Quote:
Originally Posted by wendy bob
hi everyone
im now doing optional unit cypop 6 disability
my question im struggling with is describe the impact of disability within different cultures and the importance of culturally sensitive practice ? any advice would be great thanks x
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Different cultures usually have different approaches to life/beliefs and the upbringing of their child.
I know from personal experience a child who attended my setting needed help. There was not only a language barrier but a cultural one as well. We had a multi-agency team including a translator but the mother was very reluctant to accept any help from 'outsiders' even though the translator was from her country; the translator was from a different part of the country with a different belief. This was not brought to the mother's attention by anyone - she knew all this herself from the translator's accent and also knew her religion would be different. Of course, with patience and trust built up we were able to help her child (and the family) but there was a lot mistrust on her part (at first) and it took very much longer - all the time her child needing help.
There has also been something in the newspapers just recently about a high proportion of Asians' arranged marriages to first cousins. Although it is legal in our country to marry a first cousin, it was suggesting many of the brides and grooms in arranged marriages are now interwined in close family relationships (with first cousins marrying, then their children marrying first cousins and so on) that there are many infants with severe learning and physical disabilities. Very often mothers from cultures will not seek help and keep themselves very much to themselves (away from the community) and children may not attend an early years settings.
Aside from that if any child is in need of help (in anyway) we have to ensure we are sensitive towards the parents feelings - even for those parents that are from the same country and culture and speak the same language, we would never dream of saying 'Oh by the way, did you know your child is deaf as a post..' We build up a good professional and trusting relationship and get to know them, so we know how to approach them. You might chat to them casually and ask them how they think their child is progressing - sometimes a parent has a doubt/concern that their child needs help and this allows them to take charge and feel better knowing they have picked up on it. Sometimes they haven't, and you have to remember to be sensitive so not to upset them - it's very often a shock for them to be told their child has special needs -all the expectations or hope you have for your child and the possibility may be that they aren't able to do what the parent hoped for depending on the severity of the child's needs.
Also, if a parent asks you if a child has this/that or has a condition such as.... remember it is not our place to diagnose - there are other professionals for that, and sometimes even then a parent may not want their child 'labelled'. Children are given time to develop, allowing professionals to observe , set iep/targets and monitor them before they are 'labelled' - it is very easy to label, but very hard to undo, so we must always be think carefully as we strive to help children with special needs.
The above paragraph is about dealing with parents of the same culture whose child may have special needs/disability etc and how hard it is to suggest to parents their child would benefit from outside help- now think how a parent whose language/culture and beliefs are very different from yours - do you think it is likely to be easier?
cypop 6 sensitive practice
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