Balance, communication, connections are keys to staying connected as a family
These components are essential for families of children with disabilities: Baskin
Friday, October 31, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
WATERLOO, Ont. - Balance, communication and maintaining connections with other families and the community are all essential ingredients necessary to foster strong relationships within families of a child who has a disability, says Amy Baskin.
Baskin, who was presenting at a workshop held Oct. 20 at the 2008 Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Services (OACRS) conference, entitled “Keeping Connected: Nurturing Strong Family Relationships,” stresses that while raising a child who has a physical disability can be challenging, families need to work together and keep connected.
At the centre of this idea is creating balance within the family unit to ensure that not everything is being focused on the child who has special needs.
“This means looking at doing things that are fun as a family, doing things that are fun as a couple and making time for your other kids,” says Baskin, a freelance writer, author, adult educator and professional speaker, who is also the mother of a 16-year-old daughter who has atypical autism.
“There needs to be a sense that everybody is looking after their health and not everything is focused on the child with a disability,” she adds.
Communication is also essential, Baskin says. Working as a team within the family and making it known that it’s OK to express feelings is vital to building a strong family relationship.
Even something as simple as making dinner together as a family can be a vehicle to foster communication and provide an outlet for family members to do something together, she notes.
Equally important is the connection families of a child who has a disability make with other people, says Baskin. In particular, Baskin says it’s vital that families connect with families who do not have a child with special needs.
Families who make a point of removing themselves periodically from the disability community are able to make the disability less of a focus in the child’s life, Baskin says.
“Families that are doing that have friendships — they have friends who have special needs, and, as well, they have friends that have nothing to do with the disability world.”
OACRS 2008 conference was held in Waterloo Oct. 19-21. The theme for this year’s conference was “Building for Tomorrow . . . Every Kid Matters.” The conference featured several workshops, guest speakers and networking opportunities.
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