care for your disabled child.
Split care between providers
When you’ve got a child with a disability, you’re 50% more likely to have problems finding the care slots that you need with your chosen provider. This means 22% of children with disabilities are cared for by multiple providers. This can be a little difficult for less-abled children as they tend to like consistency and routine. But there are ways to make it easier and it can have benefits too. Keeping to the same child care providers on set days of the week is a good idea as this will soon become a familiar routine. Benefits include kids having the chance to learn more skills, building relationships with more people, and extra support for your child.
Find disabled child care specialists
17% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) don’t have specialist help, such as occupational therapy, according to The Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). These children usually have milder forms of ASD and are fine to use traditional child care services. But, some children have fairly complex care needs. It’s usually best for these children to be cared for by specialists who are experts in providing care to disabled children, such as childcare centers just for the disabled. For example, a child with cerebral palsy may have swallowing issues, a speech delay, and neuromuscular problems. These children will need special attention and often one-to-one support. You may decide to claim compensation for your child’s disorder through a cerebral palsy attorney due to your child’s condition affecting their quality of life. This money can be used to help with your specialist child care costs.
Use family members
Extended family members often find it difficult to understand a child’s disability diagnosis. But studies have found that it’s a great learning curve. One study found that grandparents with a disabled grandchild go through an adjusting period, double grief, and pride. Getting your family members to help out with your disabled child’s care is a good way to get them to go through these three phases quicker. Your child will also enjoy building relationships with their family members. The bigger a child’s support network, the more secure they’ll feel and the better their development will be, so get as many willing family members involved in your child’s upbringing as possible.
As a parent to a disabled child, you’re likely to have faced problems with child care. Thankfully, there are ways to overcome these problems, as highlighted above. And best of all, these solutions often benefit children with disabilities and gives them valuable support as they grow.
