Placing your child in an early intervention programme ensures that they receive the professional care they need to overcome developmental delays. But that does not mean you can’t play your part in your child’s growth.
You are the supportive pillar for your child at home where you can help them build a secure attachment to the home environment as the familiar adults in their lives whom they can trust and approach. This important erole as a caregiver requires you to balance your responsibilities and love as a parent with caregiving techniques.
However, being a caregiver does not come naturally to many, just as how parenthood can be equally daunting for first-time parents. This makes caregiving training a valuable avenue for parents of children with special needs who want to be active participants in their child’s early intervention experience.
With caregiving training, you learn how to:
1. Manage Your Child’s Behaviour & Emotions
Whether your child has autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Global Developmental Delays (GDD), being able to fully understand their behaviours and emotions is key. Caregiver training can help you develop empathy, allowing you to comprehend why your child acts or feels in a particular way. At the same time, you can acquire the skills needed when communicating with your little one and learn to apply them at the right time. Since early intervention educators cannot always be present to support your child, taking on this role at home means your child will continual help and support, even when away from their teachers.
2. Actively Engage Them After School
Extending the learning environment from school to the home is one way your child can maintain consistency in growth and reach their developmental milestones. You can turn your living room into a space for exploration. You can also make the home a conduceive place for promoting speech through interactive games and activities. Taking them out and letting them establish a connection with the outside world is also something that can be done to help them generalise skills learned within the classroom. Organise a picnic day-out at any park or beach and let them experience the wonders of Mother Nature. Plan a trip to the mall and teach them how to navigate crowds, read signs or even take the escalator.
With appropriate caregiver skills, you can better control and manage your child’s experience with professional care and handle meltdowns better, when they do occur. This way, you can turn every outing into a meaningful opportunity to bond with your child.
3. Manage Caregiver Stress
Parents don’t plan to be “special parents”, and they continuously struggle with grief upon seeing their child’s developmentally-normal peers progress at a pace they wish their child could. Still, they continue to fulfil their roles and do the best they can for their child.
Caregiving is a selfless act; oftentimes, parents like yourself don’t realise how much time and effort they put into caring for their child while neglecting their own mental and physical health. Caregiver training can teach you self-care techniques with which you learn how to set boundaries, establish me-time for recovery and know when to seek help.
Providing Caregiving Support To Parents Of Our Champs
At MindChamps Allied Care, we understand that parents can experience psychological stress and find the practical demands of caregiving quite overwhelming. But we’re here to assure you that you’re not alone. Having the tools and a good support team at hand can go a long way in your caregiving duties.
To further support you in caring for your child, our team can arrange parent/ caregiver coaching where we can develop a customised home plan based on the needs of your child and family as part of our Child Psychology services in Singapore. Regular reviews allow us to monitor your child’s progress and your caregiving strategies, and implement changes where necessary.
If you’d like to learn more about our caregiving support services, child psychologists, early intervention programmes in Singapore or other ways we can assist in your child’s development, you may book an appointment for a complimentary discussion with us today.
Comments