Guest Author - Valerie Shoopman

Special needs children take a lot of time, energy, and resources; however, they usually offer back twice the amount of effort required by rewarding you with their special talents and never-ending love.

Courageous parents are those parents who meet challenges head-on. They do endless research and gather all the resources available to help them make informed choices and decisions. Once they have made their decisions, they stand by them even in the face of adversity, actually, especially in the face of adversity.

Parents of special needs children are typically very courageous parents. From the time parents realize something is not quite the same with this child, to when they are given the medical diagnosis, to when they plan out the educational and long-term future for their child, special needs parents have to be very brave and courageous. For they know deep down in their hearts if they are not, there will be no one to shine the light on the true, achievable path of life for their child.

Courageous parents have the courage to stand up to school officials, and advocate for the necessary resources to help their child succeed in school. They help create meaningful IEPs for their child, attend parenting and learning seminars, and help their children to learn to advocate for themselves. In other words, they do what they have to in order to pursue what is right and just for their own unique situation.

Sometimes they even have to face challenges from their spouses and families about what the diagnosis is or what it means, in addition to how to pursue the correct treatment and environment for their special needs child. The divorce rate among special needs parents is almost twice as high as the divorce rate among families with no special needs children.

The most heartbreaking, but also the most courageous thing a special needs parent has to do is stand up to their own child on occasion. They have to let them know in a kind, but firm manner what the rules and boundaries are and how they can work together with the resources you have gathered to get through their particular situation. This is certainly not easy, because you need to detach from the situation to be able to look at it objectively without emotional involvement. However, letting the child know you respect them and love them no matter what goes a long, long way in the parent/child relationship.

Courageous parents know how to set appropriate boundaries and realistic expectations, in addition to giving unconditional love and feedback all while striving to raise the best children they can. They all deserve congratulations and a round of applause for taking on such a tremendously difficult, but rewarding task of raising a special needs child. Congratulations to all the courageous parents out there!