The Disabled Child and the Importance of Transition Education

As the parent of a child who suffers from complications associated with a disability, there is no doubt you understand the reduced quality of life your child may have without proper medical attention. For many disabled children, as aging progresses, there is a need to modify not only medical treatment programs but also occupational therapy programs and programs that further enhance your disabled child's skill sets.

Commonly referred to as "transition education", children who are disabled rely upon occupational therapists and physicians to assist them through varying dynamics of their growth and development. For example, as a disabled child reaches grade school age, there should be a transition education program in place to teach your child as well as your family, the dynamics of transition to kindergarten.

As your child ages, questions about their life dreams, life goals and aspirations are also important. With this information, your child's physician and occupational therapist can work to provide your child with the best opportunities, medical and physically, to achieve those goals. Conversely, when your child's goals and aspirations are not attainable, the transitional education program should re-focus those goals into something that is attainable and manage the development of secondary psychological complications in the process.

In addition to transition education for your disabled child, the programs should also offer transition education to siblings and parents. Because families of disabled children are profoundly impacted by the disability of the child, transition education will also aide family members, especially siblings, in the best methods by which to handle the changes in the disabled child's life.