How Do You Explain A Physical Disability To A Child?
• Look for children’s books that feature disabled children, and read them together with your child. This will help your child understand that disabled people are really not that different! • Use simple words. When your child spots a disabled person in the street, you need to answer right there and then. Say something like: • “That person is not strong enough to stand up and walk. S/he needs the chair to go outside his/her house.” • “S/he can’t see very well, with the cane s/he can feel if something is in his/her way.” • “I think s/he had an accident”. • Encourage your child to go to the person and ask the question themselves. If you don’t want to let them go alone (or if they’re afraid to go), take your child by the hand and go up to the person. Interact with the person just like you would with everyone else. This shows your child there’s nothing scary about disabled people. Teach your child not to have pity on disabled people. Yes, they may have a little more trouble to go out and abo
