Over the years of my experience of catering to Special needs in mainstream school the initial hitch I have faced perennially is in terms of acceptance by parents. The first step in intervention starts with a parents acceptance of the situation.  Most of them admitted that the idea of acknowledging that their child had issues made them feel like a failure. They feared isolation from friends, wondering what their friends would think if they knew their kid was not as good as theirs. They spend sleepless nights thinking about what they could have done differently for their child. A lot of time is spent to eventually reach for a consensus and agreement over with the treatment plan.

For parents who have a child struggling with cognitive and allied issues, the most important thing to remember is that you are not alone.  If your child is struggling, here’s what you need to know and how you can be most supportive in their time of need:

Special needs are just like any medical condition. It can’t always be prevented, but it can be treated.

The brain is an organ, just like anything else in the body. Sometimes your kids are going to fall sick, just as you would take your child to see a doctor to get treated for a broken arm, tonsillitis,  you can take them to see a counsellor when things go wrong with their cognition. Parents’ get into problem shooting mode looking for quick-fix solutions. Let’s understand

a lot of conditions also are genetic, and no matter your environment, no matter how much you nurture your kid, sometimes the nature part — the genes — will win. Sometimes no amount of parenting books, organic food or breaks from screen time will help and that’s okay. As long as you are able to acknowledge the situation for what it is, you’ll be able to help and address it sooner rather than later.

In fact, the earlier special needs is detected and addressed, the better. The delay between the onset of symptoms of deviation from the normal and first contact with an educator can be game-changer. You wouldn’t wait for long to take your child to see a doctor for a broken arm, would you? Their special needs deserve the same treatment.

It’s critical to reflect on your own feelings so that they don’t get in the way.

Finding out your child struggles with their condition isn’t easy, and there are likely going to be tough emotions involved. However just because your child has a condition, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a reflection on you or your parenting ability.

Some parents struggle with feelings of guilt, and others feel helpless, distraught, scared or confused. Some might even feel relieved, knowing that it’s not them but something medical for which they can seek help.

Whatever the feelings may be, it’s critically important for parents to recognize them so that they don’t come out in ways that inadvertently harm the child or keep them from getting the help they need. Although it’s normal to feel these things, parents should be warned that emotions often do impair judgment and cloud your decision making. It’s best to anticipate this and leave the intervention decisions to the professionals. If you continue to struggle with your own feelings and reactions, consider looking for help yourself; you’ll need all the strength you can find to really be there for your child during this tough time.

Recognize where you can be the most helpful — and leave the rest to the experts.

You are the expert on your child. The educator is the expert on intervention for your child’s condition. To be the most helpful, focus on helping the clinician understand the ins and outs of who your child is and what’s going on with them. How would you describe their personality? Their strengths and weaknesses? Whom do they connect with? Whom do they look up to? How do they talk about the future, if at all? A timeline here is particularly helpful; try describing when you first noticed that your child was not seeming like himself. These are the things you can provide to best equip professionals with the information they need.

The counsellor will make a diagnosis and recommend an intervention plan that’s in your child’s best interest. Although the idea of leaving this to the professionals may seem daunting, keep in mind they’ve trained; this is an area where they’ve learned the science behind it all and have seen patterns in practice from many other kids. You and your child aren’t alone in this, after all. Just as you trust a medical professional with your child’s health. You need to have some level of trust with mental health professionals.

As the old saying goes a stitch in time saves nine. The timely intervention will help your child in the longer run to reap positive outcomes

• Peers and family acceptance is an important element on special needs upbringing.
• Early Intervention its very important, the earlier the better.
• Special Needs family tends to explore any possibilities to get to the next level.
• Community support would cut short your learning curves and bring a lot of potentials.