How Do You Cope?

For the Parents and family of special needs children I would like to hear how each of you cope with the constant or near constant needs of the child/children.

The frustration of seeing the child ask questions wanting to learn and grow but seeing their understanding and ability to follow the answers to the on various activities fall short of the childs hopes and wants.

Or seeing the child get frustrated with themselves when something does not go as they wanted it to on projects they begin.

Or even being the Single parent of a special needs child where the other parent is unable or does not wish to be in the childs life. SO they simply drop by with their new child or step child when they bring child support or gifts etc.

Any information would be GREATLY appreciated.

Hope that I can be of some help, as I have a mentally challenged child myself. I find it difficult when he wants to play basketball with the other kids as he doesn't quite grasp the concept of basketball. So we will play with a tennis ball and a pot on the dinner table. This way he can still play, learn and doesn't feel left out. I have found that this is more beneficial with motor skills for him. My other children see him and how much fun he is having and join in.

As far as your situation with your ex I am not sure how to help you deal with that. I have sole custody of my children and don't have to deal with that.

Sincerely,
Josh

I have a son who was abused growning up...his special needs isn't aparent until you have been with him for awhile....his bid for attention makes him hard to handle and other kids are very uncomfortable around him..He has a tendacy to act very immature and quite often way in left field...My boyfriend has the patients of a saint and is very good with him...My ex has custody of him which I tried to change as he is the one who abused him, but his being 13 he has the decition to choose...His father buys his love right now and when he goes back to his old tricks I will have to pick up the pieces....lots of time is spent talking and finding alternate projects to keep him busy..a special needs child takes so much of your time sometimes the other kids get left out in the shuffle....I have a cousin who has a very difficult special needs child...the doctors told her and her husband she probable wouldn't live past six or seven...she is now thirteen..a very big and very strong girl who sometimes gets very frustrated and hard to handle...but that is just part of her life and they and the rest of the family accept it as a normal growing up for her...families with special needs children understand better than others the prejudices and for the most part just lack of knowledge that goes with raising these kids....as for support...there are local support groups out there and plenty of parents who have gone through raising kids with special needs that just want their kids to have a close to normal life as they can give them....