Raising a child with special needs requires putting in a lot of hard work. Most parents go through a brief period of depression on learning the fact that their child has special needs. They also come face-to-to face with issues such as behavioural problems, educational needs, effect on siblings, and expenses on treatment. Trying to deal with all these issues puts parents under a lot of stress. It takes time and guidance for parents to learn how cope with their own stress and raise a child with special needs. Of course, they also require a lot of support as well.

To successfully raise a child with special needs requires parents to first understand what special needs actually mean. Learning disabilities or cognitive impairment, food allergies or terminal illness, and developmental delays are some of the special needs. Every special needs child is different from the other. Therefore, parents should get their child diagnosed to reveal the physical and developmental challenges their child is facing. Once the diagnosis is made, therapies can be suggested to overcome the problems.

Along with the therapies suggested by experts, parents can also devise their own regimen to help the child function in a better way at home, and thus also help the family. One of the most simple yet important thing parents can do is to develop a routine. An organised environment helps a special child feel safe and secure. Routines also help the child understand her goals like taking medicines on time, taking turns to communicate, how to play her role in family activities. Remember, for any routine to be effective, it should focus on three aspects: it should be well planned, predictable, and followed on a regular basis. As a special needs child is at a higher risk of sexual abuse, it is also important to teach her about the privacy of her body and what her rights are.

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