Helping Children with Disabilities Love Themselves - Inside and Out

Children with visible disabilities are born into an idealized world focused more than ever on appearance, beauty, and attraction. The media has recently fluttered with stories detailing the consequences of overemphasizing thinness and the elusive expectation of perfection. Eating disorders and self-injury are on the rise, and many of today’s young people are experiencing a body-image crisis.

Children with disabilities face even additional challenges with the almost total exclusion of images of people who look like them. These children and adolescents are left to conclude that they are either alone in their existence as visibly different or that their appearance should be hidden, covered, or fixed.

Surgeries and medical interventions intended to improve quality of life for children with disabilities can also inadvertently send a message that the child’s body needs major reconstruction. Teens with disabilities that cause changes in their appearance during adolescence are at the greatest risk for developing a poor self-esteem. Side effects from medication, amputation, and weight fluctuation are additional adversities in the pursuit of a confident sense of self. A positive body image and healthy self-esteem are powerful predictors of happiness and success, two ingredients all parents seek to provide for their children’s futures.

Research in this area does provide one glimmering ray of hope for children with disabilities and their families. The influence of parents on the development of body image and self-esteem is even more powerful than the role of media and friends. Providing an accepting and supportive environment is important for all young people.