The first thing a child with a disability needs is to be viewed as a child, not as a disability! After that, things get pretty easy. A child with a disability needs you to:
*understand the disability so you can help explain it to the other children in the program;
*treat him or her as a "normal" child;
*consider her strengths or his weaknesses when giving responsibilities and setting limits;
*have realistic expectations and set realistic goals;
*let him or her make choices, solve problems and make mistakes;
*challenge her to succeed and dare him to set and reach goals;
*teach him to face problems and not to avoid them, and to figure out more successful ways of dealing with the situation;
*help her gain confidence in her ability to control her life and to take responsibility for her actions;
*use any strategies and devices that will help him or her become more organized or independent on a day-to-day basis;
*and seek the advice and help of parents, doctors, therapists or counselors whenever you are beginning to feel frustrated.
As you can see, a child with a disability isn't very different from the other kids in your program. In truth, the hardest part about serving them is to look past the disability and see the kid.