Holiday Tips for Children with Disabilities

Holidays can be stressful for all families, but changes in routine, contact with unfamiliar people, and altered diets can be especially hard on children with disabilities. Here are a few tips to lower everyone's stress level:

Travel
Did you know that the TSA has a page with information just for people with disabilities? For example, children with disabilities can be screened without being separated from their parents, and in a manner that best meets their needs. Medically required liquids (medications, breast milk, etc.) can be brought on board an aircraft, although they may be subject to additional screening. Those who have difficulty being touched can undergo a special pat down. Individuals who need special assistance can be provided with a passenger support specialist to provide help. For more information on other accommodations, go to http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/travelers-disabilities-and-medical-conditions

Events
Preparation is key. Inform guests and relatives of the child's needs, including unusual behaviors or dietary needs. Teach your child who will be in attendance, including their names. Create a visual schedule of events and teach "party rules". You should also role-play typical scenarios such as greetings and how to accept a gift properly. Bring quiet activities to prevent meltdowns, and make sure there is a quiet place to de-stress or take a sensory or movement break. Try to keep to as much of a typical routine as you can. Some families choose to spend the holidays at home and choose to visit during a less busy time.

Foods
Part of the festivities is the opportunity to eat special foods. This can be a challenge for those with sensory food problems related to type or texture. You may want to have the child help select and prepare food, introduce new foods in a gradual manner, and use a schedule for behavior support.

Family
Sometimes the child with special needs requires so much time and attention that the siblings may feel overlooked. Take some time to enjoy yourself with your loved ones, and have some well-earned relaxation.

What are your best holiday tips?

Dangers of Pornography for Those with Disabilities....and Everyone Else!

In the words of Jeffrey R. Holland,

"Most days we all find ourselves assaulted by immoral messages of some kind flooding in on us from every angle. The darker sides of the movie, television, and music industry step further and further into offensive language and sexual misconduct. Tragically, the same computer and Internet service that allows me to do my family history and prepare those names for temple work could, without filters and controls, allow my children or grandchildren access to a global cesspool of perceptions that could blast a crater in their brains forever. (Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul, April 2010 General Conference).

Exposure to pornography does significant damage to the brains of everyone who views it. The impact is far greater for those with disabilities, especially if they struggle with comprehension, impulsivity, or are primarily visual learners. Parents of students with cognitive struggles such as an intellectual disability, ADD/ADHD, or autism, need to be especially vigilant.

Everyone needs to take appropriate steps to ensure Internet access is safe in their homes. See the Internet Safety Handout created by the Church.

Give your children and teens a “gospel vaccination” by following the lessons provided in “A Parent’s Guide” to help them understand the importance of moral cleanliness and how they can remain in that state. Encouraging participation in seminary, youth programs, and Sunday School to reinforce what you've taught in the home.

Then you must teach your youngsters what to do if they are exposed. Unfortunately, seeing these terrible images is almost unavoidable in 2014. Take away the shame of accidental viewing by explaining that everyone runs the risk of a sighting, just as we all have hands that need washing at some point. They should stop the experience within 3 seconds by closing their eyes, turning off the device, leaving the room, or in other ways removing themselves. This should be followed by prayer and recalling the words of a favorite hymn or Primary song to reduce the chances that these images will be permanent.

If your child with a disability has been exposed, understand that the compulsion to return again and again to this type of content becomes an addiction. These compulsions will wash over them in waves similar to those felt by other types of addicts. Strong intervention is needed to treat this condition.

First, contact your bishop or branch president. You should also carefully review the information available at http://overcomingpornography.org. Recovery meetings may be available in your area for those over the age of 18, and other options have been provided for teens. See the documents in the “Internet Safety and Avoiding Pornography” section of ldsdisabilitieshelp.com for additional information.

 Pornography is a plague upon the land. Far too many parents don’t take the threat seriously enough, especially when the child has a cognitive disability. Follow the steps outlined above to protect your children before they become the latest victims of those who would ensnare them in the net of pornography. 

Wellness Wednesday - Sleep and Your Children

It's no surprise to anyone that poor sleep interferes with our performance. If I'm too tired, I lose things, have trouble controlling my temper, and struggle to think. New research has revealed that children's school performance is also impacted by both the quality and quantity of their rest--to the point that they may appear to have a disability when they don't.

How does sleep impact education? Sleepiness impairs attention, and it can also impact working memory and memory consolidation.

Sleepiness causes inattention, which may be confused with ADHD.

Snoozing helps working memory for children and teens. Think of working memory as the train that moves information from short term memory (which lasts seconds) to long term memory for storage. Insufficient shut eye effectively derails your train.

In addition, not enough sack time also prevents memories from being consolidated. Kind of like shoving papers randomly into a file drawer where they are more difficult to find. Knowledge gets into the brain, but can't be easily found.

Many of those with disabilities such as autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability may also experience sleep problems. These difficulties exacerbate the underlying challenges.

How can you tell if your child has a sleep problem?

• Check on your child half an hour after bedtime to be sure he or she is not using technology too late or unable to fall asleep.
• Listen periodically for snoring during the night. 
• Check to see that your youngster is not sleepy when riding in a car or sitting in class. 

If you suspect a problem with adequate rest, you may want to ask your pediatrician to do a screener or a full polysomnographic study. There are medications and other procedures that can improve their slumber. For example, many children with sleep apnea may be cured by having their tonsils and adenoids removed. 

The only wrong move is to ignore it completely.