Spina Bifida

[spinabifidamom]

I’m a mom to two twins one boy one girl. They are almost 2 years old now.
My son does not walk independently. We were at the local leisure centre today with both children for a swimming lesson.
Someone else asked me what happened to my son’s legs. How do I answer this question? I don’t want to come across as a unkind person that hates answering questions but at the same time I do wish to respect his privacy and dignity.
How do you guys deal with unwanted questions from strangers basically speaking here? I have tried telling them that he has SB so his legs are essentially paralyzed and he has to use a wheelchair for public places and long distances as well. Any tips and advice is appreciated thank you.
What do I tell his twin sister? She is starting to notice he does not walk like she does. I have tried telling her that everyone has strengths and
weaknesses.
He is not hugely delayed either. We were evaluated by our local 0-19 team several months ago and they found that apart from his gross motor delays he was doing well keeping up with his twin sister. He does have physiotherapy two times a week delivered by them and a private physio.

The more 'matter of fact' the better, IMe. "He has spina bifida".

Sorry for not replying. I’ve never been a fan of the direct approach instead preferring to answer questions as and when they are asked. Are there any books you recommend reading? I’m talking about books that particularly deal with the topic.

It depends who asks.for a random adult I would be factual and say he has spina bifida or if you dont want to tell them you can say he has physical disabilities or even mind your own business. For a random child say he has problems with his walking. For his twin sister you need to be honest in an age appropriate way and tell her he has an illness that affects his walking and as she gets older she will gradually learn more about it. In my experience I have found being factual is better with strangers.