By Molly Johnson, MSW, LSW – October 30, 2024 –
Have you ever heard any of the following? “They don’t look disabled to me.” “Doesn’t seem to me that they need handicap parking. They walk just fine.” “I think they just wanted to bring their pet along. They seem perfectly healthy and have no need for a service animal.”
When most people think of a person with a disability, they most often think of physical disabilities. While physical disabilities are debilitating, hidden disabilities are often forgotten. Unfortunately, individuals with hidden disabilities are often made to feel as though they are faking or trying to get special accommodations without need.
According to Hidden Disabilities Association, a hidden or invisible disability is a “physical, mental, or neurological condition that is not visible from the outside, yet can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses, or activities.”
Many disabilities are not easy to detect. Examples of hidden disabilities include mental illness, lupus, autism, asthma, cancer, arthritis, learning disabilities, and many more.
These disabilities are not immediately obvious to others. For some people, this can make it difficult to believe that someone with a “non-visible” disability needs extra help and support.
Every individual – with or without disabilities – is unique. It is important to teach children to be kind to others, as we do not know what an individual is experiencing. Following are some suggestions on how to teach kindness and acceptance:
- As the adult, look for opportunities to model kindness and acceptance of others. Children learn by watching. Watching an adult take time to be caring toward another person increases the likelihood the child will replicate this behavior.
- Involve the child in creating ideas to be kind to others. Brainstorm ideas how to be kind at school, to siblings, to church members, and to themselves.
- Encourage children to ask questions about differences. Doing so allows them to learn about people that may not be exactly like them. When students understand why others are different, it makes it easier to accept their differences.
No two people with a disability will look alike. It is important to teach students to treat others with kindness and to stand up for people that need assistance. Just because a disability does not meet the eye does not mean it fails to exist.
If you would like additional information or have a child in need of support due to a hidden (or visible) disability, please reach out to the Youth First Mental Health Professional in your child’s school. To find out if your school has a Youth First Mental Health Professional, please use this link: https://youthfirstinc.org/mentalhealthprofessional