Your Child is Going to School, continued
- Explain unusual characteristics your child has honestly and candidly. Explain the name of the condition, what types of treatment your child has received and future treatment or changes they may notice. Always refer back to experiences they have had that are similar and characteristics of your child that they will enjoy and relate to.
- Offer helpful suggestions. For example, if your child is difficult to understand because of speech related problems, explain to the children why this is, and how they can remind your child to talk slowly during times when it is difficult to understand him/her.
- Tell them that your child is comfortable talking about his experiences, but sometimes gets tired of it. Encourage them to ask any questions they want to ask to you or to the teacher during the presentation. Also encourage children that their curiosity is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with being curious about people who have different experiences or characteristics. If they have questions later, it would be good to get to know your child a little before asking their questions of him/her or to ask the teacher if they need to know something right away.
- Remember that how you respond to your child’s condition and others attention to it is going to set the stage for your child responds to these situations. If you are comfortable, positive, and patient with others as they sometimes awkwardly express their interest and curiosity, your child will be more likely to do the same. Likewise, if you respond to others defensively, your child will most likely do this – and the consequences will not be to your child’s advantage in the long run.
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Goldenhar Syndrome Support Network
Making a world of difference in a world of facial differences...
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