Raising Children with Disabilities: Why, "Dreaming Big", Is Mandatory
Stacy Warden
Author of Noah's Miracle blog. Noah had suffered "global damage" to his brain. As a result the prognosis was grim. They said Noah would mostly like...
Dreaming comes in all different forms and sizes.
While we all of course are dreaming the ultimate dream – complete recovery and healing for our child with special needs – we have so many other dreams that have the potential to be life altering.
We can dream about the invention of a new product that would make it easier for us to travel, for our child to participate with his or her peers, or assist them tasks needed for independent living.
We can dream about new technology that will allow us to hear our child’s voice, digitally enhanced by using their own vocal sounds to create what their voice would actually sound like if they were verbal.
We can dream about a world that never stares at a child with special needs.
We can dream about government resources and insurance benefits not being so hard to access.
We can dream about lots of things and it’s okay to dream big - because dreams can and do happen.
When we dream big we plant the seed of greatness to grow.We are challenging the universe to put our intentions into play.
Dreamers are never low on hope because they know that anything remains possible.
People might want to try to convince you that dreaming sets us all up for disappointment on the special needs journey, but I tend to think it’s just the opposite.
Dreaming presents us with recognizing there are endless possibilities, sometimes it even encourages us to chase them.
Parents designing equipment that they know that could benefit those with disabilities; parents knocking on the footsteps of Congress dreaming of changes that will allow those with disabilities to be able to change in public restrooms with dignity.Dreams that we can make this world a better place for our child so they will be safe and supported once we are long gone and or no longer able to care for them.
Dreaming is more than okay.
And we need to hold onto all these dreams.
And then we need to find active ways to try to make these dreams a reality.
And maybe secondary dreams could happen in the process; like watching our child sit for the first time, speak, “Momma!”, form sentences, and then talk non-stop (!), or be able to transition to eating solid foods… dreams are endless.
Don’t give up on them.
It’s healthy to dream.