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Challenged Children & Birthday Parties: It’s no Challenge at All!
By Mary-Lou Halvorson

Some parents feel anxious about making ‘the right’ adjustments with challenged children at birthday parties. If you have a challenged child invited as a guest to your child’s birthday party, don’t worry—there probably won’t even be many adjustments to make. 

If your child is school age and has invited their class friend to their party then they are probably already aware of what their friend can and can’t do. Speak with the child’s parents if you feel you need some special advice. But chances are the parent will inform you before the party if there is anything special you need to know.

Just follow these tips to make children more aware of the needs of physically and mentally challenged children. And make sure your child also understands this advice.

1. Don’t be afraid to help someone, but don’t just jump right in. Ask first, or wait for the child to request it.

2. Be aware that just because a child is in a wheelchair, this doesn’t mean that he or she is sick. There are many children who are otherwise healthy and strong but need to use wheelchairs for various reasons.

3. Go ahead and use words like “see,” “hear,” “walk,” and “run” when you’re talking to someone who can’t do these things. The child will understand what you’re talking about, and really, it’s more unnatural to always try to avoid these words than it is to use them.

4. It’s easier for everyone concerned if you sit down when you are talking to a person in a wheelchair, so you’re both on the same level.

5. In the same vein, it’s all right to ask people with speech impediments to repeat themselves.

6. If a guest is using an interpreter, be sure to talk directly to the deaf person, not the interpreter.

7. Don’t speak loudly when talking to blind people. They hear as well as you do.

8. Feel free to invite friends with disabilities to sleep over, play games or do other party activities. Think about ways to include them in what you do. When you are planning an activity, ask yourself if you would be able to do it if you were challenged in the same way as your guest.

Mary-Lou Halvorson is a mother of two children who has put her experience organizing successful kids birthday parties to good use by building her own Web site, www.groovy-kids-parties.com,  and sharing the information for free. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.