Occurrence of illnesses and disorders in children is inevitable. Therefore, parents and families need to seek help for their children. However, there are concerns which may arise and hinder parents from seeking medical or any other type of help (Stanton & Skipworth, 2005).
Lack of knowledge about illnesses or disorders is one of the concerns. Insufficient knowledge may lead to ignorance of the special needs in a child. In addition, it may result from illiteracy of family members about given illness or a disorder (Friendly et al, 2009).
This means that, parents may not recognize a certain disorder or a disease in a child. Moreover, some parents may recognize a problem in a child and fail to take action due to lack of sufficient knowledge. As a result, the health of a child deteriorates due to lack of treatment or therapy (Friendly et al, 2009).
Knowledge on illnesses or disorders is very important to parents as care givers. For example, if a child suffers from autism disorder and a parent is able to recognize it, then, the child will be assisted well. Therefore, lack of knowledge about diseases or disorders, prevents families from seeking help for a child (Fortune et al, 2008).
Another concern is fear and it hinders parents from seeking help for their children. Parents may lack trust to the care givers. Fear can result from previously failed therapy. In addition, parents can be afraid of exposing the disorder in a child due to stigma in the society. As a result, parents or families may choose to keep the disorder or a disease a secret; hence parents can fail to seek assistance for a child (Fortune et al, 2008).
Fear drives away confidence and trust; which are important for a healthy relationship between a patient and doctor. For example, if a therapy had failed before, an individual can be afraid to subject the child to similar therapy.
Fear may lead to a state of denial; whereby parents do not acknowledge the need for help. In addition, some parents are afraid of the embarrassment which comes with some disorders or sicknesses. In order to avoid such embarrassment, they may choose to ignore the need and never to seek help (Stanton & Skipworth, 2005).
Pride is another concern which may prevent parents from seeking help for their children. Families of high social status hardly acknowledge the need for therapy in a child; especially those with disorders (Friendly et al, 2009).
For example, if a child has autism disorder, instead of seeking special therapy for the child, the family may decide to enroll the child in an expensive school. In addition, parents may put pressure on teachers, for them to award the child more marks than he deserves.
Pride hinders the ability to acknowledge the rights of a child with special needs. Moreover, a family may prefer to hide the difficulties the child has, instead of addressing them. As a result, the family may decide not to seek further help for the child. Pride can be manifested as parental control where parents force their children to meet certain demands (Friendly et al, 2009).
For example, a child with special needs may not do well in studies; hence parents may choose to overwork him in studies instead of seeking special care. This means the child is under pressure to pass exams like normal students, while the parents are overlooking his needs.
Pride creates no room for understanding; however, it controls behavior, thoughts and feelings of a child. Failure to seek help worsens the disorder in a child and may lead to suicide or death (Friendly et al, 2009).
References
Fortune, S., Sinclair, J., & Hawton, K. (2008). Adolescents’ views on preventing self- harm. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43(2), 96-104. doi:10.1007/s00127-007-0273-1
Friendly, R. W., & Grolnick, W. S. (2009). Child Adjustment to Familial Dissolution: An Examination of Parental Factors Using a Self-Determination Theory Framework. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 50(1), 66-80. doi:10.1080/10502550802365722
Stanton, J., & Skipworth, J. (2005). Barriers to care in severe mental illness: accounts from perpetrators of intra-familial homicide. Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health, 15(3), 154-163. doi:10.1002/cbm.3