Three years ago, I wrote an article about fostering empathy for children with disabilities that I thought would be helpful for parents of young disabled children. At the time, my three boys were 10, 8 and 7. I got such a nice response from the piece I updated it based on my children’s current ages of 13, 11 and 10 as well as added some new things I continue to learn along the way. Since I frequently tell my children that everyone in life faces challenges, some of us on the outside, others economic or emotional, this list really attempts to speak to parents of children of all backgrounds. While schools grapple with teaching children about bullying, parents should and can take an active part in helping children develop empathy. My children had a very rare medical condition called facial paralysis which made it vital for me become their ongoing advocate.
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