For many parents, discipline is a frustrating topic. What kinds of discipline are appropriate for a child with special needs?
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. One of the traits of children and teens with Down Syndrome is their wonderful loving nature. Another, however, is a definite stubbornness.
Parents of kids with special needs must go beyond the usual parenting practices of fairness, consistancy, and developmental appropriateness. They must consider the role that the disability plays in the behavior. They must consider how the behavior (related to the disability or not) will influence functioning in the home, school, and community.
Should children with special needs be disciplined? Certainly appropriate discipline helps children reach their potentials. Lack of discipline creates additional, avoidable disabilities.
I will be looking at discipline over the next few months.
As always, I am interested in your story ideas. Email me!. . . L.
