Dear colleagues,
In recent classes with second year undergraduate BEd Early Childhood and Primary students enrolled in the unit 'Family Studies and Disability' here in Melbourne, Australia we have engaged in lengthy discussions about talking with children about their impairments/experiences of disability. (It is worth mentioning here that the students were discussing this within the context of the social model of disability).
The students reflected on a number of aspects: when is a good time to talk to children about their impairment (and/or experience of disability) and how much information is appropriate at what age. To put this in context, one student stated "My brother was not diagnosed with Aspergers until he was 21 and I have always wondered how different his life would have been if he was diagnosed properly in his early years and if awareness of the Aspergers might have given him some insight into why he experienced life the way that he does." Another student shared a story in which she is supporting a family with a child with autism and the mother recently asked her advice as to whether to tell her son or not about his autism and how to go about this.
I wondered whether the members of this group could share any useful resources/references around this subject.
Thanking you in advance for your time and consideration of this.
Millie
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