Teaching – Choice
Very
often we see that children with disability are never given a choice to decide
what they would want to eat, or what they would want to wear, or whom they
would prefer to talk and to whom not! It’s taken for granted that what the
caretaker decides for them is the best and that the child is not in a position
to decide. I beg to differ and instead flag the “concept of choice” to all the
parents whom I interact with.
As a human being we all are born
with certain desires, wishes, preferences and temperaments. A child with
disability too has preferences. The difference being he/she doesn’t know how to
express that preference. Or rather is provided with very little opportunity to
make responses or indicate preferences. As a mental health worker I believe it
is our duty to teach our special kids to “Choose”. It may not come as naturally
to them as it may to other children but if we can put in an effort to teach
them how to brush, bathe, carry out a vocation then why not teach them
to choose as well. I
understand it is not an easy concept to teach kids with multiple disabilities
but with earnest effort and dedication I don’t see it impossible either.
Choice will allow them a sense of
freedom, independence and autonomy which is their right. It will allow them to
weigh alternatives and learn over a period of time what is good for them and
what is bad. It will help them develop problem solving, muster their thinking
and help them assert themselves. It will also help them understand the pros and
cons of the choices they make.
Recently while working with a child, as
reinforcement we took her to have her favorite snack. The child joyfully had 3
bites of the snack. After that she didn’t want to have any further. The mother
allowed her to choose when she was full and when not. I don’t see this sense of
understanding in many parents and professionals working with special children.
There is shortage of time in today’s busy
life, but choice being a basic human right should not be compromised under
cover of time and scarcity of resources.
We can develop strategies to teach children
how to choose and start with basics like preferences for food items and
clothing. We can use visual aids to help them understand the concept. We can
also use sign boards or other augmentative communication aids to teach them how
to select. Provide alternatives in a structured environment to avoid confusion
and reinforce their choice by acting upon it.
To sum it up, let’s help our children
“Choose” as rightly said in a proverb–
“It is the ability to choose that makes
us Humans!”
-Aditi Chaudhary
picture courtesy: Google images
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