Mind Over Matter
Parenthood has its own set of challenges, but when it comes to being a parent to a child with special needs has its own set of unique challenges. Though it is easier said than done that with a specially-abled child be supportive, keep no expectations and take each day as it comes. Each day has newer challenges and even unique ways to meet them.
No matter what type of disability your child has – moderate or severe – you want to make sure that she is receiving the best opportunities possible. Though they deserve customised learning techniques, many in our society understand that but seldom do such children get the much needed motivation.
They may feel like they aren’t being challenged enough, or they may feel as if they simply can’t achieve the goals that are set forth for them just because of their disability. This lack of motivation can have a huge impact on their education. It’s all up there, if it’s in their that they cannot do it, nothing else can push them towards it!
Here are some and fun and realistic strategies, you can create a special education timeline that will help your special needs child achieve and succeed in her educational endeavors:
Help Them Focus:
Get involved in their day-to-day education schedule. Instill them with newer aspirations each day and make them aware of the possibilities they have. Once you can gauge their interest, help to chalk out a stronger plan in that direction with courses to study and places to enroll. When they see someone so interested in their life and career, they will feel all the more motivated.
Discuss Goals:
Communicate more and more with such children. They should know you expect them to fly higher, however, be careful as you don’t want to pressure them or make them feel obligated to do something. But, carefully make them understand that you are also connected and hope for bigger and better things for them to achieve the goals.
Be a Guide:
Stress is the last thing you want the child to suffer with. Be their coach, a friend and guide. Cheer them, scold them wherever necessary, like any other normal child. Let them know that they are doing a good job and you are there to hold their back, incase they fall.
Be her support system, as this can make an already unmotivated child even less motivated.
Give Rewards:
Rewarding means a lot in these foundation years of your special child. Carefully choose rewards that are beneficial. Don’t offer something superficial or out of bounds for achieving a goal and rather take something that will further benefit them. For example, if she achieves her goal of getting a specific grade on a history test, reward her with a trip to a museum so she can have a first-hand experience with the history she learnt.
Make Sure it’s Fun:
Monotonous and mundane ways of doing work can be highly demotivating.
Try to make tasks as fun, constructive and enjoyable as possible.
If the specially abled children around you is suffering from a lack of motivation, employing these techniques will help to ignite the fire in their desires to achieve and succeed and help them outshine their own image of themselves, as it all in the mind. Let’s help them move MIND OVER MATTER!