A Message for Parents of Special Needs Kids: Don’t Worry, Everything Will be OK
A new study from the University of Chicago looked at data from the Study of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) and found that although parents of young children with disabilities did report worse emotional and physical well being than parents of young typically developing children, this difference evened out over time.
“There is a significant difference in the emotional and physical health of parents of children with disabilities, but the gap narrows in older ages and for emotional health virtually disappears,” one of the researchers said.
In other words, parents of older children with disabilities learn to cope both physically and emotionally and “over time they find joy with their child, adapt to their role as a caregiver and adjust their expectations.”
So you know when someone says to you, “Don’t worry, everything will be OK” and you kind of want to punch them? Well, maybe they are right after all!
To read more about this study and their research sample and techniques, you can read the full report at BLOOM Online.
And in related news, you might also want to check out this study that shows children with disabilities “rate their quality of life no differently than other kids.”
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