The Child with
Several Severe Disabilities
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Some children have a combination of severe
disabilities. We say they are ‘multiply disabled’.
For example, a child may be severely slow
mentally and have little or no physical control
of his body. He may also be blind or deaf, have
seizures, or have difficulty swallowing. Or he
may have any combination of these disabilities—
and perhaps develop severe behavior problems.
Caring for multiply and severely disabled
children is never easy; they need an enormous
amount of time, patience, and love. In most
communities, parents and close family members
will be the main care providers. But parents will
need a lot of support from the community in
A child with severe cerebral palsy, who is also
blind, has seizures, and is mentally slow.
order to care adequately for the child. Unless parents have help, they are likely to find
that the continual demands of caring for their child are too much. Even the most loving
parents, after months and years of continuously caring for a severely disabled child,
can easily become frustrated and angry. This is especially true when the child shows
little progress or response, and grows up to be a physical adult with the needs of a
young child.
It is not uncommon for a parent who for years has poured love and attention into a
severely disabled, mentally slow child, to suddenly hit the child or in other ways begin
to neglect or mistreat him.
Before we blame the parent for this, we should try to put ourselves in her position.
She has given the child her total love and attention for years. She has waited for a
change, for a smile, for some return of warmth and love. But the child remains like a
newborn baby, becoming stiffer, more fussy, and more difficult to lift and care for as
he grows. Any human being can only give so much without receiving something in
return, some sign of recognition or appreciation. In time, the parent is overcome by the
unfairness of the situation: the lack of appreciation, the constant demands, the lack of
help, the hurt. She reaches her limit and hurts the child in return. Rather than blame
her, we should try to understand her. Above all, we should look for ways to help both
the family and child—if possible, long before the mother or other family members
reach their limit.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
There are several ways in which the community can give assistance to the family of
a severely disabled child. In some countries (usually wealthier ones), the most severely
disabled, mentally slow children may be taken care of in special care centers, or
‘institutions’. Although in many cases it is better for the disabled child to stay at home
with his own family, there are times when institutional care is needed. This may be
because of difficulties in the home situation. Or it may be because the multiply disabled
child requires more time and skill than the family can handle.