Any child psychologists out there?
DS is almost 5 years old, he has a global developmental delay and has needed therapy to help absolutely all areas of development. He is doing well.
I took him to a routine appointment with his neurologist and just told him we were going to the doctor. During our drive there he suddenly said to me ?Doctor is gonna make DS better? (he still uses third person to refer to himself).
This tiny phrase was a wake up call for me.I didn't know how to explain that he is not actually sick, the doctor is not going to make him better. I need your opinions.
He will eventually realise that things are more difficult for him than for his peers, that things take much longer for him to learn, that he needs therapy and visits to doctors that nobody else needs. I am really concerned about bullying. I am not going to kid myself, I know that at some point kids are going to point out his difficulties and even call him names. How do I prepare him for that?
He is such a confident lovely little boy, I just don?t want him to change. We tell him we love him all the time. He is happy. But he will start school in September and I won?t be able to protect him for much longer.
What would you do? Would you just let him find out about his neurological problem by himself with time? Would you start telling him about things, and if so how on earth? What words do I use?
My gut feeling is that I need to explain to him the situation, so that he is prepared and understands why things are more difficult, but I have no idea how to tell him.
I cannot tell him he suffered brain damage. That sounds so final. But I don?t want to lie to him either.
Please help me.
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If you son had learning difficulties, would you tell him? And how?
10 replies
MojoLost · 21/07/2009 16:58
OP posts:
cat64 ·
21/07/2009 17:03
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cat64 ·
21/07/2009 23:02
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