Table of Contents:
Overview
What to Know
Groups to Support Families
References
Overview
There are many families that feel like they are alone when raising a child with disabilities. In fact, there are lots that are in similar situations in the area. There are also organizations that can help too. According to Natalie A.E Young from the United States Census Bureau, in 2019, approximately 4.3% of all children in the United States have a disability. That number rose from 2008, when it was 3.9% (1). Of that 4.3%, 8.56% of children between the ages 3 and 17 have some sort of developmental disability (5).
What to Know
According to Cornell University, 5.1% of children of the age 15 and younger in Illinois (1). That is higher than the national average and should be addressed more. Although the numbers are so high, parents don't realize that there could be delays even present that can be addressed early on. In Peter Medlin's "Illinois families of young children with disabilities face challenges accessing early interventions," he writes about a woman who has a son who was meeting all of the developmental milestones, but she noticed some delays and thought it was normal. She ended up calling the doctor and found out that he needed to be enrolled in three different early intervention services before his (what she thought was normal) behavior got worse (2). This woman's son had multiple areas that were developing as they should, but she had no idea. She says she didn't know about services like this that were offered. She also didn't recognize the signs her son was showing. Information like this should be shared by other parents as well, so that everyone knows the signs of a developmental delay that can be helped. Then perhaps we'll see the percentages go down instead of going up. Some disabilities can't be fully treated, but children can learn to live with some disabilities through the help of therapy. The earlier the disability is caught; it is easier down the road. For example, something that we can catch early is autism spectrum disorder. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, some signs that may lead to a diagnosis of autism include, "intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors," "resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings, avoidance of eye contact," "persistent preference for solitude," and some others as well (3).
Groups to Support Families
The Penguin Project:
The Penguin Project helps children with disabilities get involved in musical theatre. Each performer is given a mentor that helps them on stage, so it's less scary and also off the stage learning lines and choreography. Here is a link to their page: About Us - (penguinproject.org)
Easter Seals
Easter Seals helps individuals with disabilities like physical therapy, speech therapy, and cognitive therapy. They also have lots of information about different types of disabilities. Here is a link to their page: Easterseals Community and Disability Services
Special Olympics
The Special Olympics helps individuals with disabilities participate in all kinds of different sports. There are also different roles to be filled such as athlete, be a coach, or just simply volunteer at the events. Here is a link to their page: Special Olympics
References
1. “2018 Disability Status Report.” Cornell University. 2020. https://www.disabilitystatistics.org/StatusReports/2018-PDF/2018-StatusReport_IL.pdf. Date accessed 22 February 2024.
2. Medlin, Peter. “Illinois families of young children with disabilities face challenges accessing early interventions.” NPR Illinois. https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2023-06-05/illinois-families-of-young-children-with-disabilities-face-challenges-accessing-early-interventions. Date accessed 22 February 2024.
3. “Special Education Disability Areas.” Illinois State Board of Education. 2023. https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Special-Education-Disability-Areas.aspx. Date accessed 22 February 2024.
4. Young, Natalie A.E. “Childhood Disability in the United States: 2019.” United States Census Bureau. 25 March 2021. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/acs/acsbr-006.html. Date accessed 22 February 2024.
5. Zablotsky, Benjamin. Ng, Amanda E. Black, Lindsey I. Blumberg, Stephen J. “Diagnosed Developmental Disabilities in Children Aged 3–17 Years: United States, 2019–2021.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db473.pdf. Date accessed 22 February 2024.
