Health and Wellness for Children with Disabilities

When a child’s health and wellness are prioritized, it helps to set them up for success. This can be more important for children with disabilities because a healthy mind and body can help to manage some of the chronic conditions the children live with. 

Unfortunately, children with disabilities can face more barriers to physical health than their peers. The barriers can be anything from a lack of peer or parental support to unintended exclusion from school sports and recreational sports leagues.  

Often, it becomes the parent’s and care provider’s responsibility to promote health and wellness for children with disabilities. The good news is that there are many easy and effective ways to encourage children to adopt healthy habits.  

What is Health and Wellness? 

Health and wellness are a lot more than just taking care of your physical health. They encompass mental, physical, social, and even environmental health. Together, these components can help children and adults set themselves up for success.  

Physical Health: Movement and exercise count as physical health. This can be movement from daily activities such as washing dishes, doing laundry, or cleaning the house. Exercise can be a group sport or personal regimen.  

Mental Health: There are three key aspects to mental health: stress management, emotional regulation, and psychological resilience.  

Social Health: Forming and maintaining friendships, participating in organized events, and staying connected to the community are all critical aspects of maintaining good social health. 

Physical Health and Wellness for Children with Disabilities 

It is crucial for children with disabilities to maintain some level of physical fitness. Whether it's short walks with their care provider or participating in an organized sport, any movement is necessary. 

According to the CDC, school aged children should have at least 60 minutes of aerobic activity per day. Additionally, it’s recommended that children should do muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities at least 3 days per week. 

Examples of muscle-strengthening exercises include push-ups, planks, climbing, and swinging. Bone-strengthening exercises are weight bearing and include jumping, running, walking, and dancing. 

In addition to physical activity, all children need nutritious food, a good sleep schedule, and routine doctor visits to help maintain their physical health. 

Physical Health and Wellness for Children with Disabilities 

There are small things parents and care providers can do for children with disabilities that have a positive outcome for their physical health.  

Start with simple swaps: Simply swapping different types of food can help children and adults cut down on sugar, sodium, and unhealthy fats.  

Swap: White bread 
To: Whole wheat bread 

Swap: Sodas and Gatorade  
To: Sparkling or still water with fruit or sugar-free drinks 

Swap: Chips 
To: Air-popped popcorn, kale chips, nuts, or baked chips 

Swap: Candy and cookies 
To: Fresh fruit 

Swap: Sugary cereal 
To: Oatmeal with fruit and honey 

Swap: Fatty meats like beef, pork, and ham 
To: Lean meats like turkey, chicken, or fish 

Make movement fun: To help get kids active, try to make movement and activity fun. Challenge kids to see who can clean up the fastest or race them to the end of the block and back. Children learn from parents and care providers, the more active you are, the more active they will be.  

Also, work with your child to find an activity that best suits them. Maybe a child doesn’t like organized sports, but they enjoy walking to the store. Be patient with your child; you never know what activity could excite them. 

Stick to a sleep schedule: Good sleep is key to good mental and physical health. A good sleep schedule and getting a full night of sleep helps children by: 

• Providing more motivation at school 
• Strengthening their immune system  
• Giving them more energy 
• Increases creativity 
• Contributing to their overall mental and physical health 

Mental Health and Wellness for Children with Disabilities  

Children with disabilities are 30 to 50% more likely than their peers to have a co-occurring mental disorder, according to the National Library of Medicine. This is why it’s so important for children with disabilities to take care of their mental health. 

There are a few basic conditions that need to be met for a child to have good mental health, they are love and support from their family, play time and interaction with peers, rules and discipline when needed, and an environment that nurtures their confidence and self-esteem.  

Another great way to take care of a child’s mental health is to take care of their physical health. Adhering to the fitness standards listed above will also greatly help a child’s mental health. 

How to Promote Mental Health and Wellness for Children with Disabilities 

Caring for physical health and mental health looks very different. It’s easy to see when a child is hurt, hungry, or needs a nap. When it comes to mental health, the signs aren’t so obvious. Here are some ways to care for your child’s mental health. 

Nurture confidence and self-esteem: Encourage your children! Stay away from sarcasm when they do poorly on an assignment or lose a game. Instead, offer them kind words and a hug. You can also help nurture confidence by taking an active role in their activities. Show your child that you want to be there for them.  

Watch for symptoms of mental health issues: We mentioned above that children with disabilities are more likely to have a co-occurring mental health disorder. The most common conditions are ADHD, anxiety, and Oppositional defiant disorder. It’s important for parents to be aware of the signs and symptoms because early intervention is the best way to manage a mental health disorder. Symptoms parents should watch for are: 

• Obvious worry or anxiety 
• Constant disobedience or aggression  
• New or sudden decline in school performance 
• Hyperactivity, fidgeting, or an inability to sit still 
• Constant temper tantrums 

If you see these signs in your child, it’s best to schedule time with their doctor to go over any possible diagnosis and make a plan for any next steps. 

Set realistic expectations: Children need structure, boundaries, and appropriate discipline. This helps them learn that they are responsible for their own actions and that some actions have consequences. When you need to give guidance or discipline, it’s important to be firm, but kind. Always let your children know you love them.  

When disciplining a child, parents and care providers should blame the behavior, not the child. For example, a parent can say, “you did a bad thing,” instead of, “you are a bad child.” This helps children feel more secure in themselves and learn right from wrong. 

 When setting expectations, remember that children will be children, no one can expect perfection. Try to set expectations based on the individual child's needs, not standard or rubric. Children hit cognitive and physical milestones at different times in their lives; what worked for one child may not work for another.  

Social Health and Wellness for Children with Disabilities 

Children need to be social for their development and overall health. Whether it’s playtime, community events, or organized sports, all children need to spend time interacting with their peers. 

 Unfortunately, children with disabilities can face barriers to social health and wellness. This can be due to a physical environment that is not ADA friendly, lack of assistive technology, and negative stereotypes about people with disabilities. 

How to Social Health and Wellness for Children with Disabilities 

Children with disabilities need to be just as social as their peers. There are a few easy ways parents and care providers can support their child’s social health. They are: 

Support social interactions at school: One way to do this is by keeping in contact with your child’s teacher. Ask the teacher how your child is connecting with others and if they’ve made any friends. You can then talk to that friend’s parents and set up play dates outside of school. 

Help build social skills: All children need to learn the basics of how to be friends. Make sure to teach your child how to share and have respect for personal space. You can also teach your child how to maintain friendships by reminding them to call or text friends and encouraging them to think of activities they can do with their friends. 

Try group therapy or social skills groups: There are therapy groups that can encourage children with disabilities to work on their social skills. Usually, these social skill groups have a small number of children and a supervisor who facilitates lessons in sharing, empathy, following directions, and cooperation. 

To learn more about how to support your child’s physical, mental, and social health, reach out to your service coordinator who can suggest different programs and activities in your area.