|
I grew up in the 1970s with physical disabilities, and throughout my childhood, my parents dragged me from doctor to doctor. This was in the hope of the medical profession "clearing up the disability." The doctors did what they could, but it was probably not nearly as much as my parents hoped. I knew all of this wasn't going to make me into a person without a disability. My parents never knew to tap into ALL the available resources; they only knew a few. I found out later that there were many other ways to go even then. WHAT THEY DID WAS TURN ME FROM A PERSON INTO A PATIENT—A VICTIM RATHER THAN A VICTOR! IS THIS GOING TO INTEGRATE A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY INTO EVERYDAY SOCIETY? I DON'T THINK SO.
As a child, I spent so many wasted hours in doctor's offices when I could have been doing schoolwork, learning how to make friends, and do what other children did. The label of PATIENT was very distracting; it took attention away from what really mattered.
Do today's parents of children with disabilities turn their children into patients, rather than members of society? How many school days are missed for unnecessary doctor's visits? Do the children fall behind on studies? Can they then succeed in general education classrooms? Or does another self-fulfilling prophecy of failure become the reality? Does this then extend into the work environment? Gainful employment suffers for overuse of sick leave.
The medical profession cannot provide a miracle cure. Parents should make sure that medical appointments are limited to necessary treatments, and ensure that they do not take away from a child's schoolwork and other important childhood activities. Otherwise, parents will further inhibit their child's true socialization and growth.
Lisa Kooper |
Your Stories 
DisabilityIsNatural.com RSS