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for exceptional
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with physical or cognitive struggles, achieving goals is paramount. the road to these achievements can be long and bumpy, though. children who experience daily obstacles often face discouragement. they tire of the pain, the effort, the trying. not only do the children suffer from dejection, but the parents of exceptional children can also encounter similar defeat. how do they motivate their child despite their own emotional struggles? they use a combination of sources like behavior plans, social media, shared goals, small rewards, and serious celebration. by joy holden be limited to a crib. nine years later, jackson
is a brilliant and involved kid who enjoys play- ing sports with courageous kids, an inclusive sports league, and ?running? with his mom as a ?rider.? in addition to his many activities, jack- son goes to therapy, uses a walker and braces, and struggles to complete basic tasks that many of us take for granted. doris encounters resis- tance consistently when she encourages him to try walking and other independent skills. he is nine, after all, and lives in a body that does not do what his mind tells it to. doris confesses, ?walking has been our big- gest battle.? ?e heckerts? main goals for jackson are that he walks and that he can take care of himself independently. ?ese goals require great effort and energy of jackson, however. he expresses his opinion strongly and displays his fierce will when he does not want to try. after a difficult year of fear, a fractured hip, and some defiant behavior, jackson was re- ally struggling. ?e family saw a social worker, which has made a world of difference. behavior pl ans ?e social worker introduced a smart discipline behavior plan. in this plan, the child and the parents work together to create boundaries and consequences. making choices and decisions gives the child ownership and a voice. social worker charlene lilly, an lpc, agrees, ??is is a huge motivator for a child with motivating children with e xceptional needs local mom, doris heckert, knows the struggle and the tri- umph well. she and her husband, john, work very hard to en- courage their son, jackson, to achieve the impossible. jackson was born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which is a condition that causes many joints to be stiff and crooked at birth. any and all joints can be affected, which can drastically affect the most simple tasks. jackson?s prognosis at birth was bleak, and the heckerts were told that if he lived, he would this is a huge motivator for a child with special needs, as they are rarely in charge of anything. 32 brparents.com | july 2016
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