Parenthood is a beautiful but strenuous journey. We must admit parenting is pretty hard, and it is not as easy as it seems.
However, it is most difficult when you have to raise a child with special needs, including a gifted child. This is why we have this article compiled to educate parents on how to raise a blind child.
Raising a blind child could be quite challenging and sometimes emotional because the child doesn’t have the opportunity to see concrete things or live life like other children.
Sometimes, it can be saddening to feel that a child is deprived of one of the basic senses, sight. This could also emotionally affect both the child and the parents or caregivers.
If you are currently raising a child who, unfortunately, is suffering from visual impairment, then you might be anxiously thinking about what to do, how you can help your child, or how you can help make your child not feel left out.
You are probably reading this article because you need answers to many questions. This article offers tips to help you raise a healthy child, even though the child may be blind.
Nevertheless, we must first learn the challenges that you may encounter and how to overcome them.
The Challenges of Raising a Blind Child
Every child is a gift, and we are responsible for caring for them. A child’s growth and development are progressive journeys in which we, as parents and caregivers, should be actively involved.
However, for children with special needs, the journey is not the same as that of other children.
Special needs children require special attention. Visual impaired and blind children are included, and the challenges are, although difficult, not impossible to overcome. They include:
The Difficulty of Learning Basic Things
As humans, we quickly learn through mere observations, and children are dominated by what they see.
First, teaching a child some necessary chores and self-care would include showing them how to do it—for instance, brushing one’s teeth.
In teaching healthy children, you have to demonstrate and let them practice under your guidance, and over time, they will pick up doing it perfectly well.
Children who are blind require a different approach as they can’t learn by mere visual demonstration. Because their sense of sight is compromised, their other senses may be much more alive than the average child.
Parents or caregivers can teach these children using the other available senses, such as brushing their teeth using the sense of touch.
They can be shown to touch the toothbrush, the bristles, the toothpaste, the water, and more. They can be verbally instructed (if the child is not deaf) and shown under careful guidance.
Over time, they would pick and would not need your help doing that for themselves. Due to this challenge, they are slower learners than the average child who can see.
Postural Problems
Due to their limited vision, these children must touch objects around them. Their other senses, especially their sense of touch and hearing, are their eyes.
As children, they would do a lot of bending to feel what is beneath them, and that makes them more likely to develop a posture that is not good to look at. If not corrected soon, they may develop a severe postural defect, resulting in a hunched back.
You can help by reminding the child to sit and stand straight while physically helping them maintain a healthy posture.
Emotional Issues
Raising a blind child can come as emotional stress to both the child and the person looking after them.
The child could get teased or bullied for being blind, and this affects the child emotionally, making them feel sad, vulnerable, unworthy, left out, and depressed.
This is also an emotional stressor for caregivers or parents because they want nothing but their child to be happy and see the world.
To handle this situation, you are advised to be the support your child needs. Also, ensure that you deal with bullying cases as soon as possible.
Always talk it out with your child and ensure they feel better. You may involve a therapist if you or your child need professional help.
Vulnerability
The vulnerability that comes with being blind can be overwhelming at times.
The fact that blind individuals cannot see near or far off dangers means that bullies and other mean people may prey on them because of their disadvantage.
As a parent, the kind of burden this can cause you can be extreme. The thought of others preying on your child’s disability, with you having little or no say over the occurrence, can be depressing.
To help this situation, you need trusted support to look after your child while away.
Tips on How to Raise a Blind Child
The following are listed tips on how to raise a blind child to be healthy growing up:
Get Support
Sometimes, life as a whole can be overwhelming, and there is no shame in getting help. This makes raising a blind child less stressful.
You can have people who could serve as reliable friends, another parent with a special needs child, or a support group to help you pull through.
Both online and offline support groups are available, and you can join any of them.
Read Up Articles That Relate to Visual Impairment
Review reliable information about visual impairment and articles that educate you on raising a blind child.
You can read up on the best and most available teaching aids for special needs children to know what would best favor your child. You can also read up on quotes to make your child feel better.
There are also hacks to teach them how to be more independent so they can take care of themselves to some extent when they are no longer available.
Information like this is practically everywhere. It can be found in medical journals, flyers, handouts from therapists, reliable sites on the Internet, and more.
Improve the Personal and Social Relationships of the Child
During infancy, squeaky toys are mostly recommended for blind infants because they can interact with them even though they cannot see. Squeaky toys are interesting to touch and make exciting sounds, which could make them giggle.
You can also join in the play as you relate with your child. As the child grows, you can engage them in safe and simple activities to keep them busy. Activities like rolling a ball, swinging, or sliding, all under adult supervision, are also useful.
You can also have a decent conversation with your child. This helps strengthen your bond and improve the child’s social skills.
Join and Commune in Related Organizations
Private and government-owned organizations are present and available to help you and your child. Some have cheap and affordable membership fees, and many are free.
These organizations are established to provide you with the necessary support. Most of them include an introductory package containing the essential information and resources once you become a member.
You can also make friends with other parents there. These organizations may include your state’s Commission for the Blind (not every state has one, but most do), the National Federation for the Blind, the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI), the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC).
Educate Others
Educating the people around you will help you understand what it’s like for a child and what it is like to raise a blind child.
This will decrease the child’s chances of being bullied and make it easier for them to lend you a helping hand whenever possible.
They are also likely to befriend your child and be cautious while interacting with it. You can do this by having simple talks with them or printing out some easy-to-read fact leaflets and giving them to them to read and learn.
Take a Break and Rest
To a large extent, the child is still dependent on you for much longer. Therefore, occasionally, you must take a break and rest because resting is essential.
Considering how exhausting and overwhelming raising a blind child is, you are required to get some rest so you don’t overdo yourself.
Special Needs Education and Aids
Due to their condition, they cannot be educated the way sighted children are.
Because they are special needs children, they need special needs education, which will help them learn by mastering their special aids, such as braille, 508 Document Remediation Services, Audio, large print, and many more.
Conclusion
Having a child with special needs is highly challenging for parents who have to raise these children.
The challenges you and the child go through can be overwhelming, but the truth remains that the child is still a gift and should be treated normally only with special attention.
With the above tips and support from friends and family, you will most likely comfortably raise a blind child to grow into a healthy adult.
Sources;
- Raising a blind child – WonderBaby
- Raising a Child who is Blind? Get Educated – BrailleWorks
- The Challenges of Raising a Blind Child – CLUBVIBES
