Challenges and Concerns of Families for Mentally Retarded

Mental Retardation- the two words put together perpetuates offence of the worst variety. But then, can its existence be denied?

Looking at the surge in the cases off late, clearly not. Yet, there are people, especially parents, children or relatives of the people affected by it who can’t bring themselves to deal with the situation. Acceptance, denial, self-blame- these are only few of the roadblocks that come in the way of a comprehensive solution to the malaise, says a special education teacher.

          Acceptance:

Once the news of the child’s inability to learn and grow as a normal kid breaks out, the family of the child finds it but difficult to come to terms with the situation. While many families tend to go from one doctor to another to for a cure, they forget that mental retarded is not a disease but a syndrome caused by genetic factors. The parents need to take action to enable the child to make most of his potential by involving him in all activities. Taking him to doctors and seeking medication for him won’t do any good.

           Self-blame:

More often than not, parents blame themselves for the condition of their child, says a teacher from a mentally retarded school. They feel that it is their lack of care and concern that the child is being made to bear the brunt of.

             Stigma:

Prejudices and stigma associated with the condition stall the growth of the child more than anything else does. Most parents feel that it is a matter of shame that their child is not like others. As a result, they keep their children in confines of their homes and seldom allow them to live a normal life.

      Behaviour problems:

Not all parents can take the condition in their stride and take care of it patiently. Patience wears thin when parents have to put up with the odd behaviour of their child in addition to handling house chores and work.

Hiring Domestic Help in a Family with a Special Child

Taking care of a special child can become a little overwhelming you are trying to manage all fronts of life alone. Parenthood becomes a full time job while work and family stay just as engaging as they ever were. So, hiring domestic help to smoothen things out is only obvious. But before you do that you must realize that they will be your extended family. And being a part of your home, they need to share a friendly equation. Especially, if your child will be dependent on the helper or the arrangement includes him spending time alone with your child then it is extremely important that you have the right person for the job, says a teacher at a special school.

However, judging a book by its cover can be difficult. So here are a few tips to help you read between the lines and hire someone who is compassionate as well as skilled.

• Foremost, make sure that the concerned person at least has some basic education. Looking for that in India can be comparatively costlier but not difficult. This will ensure that if need be, you can rely on the person to access emergency help, time your kid’s medication, and a lot of other things advices a teacher at a mentally challenged school.

• Look for someone who preferably has worked with kids in the house, if not special children.

• Try to assess from their reaction, what they feel about your child and his disability.

• Ask them if they could manage taking care of the child if you were away for a while, even if you never intend to do so. Their reaction and body language will give you a fair idea.

• Word of recommendation from previous employers matters. Try to find their work history.

• Police verification is mandatory. Get your domestic help registered at your nearest police station, if you haven’t done that already.

• Explain to them the exact nature of responsibilities they are expected to take care of.