Disabled child and the society: Relationships and socialization

Background. The problem of pediatric disability remains one of the most acute social challenges. Along with the question of the social status of a disabled person and the ambivalence of the term “disabled person” itself, whom the modern society prefers to refer to as “a person with limited abilities,” there is the unresolved issue pertaining to the method of socialization of disabled children.

Aim. We aimed to analyze the relationships of a disabled person and the society in the context of cultural history and consider the problem of the socialization of disabled children and the methods used for this form of socialization.

Method. The study involved the analysis of the relationships between disabled children and the society as well as the methods and ways of social and psychological rehabilitation of such children, undertaken in terms of philosophical anthropology.

Results and discussion. The purpose of encouraging the socialization of a disabled child in his family that actively interacts with a team of doctors is not only to teach him/her to adapt to societal conditions and be useful to the society but also to help him/her to integrate effectively in the society as a person who is aware of himself/herself, is equal to other members of the society, and is conscious of his/her dignity and undoubted value.

Conclusion. The family and the immediate environment of the child, apart the medical community, play an active role in his/her social and psychological rehabilitation. The success of rehabilitation depends largely on their interactions. Irrespective of the rehabilitation method we use, including gaming methods, para athletics, and the practice of integrated schools or home education, we must remember that we are working with an individual with his/her own personality, talents, problems, and needs.